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Harmon Kardon ST-7 with Rabco Tonearm

A friend gave me one of these today. It is all brushed aluminum, made in the United states and looks to be from the 70s or 80s. The tone arm is one of those tangential ones where the whole arm moves from outside-in, perpendicular to the record plane. It needs some cleaning and perhaps a new power cord and RCAs. Other than this I do not know too much about it. Was it a good record player in it's time? Is it worth fixing up? Looks pretty solid overall.

Thanks!
bstatmeister
celander's avatar
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celander
1,036 posts
 
I owned two used HK ST-7 tables with the Rabco arm. Most finicky tonearm to calibrate and consistently maintain. Owned all the relevant repair manuals back in the day. Essential to have them on hand. I junked both tables.
malibupacific
14 posts
 
I purchased mine new in 1977 or so. Other than a couple of new belts I’ve never had a problem with it. Tracking has been spot on. 
schubert
4,867 posts
 
You must have got the best one they ever made .
lewm
6,770 posts
 
Stringreen, I do think that the tonearm on the ST7 tonearm was a low cost version of the original Rabco SL tonearm, designed specifically and only for the ST7 and never used again.  Nor was it ever sold separately.  It was therefore either designed by Dr. Rabinow (the originator of the Rabco SL tonearm or was licensed under his patent, at least.  Rabinow lived in the DC area, where I live. Same goes for the much more expensive Goldmund TF tonearm, used on their Reference turntable.
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