Turn table arms question

Of course any Rega arm will fit but you have to check if turntable takes the older style column mount or the newer 3-point mount.

If you are unsure about this it is probably best to by a turntable with the arm already fitted, it will save a bit of faff.

You will also require a cartridge of some sort.

You can fit any arm that you want but you'll need to change the mount and, unless it's a Rega arm, the location of the hole where the arm fits. Mounting distances vary quite a lot, and the Rega arm mounting distance isn't the same as the Linn mounts, which are probably the most popular.

On Rega decks if you don't go Rega you're left with drilling a new or enlarging the existing hole, and that can look pretty ugly, believe me!

Best off buying a deck with an arm, as the man says.

I'd also suggest getting a complete deck.  In the nicest possible way, the fact you had to ask means that you would probably not get the results you hope for. 

Buying all the parts seperate will work out more expensive.

Rega Planar 2 without arm for instance, on ebay selling for £80 to £100, Rega RB250 around £80, more for the RB300, then at the very least £35 for a cartidge (AT95e). Totaling £215 then you've got to make it work!

I got the whole thing in good working order for £120 and I've seen them for less than that.

What Bod says is what I was trying to say. If, and it sounds from your original question, you are not entirely sure of the way to go then do not buy seperate bits. You could be getting in to a bit of a costly minefield.

If you are set on getting a turntable buy one as a complete entity.

Thanks for all the advice, I was thinking that I could build something cheaper and upgradable.. But your probably right in saying buy complete..

I just didn't want to get something I couldn't upgrade and would have to sell and buy better in a year or so.

Would rega planer 3 be a good start? As I will be buying Rega brio as soon as funds allow.

It would be a very good start and plenty of room to upgrade in the future

Sorry I didn't mean to say that upgrading a deck is not a choice.

Of course it is and if you can get a cheap Rega Planar 3 then this is an excellent deck. I used to have one myself.

If you know what you are doing, or know a person that does, then it is very upgradeable. It uses the old style pillar - type mount and, as such, has a number of arm options that can be fitted to it including Origin Live tonearms / Roksan / Funk arms and the like.

The RB300 arm, commonly fitted to this deck, is no slouch however and this in itself will accomodate a very good cartridge.

The cartridge is always the starting point for upgrades, I feel.