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Riggle Vtaf w/Rega P9 & RB1000. Good idea or not?

Greetings fellow vinyl lovers! I am buying a Rega P9 with the RB1000 arm. My cartridge is a Clearaudio Maestro. I would really like to have VTA adjustment capability with this table and have heard very good things about the Riggle Vtaf VTA adjustment wheel. Here is the question. Is it a good idea to install the Vtaf on the P9. Has anyone out there done this and what was your experience? The RB1000 has a 3 point attachment system that is different than the less expensive Rega arms, so I am little wary of installing the Vtaf on the P9. Also, this is an expensive table to mess with and I would not want to effect it in any negative way. By the way, I have about 5,000 records, 3,000 being classical, and I play vinyl most of the time.
Thanks,
Joe
jbcello
markd51
741 posts
 
Pete can sure do some nice work.
Don't you just love the Machine Turning Pete has used?!
It appears in this case as well, that Pete has utilized some form of an Extension Plate, and this seems to have merit for a number of different Arm-Table combinations.

I have placed a review, and some pics as well on this forum of the VTAF, under "acessories: in the review section. Hope you enjoy them as well. Mark
jbcello OP
23 posts
 
Hello CMK,
Thanks for the pics. Yes, Pete does beautiful work. I will call him tomorrow concerning the P9 table and report back. Sorry for the late response, I have been away traveling.
Thanks,
cmk
397 posts
 
Hi Jbcello
I'm currently having some issues with my Conductor, so the VTAF project will have to wait.

Post some pics when you're done. I think it'll be of interest to many here.
jbcello OP
23 posts
 
Ok, I just got off the phone with Pete Riggle who sells and designed the VTAF. Pete is a very generous guy who takes his time in explaining how the VTAF works and how it is installed. For the P9 he sells a version of the VTAF that will work with the three point mounting system of the RB1000 tone arm. With this version comes a brass piece on which the 3 point mounting system rests. (I saw a picture of it somewhere online about 3 weeks ago, but now I can't find it.) Now the regular VTAF for the RB250 increases the height of the tone arm a little less than a 1/4 of an inch. I believe Pete said .23 inches to be exact. Now, the VTAF version for the RB1000's 3 point mounting system increases the tone arm height another 1/8 of an inch on top of that, so the total arm height is increased almost 3/8 of an inch when using VTAF with the P9 or P7 arms. This is quite a bit of tone arm elevation, but Pete includes different size shims to put on the rear side of the cartridge to tilt the cartridge back to make up for the increased tone arm elevation. He says using the cartridge shim creates no negative effects on the sound and enables you to have the benefits in sound that the VTAF provides.

Has anyone out there used these cartridge shims with their Vtaf? Where there any negative results from doing this?
Thanks,
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
Personally, I will not own a Rega-based arm again, but if I did, one of Pete's VTA adjusters would be a MUST. Otherwise, I'd pass completely.
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