Model RC-ST  :   USD45.00

               Weight : ~392g ( ~13.8 oz)

               Height : ~31mm (~1-7/32")

               Diameter : ~ 63.5mm (~2-1/2")

               Spindle hole depth: ~25mm (~ 1")

A stabilizer is used to provide tighter coupling of disc to the turntable. It's even more so for slightly warped records. 

As we know disc stabilizers come in many forms and shapes in addition to different materials. And for this disc stabiliser, other than the weight (lower section) is of stainless steel, the handle is made of light weight alloy. It's designed so to reduce the weight in the inner segment which would improve the moment of inertia when the platter turns, without adding unnecessary extra burden to the main bearing. 

It is able to accommodate top spindle height of up to 25mm(~1") and will not damage the stylus in the event that the cartridge knock against the stabilizer weight when the needle runs over the record label.

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Most of us have a lot of old 7" vinyl records with big holes (a tad less than 38mm) in our cabinets. In order to spin them on the standard turntable with standard smaller diameter spindle, we need a 45rpm record adapter. This is not something new and many of you might already have one of those common ones made of plastic in your possession. But my 45rpm adapter as shown below is completely different....

It's a dual-function adapter!

Let me explain : my alloy adapter weighs approximately 2 oz(or 58g), not only serves the function of 45rpm record insert, it can also be used as a light weight record clamp for your other standard 12" lps. Cool?

This product  is available in two colors, gold or silver to match your turntable.

Gold color model : A45G - USD12.80
Silver color model: A45S - USD12.80

i) As 45rpm adapter for 7" record

ii) As record clamp for standard 12" lps

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Thorens TD124 is a classic, high end vintage turntable of the nineteen fifties. Even till today it's a well-known model to all turntable enthusiasts and it's very much sought-after by many. Grab it, if you do come across! Not just a piece of antique to appreciate, with some proper servicing and upgrading, you'll marvel at the music it brings out....

Arthur of Now York is a lucky guy to have owned one of this rare finds! He is sharing with us here his Thorens TD124 with my Underslung Counterweight and Record Clamp upgrade. Enjoy!

Hi Michael,  I wanted to send you a few pictures of my vinyl setup. I am running the Rega RB300 arm on the TD124. A great combination. As you can see, your counterweight and record weight has been put to good use. The counterweight really opened up some extended clarity and firmed up the bass. I am using the Denon DL 103 cartridge, which requires a more exacting tracking weight, and your counterweight makes this more possible than the stock one.  For speakers I am running high sensitivity Fostex full range drivers so the improvement in clarity is very noticeable!   The record weight is great also, adding a more steady pace.   Great products!!   My next project is to upgrade the wiring on the RB300.   All the best,  Arthur

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My aluminium feet was designed to retrofit the current Rega rubber feet. For the older models of the Planar turntables which had much bigger rubber feet, these aluminium feet would not be compatible, I thought. It never occurred to me that there's a way to install them, so I didn't attempt to try also.

I was surprised to see how Marcel had done it. He shared with me "the secret" and the good news is: "Easy fix" according to him. And thanks to the wonder of online sharing, without which I wouldn't be able to post his ideas here to share with you!

Take a look at the upgrades, especially on the "big rubber feet", done by Marcel Mangelsdorf of Australia :

Hi Michael,  I have received your carefully packaged items and fitted them to the Rega Planar 3. Thank you for these beautifully machined items, they really enhance the aesthetic appeal of the deck as you can see in the pictures.  Top and bottom bracings, aluminium sub-platter upgrades  2.3mm VTA spacer upgrade My original feet were larger but fitted nicely with longer screws. With the top brace and 2mm spacer the threaded part of the arm base did not protrude enough for the nut to grab so I had a nut with an extended threaded sleeve machined and widened the opening in the base by a few mm to fit the nut. Easy fix.  Aluminium feet upgrade The improvement in sound is incredible. Pace, rhythm, deep base and clarity in the mid and high range are all there. Even the so so flexidiscs from the 70's and 80's sound a lot better. The cartridge fitted is a modest Sumiko Pearl MM but a great combination with the arm.  Record clamp  I did not expect the end result to be this good! I can thoroughly recommend your upgrades. They are also fantastic value for money.  Comment from my local Hifi dealer: this doesn't sound like a Rega at all; much better!  Kind regards,  Marcel Mangelsdorf

Thanks, Marcel !

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Switzerland, one of the richest countries in the world, is not unfamiliar to me. Being an avid watch collector, I am always fascinated by this country because of my passion in watches. And "Swiss made" is always my first choice. Switzerland not only produces fine watches, it also dominates the world in the watch industry.

How about turntables? Thorens and Lenco are some of the best known names in Swiss-made precision turntables which are ubiquitous around the world today. Though Lenco no longer produce the famous idler drive TTs' like L75, these vintage turntables are still very much sought after by analog connoisseurs.

