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Prologue
It has been over 40 years since the first
samples of the SME 3009 / 3012 series II tonearms rolled off the
production line at Steyning. These tonearms (and their variants, the
3009 S2 improved, the 30XXR etc) have been staples for analogue
reproduction for practically the full duration of their long history.
The lineage of the SME 3009 / 3012 series II, goes back to 1959 and
ended only recently with the introduction of the M2 series, in 2004. The
first generation of SME 3009 / 3012 tonearms, were actually introduced
in 1959; however, due to the growing popularity of stereo records in the
early 60s and the resulting increase in demand for quality tonearms, the
series I range were replaced with the series II range which were capable
of being produced in larger quantities. Hallmarks of the SME 3009 / 3012
series II tonearms are the pointed yoke which sits above the saddle
bearing, the reverse facing calibrated rod from which the anti-skating
weight is hung, the perforated headshell shaped like an archer’s shield,
the outrigger on which the auxiliary weight for setting VTF is fixed,
the sliding base (introduced by SME and still used on the SME V tonearm)
and the locking arm rest.
There are still many examples of the
series II in commission; thanks to the simplicity of the design of this
tonearm they have generally survived the normal effects of aging and
continue in fine working order, but even the most meticulously designed
pieces of mechanical equipment have parts which give way over time and
which need to be replaced. One of the common problems that the 3009
series II tonearm can develop with age is a sagging counterweight, this
is caused by hardening of the coupling rubber which secures the tonearm
stub to the main tonearm tube. Another point to note about the SME 3009
series II (and most of it’s variants) is that the inner tonearm wire is
not up to the standards of modern tonearms.
The following photo
story illustrates the servicing and re-wiring of an SME 3009 series II
which was purchased on EBay for about UKP150.00. The arm was in good
condition, but suffered from the sagging counterweight problem as
described above. The objective was to restore this venerable tonearm to
its original condition in most respects, except with improved inner wire
and with an improved tonearm cable. The result being a restoration which
exploits the sonic capabilities of this arm to the fullest level.
Getting Started.
Just a few basic tools are needed, an
imperial set of Allen keys, a selection of flat head screwdrivers
ranging from ~1.5 to 2.5mm, a soldering iron, a tin of lighter fluid,
some lint free rags, a pair of long nose pliers.
For rewiring the
SME 3009 or the 3012, a pre-wired wiring harness and headshell socket is
available directly from SME (p/n 1802/9 for the 3009 or p/n 1802/12 for
the 3012); this part can be purchased with a choice of either linear
crystal copper wire or Van den Hul MCS 150 M silver wire. The headshell
socket is also available without any wire for UKP29.80*.
I
decided to opt for the MCS 150 M wired version which retails for UKP
123.42*; it’s not cheap, but I thought it would be better to pick the
silver option to avoid the feeling of regret that often creeps in after
making a value-for-money based decision for an upgrade, particularly
when there is a significant investment of effort and time involved. The
pre-wired harness offers the benefit of there being 4 less joints to
solder and the new headshell socket ensures good contact with the
cartridge via it’s gold plated inner sprung pins. As mentioned above,
the headshell socket can be purchased separately which allows the user
to choose from a greater selection of inner wire, and which is a more
cost effective route than the pre-wired options.
The replacement
headshell socket, is designed as a perfect fit for the 3009 S2 improved
and the 30XXR tonearms, but for the 3009 and 3012 series II tonearms,
there is a small kludge required to make the replacement headshell
socket fit: there is a tapped hole in the bottom of the headshell socket
into which a round headed bolt is inserted through a slot in the lower
side of the tonearm tube. This bolt keeps the headshell socket in place
and prevents the headshell from moving beyond a permitted range of
azimuth adjustment. A large washer fits between the headshell socket and
the end of the tonearm tube, and this washer prevents the locking collar
of the headshell socket from being slid back along the tonearm tube. For
the series II tonearms, if the replacement headshell socket is fitted
with the single supplied washer, the hole will be too far back and will
not align with the slot in the base of the tonearm tube. A solution to
this problem is to double up on the supplied washers which fits between
the headshell socket and the tonearm tube. Using two washers, as
described provides a perfect fit and probably gives rise to a slightly
smoother azimuth adjustment in the finally reassembled tonearm. I have
commented to SME about this slight defect with the replacement headshell
socket, and they assure me that they will supply the headshell socket
with the extra washer if required. However, it would be necessary to
advise SME that you want an additional washer to be included with the
headshell socket or wiring harness when placing the order – the required
washers can be seen in the plastic bag on the left-hand side of the
Photo 1 below.
