Updating Astatic B-16 tonearm

[Wigwam Jones]

I have a circa 1940 Astatic B-16 tonearm in excellent condition. It looks like this, except it's a 16 inch rather than 10 inch tonearm.

https://reverb.com/en-br/item/76132901-astatic-b-10-transcription-phono-tone-arm-tonearm-vintage-studio-1930s-broadcast

It has a crystal cartridge with no needle. I understand those are unobtainium, not that I'd want to anyway.

I am however curious about how I might make use of this heavyweight monster, say on my Fairchild 412.

I would need to figure out a way to mount a modern ceramic or magnetic cartridge. Something low compliance since this tonearm is very high mass.

And although it pivots in all dimensions very smoothly, there is no way to adjust counterbalance that I can see.

Any thoughts?

 

[KentTeffeteller]

I have a circa 1940 Astatic B-16 tonearm in excellent condition. It looks like this, except it's a 16 inch rather than 10 inch tonearm.

https://reverb.com/en-br/item/76132901-astatic-b-10-transcription-phono-tone-arm-tonearm-vintage-studio-1930s-broadcast

It has a crystal cartridge with no needle. I understand those are unobtainium, not that I'd want to anyway.

I am however curious about how I might make use of this heavyweight monster, say on my Fairchild 412.

I would need to figure out a way to mount a modern ceramic or magnetic cartridge. Something low compliance since this tonearm is very high mass.

And although it pivots in all dimensions very smoothly, there is no way to adjust counterbalance that I can see.

Any thoughts?

Crystal cartridge is not broadcast grade. And no mounting a modern cartridge on that arm. And it tracks in ounces. Buy an arm deserving of your fine Fairchild classic. That Astatic is for something like a school phono.

 

[Wigwam Jones]

Crystal cartridge is not broadcast grade. And no mounting a modern cartridge on that arm. And it tracks in ounces. Buy an arm deserving of your fine Fairchild classic. That Astatic is for something like a school phono.

I wasn't planning to try to use a crystal cartridge in any case. I thought it might be possible to bodge some sort of ceramic or magnetic cartridge holder into the headshell somehow; even via epoxy or something. I realize the tonearm is a monster in terms of mass. I was wondering if there was some way to decrease the weight on the stylus, even if the mass remained high. I don't see any way to adjust balance, via counterweight or spring, etc. I was just curious.

I happen to have two Fairchild 412 tables. One is a 412-2, the other a basic 412. The 412-2 has two 16" arms, a ROK and a Gray. So I was looking to do something different with the other table.