Besides, it's such a beautiful country.... the Alps .....the snow ...... Sorry, I am a bit carry away and going a bit out of point. Actually my intention is to introduce to you our friend from Switzerland, Ulrich Peyer.

It's exciting for me getting to know a new analog enthusiast in Switzerland and it's equally exciting for Ulrich to discover more about his P25 TT after some simple tweaks( aluminium sub-platter,dual pulley and brass record clamp).  Here's his feedback: 

Dear Michael, I just completed the installation of a metal sub platter, a metal pulley and two new belts. It took several hours to run in until the record speed was stable.  The results were simply stunning: The bass had a lot more punch and it was so much clearer that an expert could probably tell you which company has built the instrument, because every bass sounds different now which it didn't before...  The sound is also more relaxed, before it was more nervous. The record clamp also gives more detail. I got a lot of quality for very little money.  Later I will mount the P25 on the Rega wall mount. On the attached prictures it still is placed on a lovan classic rack, which according to Rega is not a very good idea.  Kind regards  Ulrich Peyer

Thanks Ulrich!

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Markus from Norway has a Goldring 1.2. There's no problem to join in the Rega tweaking fun as Goldring 1.2 shares the same upgrades as Rega P1. After new addition of aluminium sub-platter, record clamp, stainless steel pulley with silicone belt and bearing sheath to his system, Markus  found big improvement to his Goldring .....

Brass record weight with bull-eye level

Hi Michael, Your upgrades were definitively a big improvment, both with and without my newly bought acrylic platter. The speed is now stable, I had an old belt which was way overdue replacement. What I felt was the biggest improvement was how I could feel my body relax more while listening, and just enjoy the music. I guess this is because of the the background noise quieting down.  Bearing Sheath Listening to Madrugada - The Kids Are On High Street the intro vocals stood more out into the room, and the instruments was easier to separate. Especially the cymbals in the end were more defined.  So, am I going to upgrade more, or buy new? I'm going down the upgrade path :) I got hold off a cheap Planar 3 plinth after reading a bit on your blog. Decided to rewire the arm (in process) despite your warnings, we'll see if I manage that. In the near future a follow-up order will come to you for at least the motor isolation base, the counter-weight (if I get the tonearm in order), some spacers and the isolation feet.  Best regards,  Markus Lund Vevle

Here's Markus's update on his second project on Rega Planar :

Hi Michael, It took me another two months since my last mail, but they included holidays and quite a few work related travels, in the end though; here are the pictures as promised!  I had to drill a few new holes in the braces to fit them as you can see from two of the pictures. The rest of the pictures are of the finished result, and personally I think it looks gorgeous and the music its playing is leagues better than before! Of course I can't fully compare with the old turntable (I refer to this version of the turntable as new, it certainly feels and sound like it!) as both the phono stage and cartridge has been replaced since I started with this project.  The record collection is growing at an accelerated speed, and the turntable has been spinning a lot whenever I have time. It is definitively a token to the reproduction capability of the turntable when you suddenly realise it is five o'clock on a Saturday morning, that didn't happen with the old one. There are however still improvements I would like to do, I sometimes hear wow & flutter, so would like to take this opportunity to order the dual pulley and two belts. You might have noticed that I now have the new motor installed, the old is still connected to the GR1.2 plinth which I'm going to rebuild as second turntable, so I probably need the 5a pulley (version for Europe is 50 Hz?) to put on the new motor?  Note : If facing the wrong side down this is what happens. Just flip over to the other side and the bracing will fit the holes. Aluminium feet, Motor isolation base upgrade Acrylic platter and rubber cork mat Best regards,  Markus

Thanks, Markus!

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Awty of Brisbane, Australia rebuilt an old Orpheus turntable and installed a RB300 braced to the platter suspension. Very happy to see my underslung counterweight being chosen to match his RB300 tonearm in this project. Sharing with you here his story and pictures of this rare turntable.

Pictures : courtesy of Awty of Brisbane, Australia

Brass record clamp with bull-eye's level

Read his post in vinylengine: Michael Lim's counterweight on Rega arms

"The postman drop off a little package from mr Lim this morning, a counter weight and record clamp with bubble. Wasted no time in fitting it, as I've been mucking around with the arm since rewiring it on Christmas night. The weight looks well thought out and well made. The stub has 2 "O" rings front and back, wrapped a bit of plumbers thread seal tape on the thread and tightened it up nice and firmly. Then it has a sleeve with a grub screw that goes over that and the weight itself has a half round slot that fits under that and has 2 thumb screws to tighten it and hold it firmly. Took a bit of mucking around to get it set up......its a bit fiddly, but once I got it sorted so everything was tight and level (has a flat area you can put a small bubble level on to get it nice and level) it was good. Not the easiest thing to use if you want to adjust in small increments......might be just me. Does the job. The record clamp is pretty cheap and is good for leveling the suspended platter......not the prettiest thing, but again does the job. Anyway Michael great to deal with and answered all my emails quickly and postage took just over a week (including Christmas) Not sure of any major sonic differences as the rewire was such a big difference everything else is just icing on the cake......cant wait till my new cart turns up and then it will be complete.... ....I received an email from Michael letting me know that the thumb screw under the counter weight can be unscrewed and screwed back into the back of the end stub if you are using a light cartridge and want to get the weight closer to the pivot point.....nifty..."

