July 26, 2010~FABTASTIC NEWS!! AR MOD SALES RESUMED!!!. July 25, 2010~Added a comprehensive guide to adding a Grace tonearm to an AR XA. Author used the classic Audiofile article, but goes into much more detail. Many thanks to Michael Glowinski. See the .pdf on my AR DIY page.
April 26, 2010~John Williams allowed me to link to his superior example of an XA rehab. See the DIY page.
April 3, 2010~AR MOD sales temporarily suspended. I am sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience. At this time, I am unsure as to when sales will resume. To spare rumors, my personal health is fine.
October 24, 2009~Introducing the availability of TWO new AR mods: 1) AR Epoxy Resin Drive Platter. (Pics soon) and 2) the Merrill Scillia Motor/Power Supply for the AR table. Same high quality unit used on the super quiet and super steady MS2. (Pics soon)
October 24, 2009~Prices updated on Mods page. Modest increases reflect raw materials costs.
November 21, 2008~Added pictures of a rare AR the Turntable prototype in Rosewood to the Gallery. See it and read the story there.
September 14, 2008~Added pictures of Clyde Selsor’s modded XA to the Gallery.
January 14, 2008~FINALLY added pictures of my baby…a walnut Merrill Heirloom MKII. See the Merrill Gallery page
August 20, 2007~Clarified AR Models section regarding the EB-101. Also added pictures of several of the AR Mods by Vinyl Nirvana.
April 14, 2007~Added a new table to the Merrill gallery featuring a one-of-a-kind Merrill prototype arm
April 6, 2007~Added a new link on the AR DIY page regarding suspension tuning. More pictures and even movies this time!
March 18, 2007~See my new Testimonial Page for what previous buyers have said about their Vinyl Nirvana purchase experience.
March 10, 2007~See the AR History page for a newly added brochure of the AR Legend and the AR EB-101. This was produced in Great Britain, where the “AR the Tunrtable” was sold as “The Legend.” Many thanks to Andrew Ponsford for the scan.
March 3, 2007~Just added an AR Gallery photo set featuring a gorgeous table by Rick Collins. Also, in the past few weeks I have added some cool links to the links page. Watch vinyl get made…Read some good restoration threads from various forums. Good stuff.
January 28, 2007~Just added Part I of a three part tutorial on how to install the Vinyl Nirvana AR Mods to a mid-80’s AR turntable. Part II due in mid-March. p>
Janaury 13, 2007~How much bounce is too much bounce? See the new link under that title on the DIY page.
January 6, 2007~Not for the faint of heart, now offering photos of some examples of terrible turntable packing and the resulting damage. Click here for the Turntable Packing Wall of Shame
December 26, 2006~ Beginning January 1st, 2007, Vinyl Nirvana will have sole ownership and distribution of the AR Acoustic Research turntable modifications developed by George Merrill and refined by Anthony Scillia. Mr. Merrill and Mr. Scillia, who have painstakingly designed and refined these mods for over thirty years combined, have designated Vinyl Nirvana as the future source for these highly sought after improvements. In their endorsement of Vinyl Nirvana, Mr. Merrill and Mr. Scillia cite our “dedication to excellence” and “our undying devotion to the venerable AR Turntable line.” Please see Upgrade/Replacement Parts link for descriptions and pricing. See my December 26, 2006 Blog for more background.
November 25, 2006~Added three links to the DIY/Mods page. One is a general thread on re-hab, and the other two focus on installing a Hurst motor to an XA/XB.
November 11, 2006~Not Vinyl Nirvana news necessarily, but congrats to George Merrill and Anthony Scillia for the introduction of the MS21 turntable which can be viewed at Merrill-Scillia Audio.
October 15, 2006~Added to the Merrill Gallery pages, closeups of the Merrill motor in oil bath.
August 12, 2006~Added to the Manuals page, a .pdf file of the ETL-1 manual.
July 2, 2006~Added to the Gallery page, pics of the exceedingly rare ETL-1 in Piano Black. Before this table arrived, I thought it didn’t TRULY exist…that maybe Acoustic reearch had PLANNED on making them, but never got to it before the demise of their turntable division. On thing IS for certain…she’s a beauty.
June 23, 2006~Added to the DIY/Mods page: detailed photos/description of “dadbar’s” AR XA project where he replaced the stock arm with a Mayware Formula IV. Dadbar, thanks for this detailed series…hopefully it will be helpful for those feeling a bit timid about taking on their own arm replacement project. Your table looks fantastic!
