Help with Rega confusion

[pretweak]

I'm trying to do a bit of research into the Rega line. In understand the Rega Planar 3 was intoduced in the late '70's, and came equipped with an RB 300.

I have seen reference of the upgrade, known as the P3 24, equipped with an RB 301.

The manuals I see on Vinyl Engine include the Planar 3 and the P3.

Is the P3 different from the Planar 3 or the P3 24 ?
Thanks for any help offered.

 

[Bob_in_OKC]

At the Rega website, the description of the P3-24 says it's a re-thinking of the Planar 3, as opposed to an evolution of the P3.

http://www.rega.co.uk/index2.htm

 

[spyderx]

P3 and P3-24 (current model) are different. The P3/24 uses a 24V ac motor with a feedback circuit that can be used with the TT-PSU. It also has the RB301 tonearm, which uses a 3pt mounting and much better wiring (same as RB600) than the RB300. The plinth is also thinner (and supposedly more rigid) on the P3/24.

 

[pretweak]

Ok, so it appears there was a third incarnation. The P3 2000. Does anyone have specs on this table? I'm wondering if indeed it sported the BR 300. Any idea what the plinth was composed of? If anyone can help me figure out how the P3 2000 varied from the Planar 3 and the P3 24, that would help greatly.

Thanks all

 

[Nat]

The original Regas, 2 and 3, didn't have the RB arms. They had an arm sourced from Lustre, I believe, and came out in the early/mid 70s. I believe they followed the Planet which had a different (weird three armed, if I recall) platter than the glass ones that the Planars had.

 

[Puma Cat]

Nat is correct; the original Planar series Regas came out in the mid-to-late 70s. I got my Planar 3 in 1981; at that time, Rega was not making their own tonearms, and tables distributed and sold in the U.S. did not come with an arm at all, or even a hole drilled for an arm. The dealer had to cut a hole in the plinth for you to mount your arm of choice. Popular arms at the time in the U.S. were the Grace 707, and the SME 3009 Series arms; I mounted a Series 3009 Series III on mine and have had it ever since.

I don't think Rega made their own arm until 1983 or thereabouts.

Regas hold up incredibly well over time. The photos you see here were taken about a year ago, when the table was 27 years old. I've replaced the motor in mine with the motor upgrade, and have installed a GrooveTracer Reference subplatter, which made a huge improvement in the performance, the noise floor was markedly lower with the subplatter upgrade and the table became significantly quieter.

I know that the pllnth on the current P3-24 is thinner than the plinth on my Planar 3.