Looking for Record Player Tonearms and Parts
As both old and new lovers of music on vinyl know, there is something about the anticipation of a needle hitting and moving across the grooves on a vinyl record. It adds to the overall experience of listening to your music via a record player. Because of this, the tonearm is a vital component of any turntable system, including those from Pioneer.
What Does This Brand Offer in Tonearms?
Pioneer has been in the audio and electronics industry since the 1930's. In that time, they have released various designs of tonearms to correspond with their range of audio and stereo equipment and turntables.
- Their range has included fully automatic, semi-automatic, and manual designs
- Tonearms can come as fully assembled pieces ready to fit on your turntable
- Individual parts are also available for making repairs and adjustments to your system.
What Individual Parts and Accessories Are There?
The way the tone arm fits and is balanced to move across the tracks affects the quality of playback. The headshell, the type of stylus tip, and other components also affect your sound whether you are listening to new or vintage vinyl collections. Some of the parts and accessories you may need for your turntable include:
- Armrests: These keep your tonearm securely in place while it is not on the record. Usually, they position and attach by screws to the base of your turntable. The tonearm is supported about midway along its length and may have a hook or latch holder to keep the arm in place when the equipment is not in use.
- Counterweights: Counterweights ensure the tonearm is evenly balanced as it plays across your record and the right weight for the stylus to play on the grooves. They are also used to balance out the differences between any interchangeable cartridges or headshells you use for listening to different music.
- Anti-skate controls: Similar to counterweights, these make sure the tonearm doesn't skim or skate across the surface of your vinyl records. Anti-skate controls may be rotating wheels or knobs that you can adjust or a weight that hangs on the end of the arm.
- Cartridges : Cartridges may be all-purpose, designed to play vinyl at 33 rpm, or customized with special styluses and needles for getting the most out of listening to vinyl recorded at 45 rpm or 78 rpm.
- Lifters: Lifters with levers may fit on manual systems to minimize your need to physically handle the arm any more than necessary and keep it safe and secure.
- Measurement Tools: There are a number of measurement tools that can assist with fitting a tone arm to a turntable accurately. These include protractors and aligners to get the right angle and distance, bubble levelers to ensure components are straight, and pressure gauges to make measure the tracking force of your stylus or needle.
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