Help with an old rega P3

The cable coming out of the arm can be replaced. You can mail it to a number of people who will do the job. I had a RB300 arm recabled a few years back at (IIRC) www.britaudio.com. Rega runs the ground on the left channel for some reason, so I had mine recabled with a tradiional ground.

You're going to want to put a new belt on the deck. You can find them for $10-$20 or so and you can easily do this yourself. It's just stretching a rubber band around two wheels. Also change the bearing oil. I like to use Mobil 1 synthetic - the same stuff you put in a car. High quality and cheap; get the 5W-30. A quart will last forever.

You can spend whatever you want on a cartridge. For an easy installation without alignment tools, etc., get one of the Rega cartridges. They have an extra screw which gives perfect alignment. Otherwise, you'll have to learn how to align a cartridge. It's a pain, but can be done.

Pick up a level, too, so you can level out the deck.

And that should do it. Don't worry about the age. Rega decks go and go and go. A little maintenance and you'll have a fine deck!

Have you looked into a phono preamp yet? You need one. I started out with the NAD PP2 - great value for the money. Of course, you can spend what you like on one.

There are a bunch of upgrades and tweaks available, too. I think the Groovetracer subplatter is really nice, and the J.A. Michell Tecnoweight is a terrific upgrade.

Have fun and enjoy your P3 - it is a terrific turntable!

Great Turntable and great Advice from UE....Should last you a long time..........One thing, Does it have the RB300 tone arm or is old enough to have the s shaped arm that rega used before they made, what many have said was the best decision to spend the bucks and make the RB300 mold.......God only knows how many they've sold or other TT manufactures have used their arms...even on big buck tables.........good luck..

Another source of help would be rega themselves (rega.co.uk). The site also lists distributors and there's one in Canada. This might not be the cheapest way of tidying up your P3, but I'm sure they will be able to give good advise if the diy route doesn't work out.

 

The original P2 was my first "proper" turntable and I was so impressed that I immediately upgraded to the P3. A great turntable for the money.

 

15 years old? It is practically new :)

 

You say the output cable is broken and probably needs replaced, but you do not say where it is broken. If it is broken at the plugs then just a new pair of plugs soldered on. A common place for the cable to break is where it comes out of the arm pillar at the bottom. Sometimes that can be resolved fairly easily. You can speak to one of the companies suggested but beware of being "sold up" into putting some kind of "upmarket" cable into the arm. A good standard copper cable in the Rega arm will work as well as any other. The standard Rega cable is absolutely fine for the job so if you can get it fixed for less than a recable you will have saved some money to no loss.

 

You will need a new needle :) In fact you will be wanting a cartridge and stylus. I think a good place in the US  for this is The Needle Doctor. If you sort that webpage by price I think you'll see the cheapest at the top. At the lower end of the market you have the "Moving Magnet" cartridges. It is good to get ones that are not too compliant as the Rega arm has quite a high mass. Fortunately the cheaper MM cartridges are not too compliant. Which one? These days it is impossible to test them out really, but for a lively sound Audio-Technica 95E, talking very broadly the Ortofon cartridges can be a bit more civilised.

 

I can't comment on what that upgrade is like, but are you sure what you have is actually broke? Other than the cable, obviously.

 

The simplest thing to just get started is to like-for-like replace the "needle" (stylus) of the existing cartridge is - assuming this is a typical Moving Magnet cartridge with removable stylus. This means that no realignments of any kind are required.

 

Then play some records and see how things go before considering upgrades.

Hi

 

Yes, it is a good point by TheAttorney.

 

You might well be able to just replace the stylus. With Moving Magnet cartridges the stylus can nearly always be replaced. They just pull out, but take care when pushing the new one in.

 

You need to know what the current cartridge is of course.

 

If it were me I would check alignment as well. This means using an alignment protractor. As alignment protractors are very cheap things you might want to include one when you buy stuff from, say, The Needle Doctor.

Well that RP1 upgrade kit might well be the way to go. I don't know for sure that the Rega P1 has the same belt as the P3, this would be something just to check out first perhaps.

 

If the arm cable is as you've described, that just one of the plugs is missing then that is a very simple job indeed, you can just replace the plug by any competent electrical fixer who can do this for you.

 

However I think you need to look closely at the cable on your arm. There are  common places for these cables to break. The most usual is the little clips for the cartridge pins. You'll see on the back of the cartridge there are 4 pins and the cable clips on to those. Often the little clips on the cable come adrift. If they are all in place then that is fine. Next look closely at were the cable comes out of the pillar. Is it fine there? The standard Rega cable is good here, but the supposed "upgrade" replacement cables can be very bad here. If you have the original cable in the arm then in all likelihood it is fine where it comes out of the pillar because there is just continuous cable going into the arm.

 

That Audio Technica phono-amp looks like it might well be good for the job.

 

Personally I like to check second-hand possibilities, so you might find something second-hand for this.

 

In the olden times hi fi was a very different biz to what it has come to be today :)

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You might even ask the Guys who fix your cable "RCA Plugs Right and Left" to align your new cart. do they sell any entry level cartridges or stylist for the one you have????  If they don't, maybe google cartridge alignment Gage or protractor...you might get lucky and be able to print it off of the net......You don't need the Latest Fricker (not sure that's the right spelling) http://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-alignment-protractors.shtml That's not a bad phono pre-amp.....If you get your stylist or cartridge from "The Needle Doctor" ask if he'll make you a GREAT deal on the two items..can't hurt to ask....... PS after the guys fix your rca ends of your cable, ask them if you can hear it!!!!!!!!!!