Souther linear arm

[jpaguas]

Souther Clearaudio Linear Arm TQ1 setup problems

Hello,
It's my first post, and I've got 2 TT, one Clearaudio Emotion with SLA, (already made in Germany by Clearaudio, but i think it's first generation, because apart from small details, it's like PIO1980's tonearm)
Lately I suffered from some mistracking on the last tracks, I was using a denon DL 103, wich is a very low compliance cartridge, and i read that I should use a high compliance, cartridge instead of a low compliance. I also suffered from some background noise (hum), I changed cartridges and rca interconnects, but it stayed the same, could it all be from the cables from the cartridge to the RCA interconnets? I read on owners manual that a bent cable, could damage the set up, because the cart would´t move freely. Is there anyone else who could offer some advise on those problems?

 

[Pio1980]

Hello,
It's my first post, and I've got 2 TT, one Clearaudio Emotion with SLA, (already made in Germany by Clearaudio, but i think it's first generation, because apart from small details, it's like PIO1980's tonearm)
Lately I suffered from some mistracking on the last tracks, I was using a denon DL 103, wich is a very low compliance cartridge, and i read that I should use a high compliance, cartridge instead of a low compliance. I also suffered from some background noise (hum), I changed cartridges and rca interconnects, but it stayed the same, could it all be from the cables from the cartridge to the RCA interconnets? I read on owners manual that a bent cable, could damage the set up, because the cart would´t move freely. Is there anyone else who could offer some advise on those problems?

Welcome to AK! Where are you located.
Carefully clean quartz rod tracks and outside of rollers with cotton swab very lightly dampened and expressed into a tissue with isopropyl alcohol, do not allow any alcohol to get into the bearings! Never use compressed air as it's just as likely to blow debris into the bearing as out unless you KNOW for certain the bearing is contaminated and are willing to chance it. Check flying lead from carriage for interference. Check that the rail plate is level.
Best simple easy mods for the earlier Southers are to remove the flimsy resonant & microphonic acrylic dust cover and set it aside, and if you have the hollow arm stick fill it mostly full with dry dust-free sand or tiny glass beads and plug end lightly but securely with cotton so that the filling cannot escape. The later ones came with less resonant smaller and thicker dust covers and solid rod arm stix that ring like a clock chime as do the unfilled hollow ones.

Posted from Audiokarma.org App for Android

 

[Pio1980]

HI PIO,
A 6 hundred dollar ET2.5 would indeed be well bought. I don't think you will find one. They are currently available new for $3000 and worth it. I bought one at that price. But my first one, bought in 1990 (an ET2 not a ET2.5) was $1200. We will never see that price again.

Sparky

I had one locally for $600 but it's become lost somewhere due to the death of 2 a'philes and a house fire, so we don't know for sure where it is or what happened with it yet. I was going to let another specific a'phile AKer have first 'go' if it reappears. Another one sold for around that figure not too long ago.

 

[Karma16]

HI PIO,
We are talking about two different things here (my fault). The original was the ET2 arm. That was the original one I bought in 1990. I have seen those in the $600 range though it is rare. The other one is the upgraded and current ET2.5 selling new now for $3000. You will never see that arm used at less than around $2000.

But I will say the the original ET2 is a great arm and an incredible deal if found for less than $1000. Jump on one if you can. And do be aware that the ET2 can be upgraded to the ET2.5 spec more or less. Try to get the mounting jig. They are more rare than the arm and definitely worth having.

Sparky

 

[Pio1980]

HI PIO,
We are talking about two different things here (my fault). The original was the ET2 arm. That was the original one I bought in 1990. I have seen those in the $600 range though it is rare. The other one is the upgraded and current ET2.5 selling new now for $3000. You will never see that arm used at less than around $2000.

But I will say the the original ET2 is a great arm and an incredible deal if found for less than $1000. Jump on one if you can. And do be aware that the ET2 can be upgraded to the ET2.5 spec more or less. Try to get the mounting jig. They are more rare than the arm and definitely worth having.

Sparky

Not sure which it is, the principal involved is in a prolonged MS-induced period of illness and I'm giving him space for the duration.

 

[jpaguas]

Welcome to AK! Where are you located.
Carefully clean quartz rod tracks and outside of rollers with cotton swab very lightly dampened and expressed into a tissue with isopropyl alcohol, do not allow any alcohol to get into the bearings! Never use compressed air as it's just as likely to blow debris into the bearing as out unless you KNOW for certain the bearing is contaminated and are willing to chance it. Check flying lead from carriage for interference. Check that the rail plate is level.
Best simple easy mods for the earlier Southers are to remove the flimsy resonant & microphonic acrylic dust cover and set it aside, and if you have the hollow arm stick fill it mostly full with dry dust-free sand or tiny glass beads and plug end lightly but securely with cotton so that the filling cannot escape. The later ones came with less resonant smaller and thicker dust covers and solid rod arm stix that ring like a clock chime as do the unfilled hollow ones.

Posted from Audiokarma.org App for Android

Hello,
I'm in Portugal, near Lisbon
How are you going to fill the tubes?
Best regards,
JPAguas

 

[Pio1980]

Hello,
I'm in Portugal, near Lisbon
How are you going to fill the tubes?
Best regards,
JPAguas

Hello;
The hollow steel arm stick gets filled with damping particulate with my mod, I think I used a folded paper to pour the glass beads into it back around 1988. I used a small funnel to fill the rail plate damper tube.
Best Rgds; S.C.B.

 

[Grainger49]

jpagaus might not have a hollow arm tube. That would be confusing to him.