Thanks, Awty!

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The humble Rega P1 turntables can be further improved without problems using many third party products/accessories. This could be one of the many reasons that makes Rega turntables very popular. Another reason is that the Rega turntables are simple, rugged and very well engineered - to last for a long time.

The stock Rega P1 is equipped with Ortofon OM5E stylus. By just changing the stylus to OM10E, you get an upgrade immediately. Just plug and play - a very simple upgrade. OM10E costs around USD 50.00-60.00, depending on where you buy it from.

Ortofon OM10E stylus

The first thing I am going to do is to change the original mild steel counterweight. Just remove the counterweight, followed by the plastic end-stub. Then screw in the stainless steel end-stub and fix the under-slung stainless steel counterweight.

Under-slung stainless steel counterweight (USD100.00)

The original wooden fiber platter of Rega P1 could be replaced or upgraded cheaply either by getting a used 10 mm glass Rega Planar 2 from the flea market for USD 20.00-30.00 or a new acrylic platter (24 mm thick) for ~USD 130.00. You can hear the difference immediately after the change.

Rega P1 with original wooden fiber platter

8 mm /10 mm glass platter (~USD 45.00)

Upgraded Rega P1 with
Acrylic platter (USD 130.00) and
Rubber/cork mat ( USD25.00)

To change the original plastic sub-platter to the aluminium metal sub-platter with anti-resonance pattern brings about immediate sonic improvement that no one can deny. Remove the plastic unit carefully and insert the aluminium metal sub-platter after wetting the stainless shaft with suitable lubricating oil.

Aluminium sub-platter (USD150.00)

All turntables are susceptible to ground-borne vibrations and a good isolating platform would help to reduce this undesirable effect, thus improving the sonic performance. So lastly I put my Rega P1 turntable onto a 20 mm acrylic isolating platform for better isolation from undesirable vibrations.

Rega P1 turntable with aluminium sub-platter, acrylic platter,

stainless steel counterweight, record clamp,
and 20 mm acrylic isolating platform (USD110.00)

Presto, now you are ready to spin the vinyl!!

Shall we sit back and enjoy beautiful music from this upgraded Rega P1 turntable!

Proceed to :

i) Detail steps to upgrade P1....

on Motor isolation base upgrade if you are adventurous.

ii) Stainless steel pulley ( Standard and dual ) for a surprise.

iii) Aluminium feet ( à la p7/p9 feet)

iv) Main bearing sheath 

( For P1 and RP1 only)

*Notes:

1. All upgrades for Rega P1 turntable are also applicable for Rega RP1, P2, P3, P3-24, P5, P25, Planar 2 and Planar 3 turntables.

2. Counter-weight upgrade can also be used for Rega P7 and P9 turntables to improve the performance.

*Read more on : "Tips on upgrading ........">>

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Record weight with bull's eye level

(model RC1 : USD22.00)

This Record clamp/weight with bull's eye level is precision- machined from solid brass. The diameter of the brass base is 43 mm with a height of 12 mm. The total height inclusive of the bull eye's level is approximately 24 mm. It's weight is about 160 gm(~5.6 oz). A record clamp should not be too heavy but just enough to hold the the record steady. A heavy record weight or clamp would add unnecessary load to the motor and the main bearing hub, bearing in mind the motor and bearing hub are designed to carry a specific load and anything above is considered over-load!

Bottom view

It can be used to weigh down the record as well as for leveling the platter with the bubble level. It is suitable for all turntables. Besides it also improves the turntable performance.

Record weight on Micro Seiki turntable

Awty of Australia said :

The record clamp is pretty cheap and is good for leveling the suspended platter......not the prettiest thing, but again does the job.

Jim Pittman of USA said :

Greetings Mr Lim, Rec’d the record weight and pulley today. Thank you very much for such great prices on great products. Installation was a snap, and I am very pleased with the sound, Thank you again.  Regards,  Jim Pittman.

Arthur of New York commented on his upgraded Thorens TD124 :

The record weight is great also, adding a more steady pace. Great products!! All the best, Arthur

Ulrich of Switzerland said :

The record clamp also gives more details. I got a lot of quality for very little money.

The Star - Review on record clamp:

"The weight is simply plonked over the centre spindle on top of the vinyl record with no irritating screwing in, twisting, or pressure fitting which record clamps involve. This allows record changes without the need to stop the motor. The weight brought a better sense of ease and focus to the sound, its effect much subtler than with the platter substitute, but still worthwhile. It seemed to work more noticeably with the more transparent sounding Radius V, though, for which I will probably buy it."

HiFi unlimited: Read more >> 

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