(click thumbnail for full size image)
Photo 1 – 3009 series II arm tube with replacement (silver wired) and
original wiring harnesses.
As noted, the original coupling
rubbers which secure the rear stub to the main tonearm tube generally do
not stand the test of time, and need to be replaced. Replacement
coupling rubbers are also available directly from SME (p/n 1808/9) at a
cost of UKP 9.30*. The replacement rubbers are much less compliant than
the original parts; this is in-line with modern thinking on tonearm
design where a less compliant coupling between the two tonearm sections
is considered preferable. It is best to replace the coupling rubbers
before replacing the inner wire, because removing the old rubber can be
messy and requires cleaning of the tonearm tube with lighter fluid.
Dismantling the Tonearm.
So I began by preparing the
tools and dismantling the tonearm, which is very easy to do. Separating
the stub from the tonearm tube is achieved by pulling and twisting the
two pieces; ideally the old rubber section will not fully disintegrate
during this step, so that there is not an excessive amount of rubber to
be removed from inside the tonearm tube and stub. Still, excess rubber
will remain behind, and this needs to be cleaned from the two parts of
the tonearm. Lighter fluid is the preferred solvent to remove the
residue of rubber: the stub can be fully immersed in lighter fluid; and
the inside of the tonearm tube can be cleaned using a soaked cotton bud
– photo 2 and photo 3. It is also recommended to soak the replacement
coupling rubbers in lighter fluid briefly and to wipe dry in order to
remove any grease or grime that may have contaminated the outer surfaces
thereof.
Photo 2 - Soaking the coupling rubbers in lighter fluid.
Photo 3 - Cleaning out the tonearm tube and rear stub.
Fitting the Replacement Coupling Rubbers
Ideally all of
the residue of rubber will be removed at this stage, and the inner
surfaces of the tonearm tube and tonearm stub will be clean. Next the
larger of the two coupling rubbers is pushed over the protruding rod at
the rear of the tonearm tube; the rubber is arranged so that the the
shorter fatter side is closest to the tonearm tube. The curved side of
the coupling rubber adjacent to the tonearm tube is liberally coated
with cyanoacrylate adhesive and the rubber is pushed inside the tonearm
tube. When the rubber is pushed into the tonearm tube, a ring of wet
glue will be forced to the outside of the rubber. This should be removed
immediately with a lint free rag wetted with lighter fluid. Any traces
of glue which remain on the outer surface of the tonearm tube can be
scraped away with a fingernail – photo 4 and 5.
Photo 4 – Fitting the large coupling rubber to the protruding rod at
the back of the tonearm tube
Next step is to fit the smaller of
the two coupling rubbers to the end of the protruding rod at the rear of
the tonearm tube, this is fitted by applying adhesive to surface of the
rod, and by quickly sliding the rubber so that it is flush with the end
of the rod – photo 5.
Photo 5 – Both coupling rubbers fitted and glued.
The adhesive
should be allowed to set for over an hour before proceeding to the next
step. After the adhesive has set, the rear stub is fitted as follows:
adhesive is applied to the second side of the larger of the two coupling
rubbers ONLY and the rear stub of the tonearm is pushed over both
coupling rubbers and up against the arm tube quickly. Again, a ring of
glue will be forced to the outer surface of the rubber, and this should
be removed with a lighter fluid wetted rag. As before, traces of
adhesive on the polished surface of the arm tube can be scraped away
using a fingernail – photo 6.
Photo 6 – Tonearm tube and rear stub re-assembled with new coupling
rubbers.
