In 1992, after I had bought the remaining tonearm parts following the demise of Source-Odyssey, I made basically the same version until I couldn't make up any more full sets of parts. I didn't have a workshop, so the problem was that while there were plenty of some parts, the others would have to be machined.
So the whole lot went back into storage and I went back to making working engineering models, and control systems for display models.
When, years later, some parts turned up that had been stored in a cupboard at my friend Charlie's house, eventually I began making the occasional arm again in London. Then when we returned to Scotland in 2015, I was able to machine missing bits at the workshop of my friend Brian.
Initially the arms were basically the same as the RP1-xg2, but I changed a few bits and made them in chrome and alloy. So really they were a later model like an RP1- xg3. I gave them an RP1- Cr 9 or 12 designation (for 9" or 12"). The last ones I made had the adjustable headshell.
Similarly the last Gold Signature in 2015 had the headshell too. But I have now decided, at least for the time being, not to make any more arms. I may do some repairs or refurbishments, though there are not many of those. If, however, as parts get to be in short supply and things need to be machined, then rebuilds or modifications are not cost effective, so I may have to stop doing that also, much as I would hate to leave owners with no access to that facility.
So I shall try and bring the blog up to date eventually with drawings and illustrations of procedures, and photos to show the differences in the arm models to make it easier for others to do any work on the arms.
But of all the parts in the first XG model (not the original RP1), only the cartridge tags, the piston inside the lifter, the lifter operating lever and its cap were the same as in the last arm I made (see right). For various reasons, everything else had either a change in design, dimension, material or finish! Actually, if not for the fact that I have some of those bits left, I would change them too if I made them again.
(Looking at this pic again, even the lever looks different...)
