Rega Planar 3 Reloaded - Stage 2

by James Leahy

Ever had an old flame you couldn't quite bring yourself around to cutting loose even though she had seen better days.....? Too many good times that just can't be brought back, you don't have to tell me about that! Better the devil you know in any case I say. Well that is exactly what this customer thought when he decided to resurrect his vintage Hi-Fi system that he stumbled across in the attic one afternoon in those never quite get around to it clean-up's you keep putting off. He brought me his somewhat neglected but never forgotten Rega Planar 3 with an S-shaped tonearm of some description. Not sure what make it was but some of you in the know might be able to enlighten us.

The picture to the left tells the sad story of the Planar 3's sorry shape before I begun the makeover.

Anyway the tonearm was looking a bit tired and had a few too many miles on the clock. What better excuse do you need to ditch this old timer and up-grade to a brand spanking new Rega RB250? I can't think of one. Well this old tonearm's bearings were shot and the internal wiring was looking like it could use replacing with just about everything else on it. The new RB250 had a number of factory improvements already in place and neither of us needed any convincing that this was a sure fire way to go and quickest shortcut to audio Nevada we had ever hear of.

The first step was to dismantle this baby and remove the old tonearm from the plinth then check measurements and prepare to mount the new Rega RB250.

The new RB250 tonearm kit as with all other tonearm kits from Rega comes complete with everything one could possibly think of to replace your table's old tonearm. There is the Tonearm Mounting Template to set up the RB250 on non Rega tables.  Also a Cartridge Alignment Protractor is included as you will need this no matter what table you are mounting the tonearm on. This RB250 tonearm kit sells for only $379.00 and is quality all the way. It is used as the tonearm of choice by over 15 independent turntable manufactures as the one they choose to use on their tables. With it's one piece tube, headshell construction there is a very high level of rigidity. Classic Rega all the way.

After removal of the old tonearm the hole in the plinth must be checked and if necessary modified. The hole diameter for the RB250 is 23mm. I had to slightly enlarge this example to fit the RB250. The fitting of the tonearm in the plinth should be snug, not overly loose or too tight. This is a good time to give the table a general check and clean. Remove the spindle and check it is lubricated. If it is a touch dry, clean off the spindle assembly with a cloth and lubricate with Tri-Flow that contains Teflon. Go easy with the lube here, a little goes a long way. This is some very slippery stuff and works a treat on all small mechanical parts. This is the best time to also check and replace the drive belt too if needed as they are relatively cheap and a must for constant speed.

This is the finished product with the RB250 freshly mounted on the Rega Planar 3 and the spindle mechanism and glass platter re-installed. The VTA should be checked after the cartridge is mounted on the tonearm and the tonearm mounted to the plinth. In this case no extra spacers were needed.

You will also need a cartridge tracking weight gauge to set the correct weight to the RB250 depending on the specifications of your cartridge as no scale is provided on the RB250. After this you need to set the anti-skate adjustment on the RB250 which matches the cartridge's tracking weight. Carefully check the lift action and make sure you have sufficient height to clear the records surface. If not, loosen the Allen keyed arm lift grub screw and adjust.

In this case we used the customer's old cartridge that was still in good condition surprisingly. It was a MC Supex 900 Super that was in keeping with the vintage theme of this rebuild and sounded great on my system for it's age. It added to the character of this table considerably. If your cartridge is not up to the goods anymore I would recommend a minimum of an Ortofon Salsa MC cartridge for this rig.

With the original acrylic dust cover going amiss over the years, I supplied a new clear unit at $360.00. No I hear you say, they aren't cheap. Tell me about it, so don't lose yours!

This little project was now complete with the new dust cover, RB250 tonearm plus drive belt. The rig now sounded and looked better then new. Too easy. The customer was happy because the table held more sentimental then monetary value to him and it has a modern touch with a retro look. Not everything in this world comes down to dollars and cents for some.

Now go dust off yours, and spin those big black CD's today!