Headshells for AR XA & AR XB

[bauzace50]

Does anyone know a good source for headshells for the AR XA? Thankyou.

[ddarch]

Read my Sept 26 2005 blog:

http://www.vinylnirvana.com/ar_verbosa.shtml

Dave

[bauzace50]

Dave,
Thanks a lot! Matter of fact, one navigation over eBay got me looking at an auction for another turntable. In the photo, in the background, there was one AR XA shell! I wrote to the fellow, and am purchasing for $50 plus shipping. Wow.
You guys have probably seen the Rek-O-Kut tracking pressure gauge which is being marketed. It looks like a clone of the original AR gauge!
So, if the gauge can be cloned, can't the AR headshell be cloned? All it takes is manufacturing it! Other after-market parts being built right now include new clone Dynaco chassis for several models, parts for antique Ford cars, Chevrolet cars, Corvettes, military Jeeps, sheep, what does it take to manufacture the AR headshell clones? Heck, they even are manufacturing brand-new McIntosh MC 275!
Best wishes.

[srhorn]

Yea, I have a couple XA/XB headshells that have had their 'nibs' stripped. I have one good original headshell that I am VERY carefull with, and a backup generic aluminium one I picked up on eBay...just in case! Though I wonder if the alloy headshell may have adverse performance effects?

But back to the matter at hand, one thing I'm going to try to do with one of my stripped headshells is to build a 'jig' that would let me place a metal pin in the headshell to replace the plastic nib. It happens I have access to a full prototype machine shop, so I'll let you folks know how it works!

Steve

[OldRelayer]

Thanks Dave for the information.

I am on my second XA, just purchased one that I bought at a very good price knowing it had a marginal headshell. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of having to find one but everything else about the table is quite right. The previous owners approach to this problem is something I would have never thought of, plumbers Teflon tape, it actually seems to work. It of course came with the headshell out and I didn't have much trouble getting it in the first time with the original cartridge. But I replaced the cartridge and the second time it went in much harder and it did finally make connection without a hint of a hum. I suspect it is a little tricky getting just the right amount of tape on so it still can be inserted and yet still make a good mechanical connection.


I like hundreds of others am on the look out for a headshell, although I don't see me taking this one out for a very long time.

[neiljadman]

I did this one for a friend who swears that he now prefers this over his standard shelll...

...but the brass inserts came loose and subsequently went AWOL and the shell was no use at all - so I carefully drilled through the shell using the inside hollows as drill guides and mounted the cartridge with aluminum screws and bolts...

...result: a much more rigid attachment of the cartridge in the shell and a previously unusable shell returned to useful service...and a possible upgrade too.

[chefhenry]

Neil, your post answered my question even before I asked it. This must, then, be a known issue with this turntable. Obviously, the XA's designers were prescient enough to know that in a few decades, the inserts would fall out, so they provided drill guides for the next generation of vinyl enthusiasts. I even have a spineless spare head shell to experiment on!

[Conrad Hoffman]

My headshell is in good shape so I haven't looked, but how scarce are these, and is there a market for good new ones? It would be easy enough to duplicate in a urethane plastic using silicone molds, or in alloy on a CNC machine. Personally I'd prefer metal just for the thread durability in both areas subject to failure. I have a friend who has the equipment and could probably offer a good price if I drew up the CAD files.

CH

[MuZak]

Conrad....
Yes, there definately IS a market for a good replacement.
Especially if reasonably priced!!!

I'm surprised nobody else has said so..
Though the board seems a bit slow of late.
I myself have been on hiatus for a while (moving and such).

Why not just go ahead with the project!
I'm sure you'd have immediate orders and some
on here would likely help with distribution, marketing
and such!

I'd buy one myself right off.

I'd be interested in both a plastic type and metal
based model vis a vis how they come out.

Just take care to keep the weight close to the
original.
That changes up the equation in a troublesome way
otherwise.

Cheerz

[Conrad Hoffman]

I'm afraid the lack of response is a true gage of the market. I may still draw it up and see how much my cnc shop would want to do it, but it's definitely a back burner project. I have no idea what "reasonably priced" would be, as I'm too cheap for say, $40 headshells, even if of new manufacture. I'd want several, so $25 would be about my limit, and I don't know if it can be done for that. Check back every now and then...

CH

[DavidMiller]

More headshells, please.
Build one. Or several.

Advertise on this forum (and others) that you will auction it off on ebay in, say, two weeks. This gives people time to be aware of its auction if they had been off line for awhile. It will also whet the appetites. Anticipation is a great thing, so use it!

Do not say that you will be building more of them. You might, of course if it pays you. (I hope it does.)

Auction it off, and you can better determine from that, what the market might be.

Dave Miller

[gutier]

Just bought an AR XA but the headshell is in bad condition (threads). I am willing to buy or traded. Just let me know, I will be in touch regularly.
Have a good one!

[Conrad Hoffman]

Alas, I sold my AR. If you want to know how to duplicate the headshell, I have a web page that shows how to duplicate some test equipment gears. The process for doing headshells in small quantities would be almost identical.

http://conradhoffman.com/HP8640B_gears.htm

[Alec124c41]

Just bought an AR XA but the headshell is in bad condition (threads). I am willing to buy or traded. Just let me know, I will be in touch regularly.
Have a good one!

If the cartridge-mounting threads are shot, but the rest of the headshell is serviceable, you can drill through the top of the headshell, and use regular cartridge-mounting screws and nuts.

Cheers,
Alec