Rewiring the Tonearm.
Depending on the lining in
the inside of the arm tube, the inner wiring can be fed through with the
help of gravity. If this doesn’t work a semi rigid wire (e.g. the copper
core of from a length of mains cable) can be inserted into the tonearm
tube from the hole near the stub, and can be fed to the headshell end.
When the wire emerges at the headshell, it can be used to pull the inner
cable back through. If this operation seems daunting, an alternative
route is to leave the original wires inside the arm tube when replacing
the coupling rubbers, and these can be used as a pull through for the
replacement wire. After the wire is fed through, the headshell socket is
pushed over the open end of the tonearm tube and is rotated so that it
is correctly aligned (fitting a headshell can simplify this step), then
the round headed bolt (described above) is inserted from below – photo
7. The headshell should be able to rotate by about +/- 5 degrees, this
adjustment is used for setting azimuth. Ideally the movement of the
headshell in the arm tube should be free but tight.
Photo 7 – New inner wire fitted and headshell socket aligned.
The next step is the most difficult! The steel saddle must be fitted,
and to do this one of the two securing bolts must be threaded through a
grounding tag which fits inside the tonearm tube – the tag can be seen
soldered to the end of the length of black wire in photo 7. Aligning the
ground tag inside the tube with the hole in the saddle feels a bit like
keyhole surgery, but a thin long nose pliers can help for this step;
grip the end of the ground tag with the pliers, align the threaded hold
with the appropriate hole in the upper side of the tonearm tube. While
still gripping the ground tag, place the steel saddle so that it is
aligned with the hole in the arm tube, then screw in the bolt carefully.
An extra pair of hands can be useful for this delicate operation! Once
the ground tag has been fitted, the second bolt for the saddle is fitted
easily and both bolts are tightened. A rubber grommet (shown above the
tonearm tube in photo 7) is pushed over the protruding wire, and covers
the hole where the inner wires exit the tonearm tube – the runner
grommets are also available from SME (p/n 3504) at a nominal cost.
Photo 8 - Steel saddle fitted at last!
Photo 9 - Rubber grommet fitted to underside of tonearm tube!
Reassembly.
Now it is time to reassemble the
tonearm. This is quite straight forward, but firstly check that the
v-shaped slots in the pillar bearing are clean and free from nicks – see
photo 10. These are often badly marked from excessive movement or load
on the knife edges of the steel saddle. Fortunately, replacement pillar
bearings are also available from SME (p/n 2240), at a cost of
~UKP99.00*. The replacement bearings are machined to tighter tolerances
than the old pillar bearings, which often display noticeable degree of
radial play. If the old bearings are OK, do not be tempted to tighten
these to reduce the radial play. The SME 3009 / 3012 sounds a lot better
with loose and free bearings. One of it’s strong points is very low
lateral and vertical friction. I opted to replace the pillar bearing,
because the original bearing has been lubricated by it’s (well meaning)
previous owner, and on dismantling the bearing, I found that the oil had
become discoloured from accumulated grime. Several attempts at cleaning
the ball-races by soaking in alcohol did not restore them to a
satisfactory level of smoothness.
Photo 10 – Tonearm tube, pillar bearings and cueing mechanism ready
for re-assembly.
First step in reassembly is to fit the arm cuing
assembly to the pillar bearing, then the tonearm wires are passed
through the centre of the pillar bearing, and the yoke is fitted to the
top of the pillar bearing. After that, the pillar bearing is fitted into
the mount in the sliding base, and the bearing cap (if using the newer
bearings) is attached.
Before soldering the leads to the
terminals on the sliding base, it is a good idea to adjust the height of
the arm cueing assembly on the pillar bearing so that the arm cues up
and down from above horizontal to below – photo 11 and 12.
Photo 11 and Photo 12 – Tonearm cueing mechanism set for correct up
and down movement.
