Hi John, the T3-F arms CAN be made to work, but they're a real PITA! And depending on your environment (changes in temperature and humidity) they don't hold their settings very well. Additionally (as with all linear trackers to some degree,) they are hard on cartridge cantilevers. And unless the arm comes with the latest PL8 control unit, it's 'no deal' (there are many reasons for this.) BTW, I have never seen a PL8 that is marked 'PL8' on the front panel. So you have to find a PL-7 and then check the rear panel ;~)
Without trying to talk you out of a Studio, I have a second, never used, Studietto (with JVC quartz controlled motor.) It's in PERFECT cond. (including a pristine dust cover!) and I have the threaded Goldmund cone feet and Goldmund reflex record clamp to go with it (those two items alone are more than 300 bucks each if you can ever find them!)
BTW (and this is important -- a lot of people don't know it): The Goldmund reflex clamp is essential for the correct operation of either the Studio or the Studietto turntables. Their platters have a concave surface, and the record has to be pushed down into the concave surface by the clamp (a simple record weight won't do it.) A SOTA reflex clamp is the only currently available clamp that will also work, but then the dust cover won't close!
A lot of people say the Studio sounds better. I have no idea what they're talking about! Maybe it's some kind of 'vintage snobbery', or the fact that (due to the expensive wood base) the Studio cost more. However, due to that enclosed base, the Studio is almost impossible to dial in properly! Both turntables suffer (identically) from thin bass response, and resonance issues. The solution (which elevates their performance into the realm of $15,000+ turntables!) is to replace the springs with Sorbothane.
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