Mono 16" tonearm stereo conversion?

[sameal]

Hiya.
I have a mono rek-o-kut 160 tonearm that im considering converting to stereo. I was going to leave it mono because i won't be cutting to stereo very soon, but building this tonearm platform more and more i think it will be easier to just convert it now.

All that stands in the way of running new tonearm wires is the two prong connector at the end of the tonearm and start of the headshell. It looks to be of a bakelight type material probably easily extracted with some care, and the new wires run direct to the headshell.

Any reason i shouldn't convert it?

[diamone]

IIRC the three (or four) pin stereo versions are the same size bakelite as the mono - meaning if you find one and it's corresponding mate in a parts pin someplace you should be able to remove both from their couplings, glue the new ones in and go on about your business.

[grooveguy]

Hey, sameal,

Unless you need cartridge interchangeability, and have a source for more Rek-O-Kut shells, I'd just punch-out the little bakelite thing and hard-wire directly to the cartridge. I have four separate headshells on my Stanton playback turntable and can't remember when I used anything other than my Shure V15.

Oh, yeah, I remember now. I had one of those mono ROK arms back in the 1960s and recall that the contacts at the end of the arm oxidized rapidly and became intermittent. I was always burnishing them with a pencil eraser.

[sameal]

ah. good to know. i think i'll just wire direct to the cart then. it'll be easier and more reliable from the sounds of it.

i don't see myself swapping headshells much on my monitor arm.