Next the tonearm wires are soldered to the
terminal block in the base; there is an option here to replace the older
base terminal arrangement with a newer terminal arrangement supplied by
SME featuring phono sockets. I have never been all that enthusiastic
about this upgrade: the phono conversion kit is a rather plasticy
looking affair, and lacks the simplicity of the original terminal
arrangement. Moreover, the phono conversion kit requires the replacement
of the original anodized metal screening cover with a plastic cover.
Incidentally, there were two versions of the terminal arrangement from
the original tonearm: one version was designed with the terminal block
mounted vertically, so that the cable pointed vertically downwards and
this version is ideally suited to turntables with thick arm mounting
boards, or which require a spacer to mount the tonearm at the correct
height (EG Garrard 301); the second version was designed so that the
cable exited horizontally from the base and this version was more suited
to turntables with shallow wooden bases (EG Linn Thorens etc.). The
replacement phono conversion kit is only available in the horizontal
version.
As regards soldering the inner wire to the terminal
block, the copper leads are very easy to solder, but the MCS 150 wire is
a bit more tricky, as the wire will vaporizes if too much heat is
applied. For some reason I always find the green insulation coated wire
the most difficult to solder – photo 13!
Photo 13 – Inner tonearm wire trimmed and soldered, old vertical
terminal arrangement and terminal block retained.
Choice of
Cartridge
The SME 3009 is a very suitable candidate for
mating with a Denon DL103R cartridge, mounted in a heavy headshell (E.G.
with a mass of 12-16g). This combination will outshine the sum of it’s
parts, and is capable of producing gob-smacking bass. The Denon
cartridge further benefits if a 2mm spacer is added, this increases the
distance from the stylus tip to the lower surface of the headshell from
15mm to a more typical value of 17mm. The spacer also has the effects of
adding mass to the headshell, and lowering the centre of gravity of the
tonearm.
Photo 14 – Brand new Denon DL103R mounted in the headshell with MCS 150 M headshell leads.
Photo 15 – Denon DL103R and headshell attached to the 3009 series II tonearm.
Final Checks – A Job Well Done!
Once the arm is re-assembled,
it can be balanced (with or without a cartridge fitted), and the
bearings tested for horizontal and vertical deflection. If the tonearm
wire has not been pulled too tightly, or is not twisted excessively as
it exits the tonearm tube, blowing lightly on the headshell should cause
the arm to move easily to the left and to the right. Vertical deflection
can be tested by dropping squares of paper on the headhsell. The weight
of the paper can be determined from the paper type, e.g: one square
centimeter of 80 gsm paper will have a weight of 8mg; a 5 x 5 mm square
will have a weight of 2mg.
The finished article looks like it
should: an audio classic and a piece of industrial art that has earned
it’s reputation through 40 years of endurance – photo 16!
Photo 16 – The finished product – just like how it was when Alastair
Robertson-Aikman gave it his approval for packing and shipping all those
years ago in the SME factory.
Addendum
Horatio Vignale
wrote:
"Dear Steve,
Thank you very much for your prompt
reply. Brian Kearns wrote a nice article about rewiring the SME 3009
tonearm. Nevetheless, there is no mention on how to install the
anti-ring lining. By the way, my arm which is NOS, did not have any
lining.
Best regards,
Horacio"
Brian Kerns
answered:
"Hi Horacio,
I contacted SME about this several
years ago.
According to Brian Laker at SME, the lining was added
to later versions of the SME 3009.
By the way, the damping lining
is actually a straight, square cross-section piece of balsa wood with a
groove cut along the top to allow space for the tonearm wires.
However, I have had several of the 3009 series II tonearms in my
possession over the years, and never found one with the lining
installed.
In fact, I have always preferred the sound of the
original 3009 series II to the later improved versions which have the
balsa wood lining. With the right wiring and steel bearings, the 3009 is
a very good tonearm. The 3012 is better again.
So I would
recommend upgrading your tonearm to silver internal wiring, and leaving
out the lining completely.
Best regards,
Brian Kearns"
Footnotes:
* All prices are subject to a UK sales tax of
17.5%
Next update, the SME 3009 series II, suitably partnered
with a fully restored Garrard hammertone grease bearing 301.