My arm was a late arm and included both a hollow and solid cartridge carriers. Since I bought 50# of glass beads at Harbor Freight, I'm going to try packing the hollow tube. How do you get the cotton into the tube, pack it in with the azimuth rod?

I won't get to try the arm immediately it will require a full set up and all owners know what a pain that is.

 

[Pio1980]

jpagaus might not have a hollow arm tube. That would be confusing to him.

My arm was a late arm and included both a hollow and solid cartridge carriers. Since I bought 50# of glass beads at Harbor Freight, I'm going to try packing the hollow tube. How do you get the cotton into the tube, pack it in with the azimuth rod?

I won't get to try the arm immediately it will require a full set up and all owners know what a pain that is.

Just securely plug the stick-end with a cotton fluff plug on the beads, don't cram-pack it tight-tight. This should provide some mass loading for the cart as well as dead-mass load damping in the most ideal possible location. It should be worth the bother with cleaner more neutral sonix.

 

[Grainger49]

Maybe a little paraffin to make a tight seal?

 

[Pio1980]

Over the cotton, yes. The granules/beads must be a just bit loose to damp resonances & vibration.

 

[Grainger49]

So if I shake it, it should make noise? How loose?

 

[Pio1980]

Just lightly press the cotton plug securely onto the fill, no more. The wax may make experimentation later difficult BTW.
You can leave arm higth as-is, it's just the azimuth and tangency w/VTF that'll need resetting after removal/replacement. Should be not too much bother.

 

[Grainger49]

Hmmm, I like that. Just adjust the tangency, azimuth and VTF, er, not in that order.

 

[scottdavis08]

Souther Sla-3

I just got a VPI HW-19 with a Souther SLA-3 tonearm last week. Apparently, I am missing counterweights,the GLG (great little gauge), and the linear gauge. I have slowly been tweaking all of the setup requirements from the instruction manual with pretty decent results so far. It came with an adcom xc/mrii cartridge that is sounding really good. But, I can't help thinking it could sound alot better. One main thing I have noticed, is that I cannot balance the tone arm equally with counterweight. The cartridge end of tonearm has to have more weight or it will not track! Man, any advice on setting cartridges up would be appreciated, and where possibly to find accessories. It is frustrating to have my 1st high end turntable and can't properly adjust it. No resonance problems though!

 

[Conn]

What's amazing here is that I have dumped the Souther after 30 years of dealing with it and was about to sell it, either as is, or for parts. I've been thinking of putting a notice here. It's been heavily modded by me after Lou Souther made several suggestions. I doubt anyone would want it as a whole, but let me run a separate post here today or tomorrow. If there are no takers in a couple of days for the whole thing, I'll be glad to sell you the parts you need. I won't charge much, but it would be nice to recoup a little of the expense of my new arm. It'll be something like $10 for this or that part, maybe less if you buy more. If this interests you, respond privately (however that's done on this forum), and I'll get back to you soon, one way or the other, depending on if someone wants the whole arm.

 

[Pio1980]

I just got a VPI HW-19 with a Souther SLA-3 tonearm last week. Apparently, I am missing counterweights,the GLG (great little gauge), and the linear gauge. I have slowly been tweaking all of the setup requirements from the instruction manual with pretty decent results so far. It came with an Adcom XC/MR-II cartridge that is sounding really good. But, I can't help thinking it could sound a lot better. One main thing I have noticed, is that I cannot balance the tone arm equally with counterweight. The cartridge end of tonearm has to have more weight or it will not track! Man, any advice on setting cartridges up would be appreciated, and where possibly to find accessories. It is frustrating to have my 1st high end turntable and can't properly adjust it. No resonance problems though!

You can set this thing up with a basic understanding of the physics involved with pure radial playback. I have the simplified instructions off the net somewhere in the HD if I can find them all..

 

[Pio1980]

I'm linking this for a perspective on the pricing of these things, remove if inappropriate;
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=7538201&postcount=4

 

[Grainger49]

Lenoir City! ? ! ? I live in Knoxville and work in Loudon. I can help you set up your table. I have a HW-19 and a Tri-Quratz.

Send me a PM and I will give you my telephone number.

I just got a VPI HW-19 with a Souther SLA-3 tonearm last week. Apparently, I am missing counterweights,the GLG (great little gauge), and the linear gauge. I have slowly been tweaking all of the setup requirements from the instruction manual with pretty decent results so far. It came with an adcom xc/mrii cartridge that is sounding really good. But, I can't help thinking it could sound alot better. One main thing I have noticed, is that I cannot balance the tone arm equally with counterweight. The cartridge end of tonearm has to have more weight or it will not track! Man, any advice on setting cartridges up would be appreciated, and where possibly to find accessories. It is frustrating to have my 1st high end turntable and can't properly adjust it. No resonance problems though!

 

[Conn]

I just got a VPI HW-19 with a Souther SLA-3 tonearm last week. Apparently, I am missing counterweights,the GLG (great little gauge), and the linear gauge. I have slowly been tweaking all of the setup requirements from the instruction manual with pretty decent results so far. It came with an adcom xc/mrii cartridge that is sounding really good. But, I can't help thinking it could sound alot better. One main thing I have noticed, is that I cannot balance the tone arm equally with counterweight. The cartridge end of tonearm has to have more weight or it will not track! Man, any advice on setting cartridges up would be appreciated, and where possibly to find accessories. It is frustrating to have my 1st high end turntable and can't properly adjust it. No resonance problems though!

I don't think I'll be selling my arm as a whole. Too much trouble for one so heavily modded. If you're interested in some parts, send me a PM.