Is there a safe way to make my SME 3009 Series II Improved with a fixed head shell...

[Johncan]

Is there a safe way to make my SME 3009 Series II Improved tonearm with a fixed head shell to a tonearm with a detachable head shell?

Is this an impossible dream?

 

[bob06]

You would have to change the arm also. The arms are different lengths between fixed and nonfixed head shells.

 

[vinylaudio]

Going through this now myself. You probably won't be able to get it aligned properly. It's also tough to find original parts

 

[Aerobat]

Sell the arm and get the one you want?

 

[MRL_Audio]

Aerobat nailed it.

 

[Johncan]

^^^ That is what I thought. I can live with what I have for now.

 

[Ilikevinyl]

SME made a headshell locking nut that you could purchase to make the non removable headshell into a removable one. They come up once in a while on Ebay. You would have to rewire the tonearm. Make sure it's for an "Improved" arm! The Series II non Improved has a wider arm tube that one won't fit. The U.K. Ebay usually has more SME items. That's where I bought my 3009 Improved arm. SME doesn't supply parts for their tonearms anymore. They only sell the brand new tonearms as part of their turntable packages!

 

[Mr Boochie]

SME made a headshell locking nut that you could purchase to make the non removable headshell into a removable one. They come up once in a while on Ebay. You would have to rewire the tonearm. Make sure it's for an "Improved" arm! The Series II non Improved has a wider arm tube that one won't fit. The U.K. Ebay usually has more SME items. That's where I bought my 3009 Improved arm. SME doesn't supply parts for their tonearms anymore. They only sell the brand new tonearms as part of their turntable packages!

Do you just pry-off the fixed head from the tonearm? Tubing is so thin... if you know what I mean.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Sell the arm and get the one you want?

Yes, and likely doable without much if any money involved.

 

[Ilikevinyl]

Do you just pry-off the fixed head from the tonearm? Tubing is so thin... if you know what I mean.

View attachment 1933782

There's a tiny screw underneath the arm near the headshell that needs to be unscrewed. The headshell can be carefully twisted off. Be careful at threading the wires through the headshell hole.