When is a Rock not a Rock?
This is a project I have been working on for some time, working with an engineer who was able to turn my sketches & vision into reality. It started life as a Townshend Rock Elite, but the only parts used from that are the trough, sub platter & platter, & the bearing. Everything else is new to my design, based loosely around the Townshend Reference 7. The top plate is two pieces of acrylic which holds the bearing, with three steel columns connected to another piece of acrylic, with sorbothane cushions top & bottom, & a steel plate bolted underneath for strength & rigidity. The motor & pulley, which is now a DC motor with a separate power supply & regulator, is isolated from the top plate & affixed to the bottom one. The arm is called a ARB, & I sourced it from the same guy a few weeks ago on sale or return & liked it very much, better in every way over the Rega RB300 that was on the TT originally.It is a twin pivot with carbon fibre tube & unique headshell arrangement which allows for adjustment in every possible way. Initial impressions are that it sounds very good indeed, some teething problems with regards to speed & getting the correct amount of anti skate, but nothing that cannot be ironed out by living with it for a while. The TT retains the recognisable Townshend Rock stability & strong bass & the arm retrieves lots of detail, helped by the Sumiko Pearwood Celebration MC cartridge of course.
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