Record Store Day: Rega to release limited edition RP1 turntable

It forms part of the company's sponsorship of Record Store Day, now into its ninth year. In addition to producing the special RP1, Rega is also promoting the event through its 75 UK partner stores.

The limited edition turntable – complete with Rega carbon cartridge – is already being advertised for pre-order with a price tag of £250. However, only 500 of the record players will be produced.

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Rega's limited edition RP1 carries Record Store Day branding, although features are the same as the original – a RB101 tonearm, its plug-and-play design and the Phenolic resin flywheel effect.

It's not the first time that Rega has taken part in Record Store Day in such a way, having produced a limited edition RP1 in partnership with independent label Rough Trade back in 2010.

Record Store Day is organised by the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) here in the UK – last year's successful event saw more than 270 exclusive album and 340 single vinyl releases.

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ERA director general Kim Bayley commented: "With its independent heritage, commitment to excellence and strong affinity with vinyl culture, Rega is the ideal partner for Record Store Day.

"The limited edition Record Store Day-branded RP1 turntable will be the perfect complement to Record Store Day's exclusive vinyl releases."

Data from BuzzAngle Music underlined how successful Record Store Day can be; industry-wide vinyl sales shot up 1,855 per cent on 19th April 2014 compared with the previous Saturday.

MORE: New data reveals huge impact of Record Store Day 2014

Pete was content editor on What Hi-Fi?, overseeing production and publication of digital content. In creating and curating feature articles for web and print consumption, he provided digital and editorial expertise and support to help reposition What Hi-Fi? as a ‘digital-first’ title; reflecting the contemporary media trends. He is now a senior content strategist.