Fitting Jelco 750 to Nottingham TT

[Mikeandvan]

Hi all, just got my Nottingham Interspace back from NAS (what a job they did!) and I am slightly confused as to how I fit the tonearm.
Here's a few pics

IMG_20171109_211745819 by Mike Van, on Flickr

IMG_20171109_211813193 by Mike Van, on Flickr

IMG_20171109_211805248 by Mike Van, on Flickr

Now I know you put cart in headshell (where, front, middle or back?) and then place needle on a record and get arm parallel with record. But what I'm unsure about is the placement of the tonearm once in its collect (holder), how do I know exactly when to tighten the grub screw to fix the tonearm in place? Or is it just guess work? That is the tonearm should obviously run square alongside the TT edge, but as its an S shaped arm this is not so easy. Hope I'm making myself clear, may'be not, please help! I normally get Audio T to do this, but I've already bought a few carts from them recently and don't need another! Gonna fit my well used - but still some life in it - Denon dl110 to it.

[paulf-2007]

Hi all, just got my Nottingham Interspace back from NAS (what a job they did!) and I am slightly confused as to how I fit the tonearm.
Here's a few pics

IMG_20171109_211745819 by Mike Van, on Flickr

IMG_20171109_211813193 by Mike Van, on Flickr

IMG_20171109_211805248 by Mike Van, on Flickr

Now I know you put cart in headshell (where, front, middle or back?) and then place needle on a record and get arm parallel with record. But what I'm unsure about is the placement of the tonearm once in its collect (holder), how do I know exactly when to tighten the grub screw to fix the tonearm in place? Or is it just guess work? That is the tonearm should obviously run square alongside the TT edge, but as its an S shaped arm this is not so easy. Hope I'm making myself clear, may'be not, please help! I normally get Audio T to do this, but I've already bought a few carts from them recently and don't need another! Gonna fit my well used - but still some life in it - Denon dl110 to it.

Check the travel of the tone arm from the centre of the record to the outside of the record and make sure there is nothing impeding it's movement, when you are happy with its position tighten the grub screw. I don't see it needing to be exact.

[Mikeandvan]

IMG_20171109_215956365 by Mike Van, on Flickr

Does arm look level?

[Mikeandvan]

BTW NAS were amazing in helping me renovate this TT. I bought it off a member of AOS, and it was an early Interspace model, no serial number, with the thicker platter which NAS advised they stopped making as it was uneconomical. The tonearm base had been buggered about with but NAS made do, they actually skimmed the arm base on a lathe for me, as it had been badly scratched, it now looks new. They also advised the original motor was noisy and had a bent spindle, so they replaced that. They originally sent me one of their ready made Jelco 750 arm base, but it wouldn't fit as my TT isn't exactly a regular one. So they said I should send it back to them, and I'm so glad I did, as they wouldn't have discovered the buggered motor or had a chance to make the rest of it look lovely as they did. All this for only £80! Getting the TT back (in the strongest box I 've ever seen) was like getting an early xmas pressie! They cleaned the base too and put one of their NAS interspace plastic logos on it. So its now a lovely slab of black, the silver 750 looks good against it. Yet to play it, will tell thoughts when I do. Currently using a Sony PS-X6, which is pretty damn good as well, absolutely silent motor. Just a shame the tonearm isn't more substantial. NAS also threw in a cart alignment gauge which has been very helpful.

[Mikeandvan]

OK, more updates. The arm rest was getting in the way of the arm when I placed the needle on a record, so I had to rotate the tonearm around anti clockwise until the arm rest was clear of the tonearm when playing records. A few pics to explain, still don't know whether I've done this right.

IMG_20171109_223548140 by Mike Van, on Flickr
IMG_20171109_223607723 by Mike Van, on Flickr
IMG_20171109_223632449 by Mike Van, on Flickr

[Mikeandvan]

Well, all set up using the NAS gauge, seems to be perfect. Tried it with the DL110, wasn't as good as the sony with the Goldring 2200. So I put the Goldring on the jelco - keeping it on the Sony headshell and adjusting the tonearm weight, and it sounded better, fuller bass than the Denon, and overall smoother sound, there must be quite a few hours on the Dl110 to be fair. The Goldring is a month old. Not sounding a million miles better than the Sony yet, but I've only played a few sides, first impressions are quieter, smoother, clearer, but its not night and day. Still it looks great As we all know it takes a few hours listening to different records to appreciate the difference. That's if I've set it up correctly of course.

[paulf-2007]

OK, more updates. The arm rest was getting in the way of the arm when I placed the needle on a record, so I had to rotate the tonearm around anti clockwise until the arm rest was clear of the tonearm when playing records. A few pics to explain, still don't know whether I've done this right.

IMG_20171109_223548140 by Mike Van, on Flickr
IMG_20171109_223607723 by Mike Van, on Flickr
IMG_20171109_223632449 by Mike Van, on Flickr

as long as the arm runs into the run off groove with no restrictions you must have it right. I had a similar problem when I fitted Stax arm, but as the Stax arm base has a key in a key way I was unable to rotate the arm base like you can. I had to drill three new holes as the collar is fixed with three screws. When the arm got to the run out groove it was lifting off the record because the antiskate mechanism was fouling on the arm.

[Haselsh1]

Got to be honest Mike, I used to use a Denon DL160 and really wasn't impressed with it. Whilst I had it Denon cranked up the price so when I sold it I got as much as I paid for it. I do though love the Nottingham Analogue Interspace which is why I use one. I also had the same problem with the rest on my Origin Live Onyx and had to rotate the arm base slightly so that it would clear the rest whilst playing an LP. I prefer the Interspace to the Space Deck as, as a solid support I find it less compromised than the Space Deck. I never used to like that third support under the Space Deck plinth that is wholly supported on a piece of quarter thread.

[Mikeandvan]

as long as the arm runs into the run off groove with no restrictions you must have it right. I had a similar problem when I fitted Stax arm, but as the Stax arm base has a key in a key way I was unable to rotate the arm base like you can. I had to drill three new holes as the collar is fixed with three screws. When the arm got to the run out groove it was lifting off the record because the antiskate mechanism was fouling on the arm.

I used the gauge that came with the TT (NAS threw it in free among other things!), and its all good now.

[Mikeandvan]

Got to be honest Mike, I used to use a Denon DL160 and really wasn't impressed with it. Whilst I had it Denon cranked up the price so when I sold it I got as much as I paid for it. I do though love the Nottingham Analogue Interspace which is why I use one. I also had the same problem with the rest on my Origin Live Onyx and had to rotate the arm base slightly so that it would clear the rest whilst playing an LP. I prefer the Interspace to the Space Deck as, as a solid support I find it less compromised than the Space Deck. I never used to like that third support under the Space Deck plinth that is wholly supported on a piece of quarter thread.

I don't know how much difference there is between the Interspace and spacedeck and hyperspace etc but I'm not really one for minor upgrades, I don't seem to hear what audiophiles hear. But like you I like the 1 piece base of this TT, and since getting it back from NAS it looks amazing, they are really nice people. I'm starting to appreciate its sound the more I play it, it turns out more solid sounds, for instance drums have real depth to them. But as in my other threads I have a bass boom problem with my set up/room and the Interspace slightly exacerbates that. Of course not entirely sure I have set it up to play at its best.