April 14, 2006~Here on the homepage and on a couple of other pages I have added a Google Search bar. This should help you find the information you need on the site more easily. Be sure to select “www.vinylnirvana.com” before hitting the search bar. April 8, 2006~Added to the AR History page: detailed photos of the inside of a Haydon Motor. The Haydon was the most commonly used motor for the AR XA and XB. It is truly the “little motor that could.” Given their age and size, they are incredibly reliable. Many thanks to Dave Cheek for the pictures. March 31, 2006~Great tutorial on rewiring an AR XA tonearm added on the DIY page. Many thanks to Scott Hamrick! March 23, 2006~I updated the topical guide to the blog and I noticed how bad I have been about making entries there. I will try to find time to start writing regularly again. February 25, 2006~I will be traveling from now until March 6th. Email access will be limited. February 18, 2006~Updates to the DIY page including the addition of a link to Eric Whitacre’s The Sound of the Wood website offering restored and modified AR turntables as well as individual modifications. PS Check out his gorgeous armboards! January 22, 2006~Updates to the Upgrade/Replacement Parts page including new items and services offered by Anthony Scillia of M/S Research, LLC. Also, replacement parts and services now offered for Merrill Turntables. November 23, 2005~I am pleased and proud to unveil the Merrill Turntable and Mods pages. See link to the left.. November 5, 2005~On the AR Turntable History page, I just added a section highlighting design and manufacturing changes in the AR XA. October 8, 2005~As the blog now contains over thirty entries, I thought it would be helpful to add a Topical Guide. October 2, 2005~A call for info on Merrill Turntables. I am working on devoting several of Vinyl Nirvana’s pages to this fine turntable. Please email me photos, documentation, and other useful artifacts related to Merrill mods or tables. Though I have added a link to the right, it will be several weeks before the Merrill pages are unveiled. September 18, 2005~Added to the gallery, photos of Eric’s modified AR The Turntable. Check it out. September 5, 2005~ If you have questions about AR turntables that you can’t find here, try the Vinyl Engines AR forum! Many of you have suggested such a forum idea to me, but I simply don’t have the bandwidth or the expertise. I am one of the Moderators, so I can answer questions through that forum. August 6, 2005~I have added a page further explaining the consultation process. Included is a pre-consultation form where you can answer some background questions. This should save both you and I some valuable minutes. July 30, 2005~ New feature has started in the blog…in addition to mentioning “what’s spinnning,” I’ve included “what it is spinning on,” in parentheses. (Table, Arm, Cartridge.) PC problems are MOSTLY resolved, but I still don’t have easy access to photos people have sent me. I hope to have that rectified by late next week. I am anxious to post a couple more galleries. July 7, 2005~ My family’s pc died this week, and I have not yet been able to recover the data from the hard drive. I apologize to the few folks with which I was negotiating some sales. Please email again, and we can resume our talks. There may also come a point where I will need to have some Gallery photos re-submitted. Hopefully, that won’t be the case, but stay tuned. Note: Sales page updated…gotta pay for the new pc! July 5, 2005~Wondering what vintage turntable is right for you? I am now offering vintage turntable buying advice by phone. One half hour is twenty-five dollars, and one-hour is forty dollars. (Phone call itself is paid by potential buyer.) If you end up buying one of my tables, your fee is refunded. To arrange your consultation, email me at the Contact link to the left. We will arrange a mutually beneficial time. All calls must be paid for in advance. Paypal preferable. June 20, 2005~Added to the gallery, photos of David Wilson’s modified AR XA. Gorgeous. May 1, 2005~Added to the gallery, my newest personal acquisition…an AR ETL-1 from “The Research Series.” Also, today marks the beginning of my blog called “Vinyl Verbosa.” See the “Blog” link to the left. It will be updated sporadically. April 3, 2005~Added to the gallery, one of the most radical re-designs of the AR XA I’ve ever seen. Checkout John Masangkay’s “Golden Orbit.” March 1, 2005~ Always looking for good quality tonearms at a reasonable price. Upgrading your current table? I’ll make you an offer on your old arm. February 27, 2005~ Announcing the long awaited appearance of custom AR turntable mod parts for sale by Anthony Scillia. Visit the DIY/Mods page. Currently the page features delrin armboards, spring sets, stud kits, stainless steel shafts, and a record weight. I am excited to report even more to come!! February 20, 2005~ Check out the new page in the Gallery. Thanks again to Carson for supplying detailed pics of his ES-1 project. February 2, 2005~ Just added manual for the ES-1. Thanks to Carson Hanrahan for the jpegs. Now, all I need is the ETL-1 manual. Check out three new links on the AR Links page. January 23, 2005~ Please note I am looking for additional AR tables to feature in my Gallery pages. Email 5-6 photos and a brief description to the email link to the left. Also, just added manuals for the EB101 and “The Turntable” to the Manuals page. January 16, 2005~ Added a new Gallery featuring Brad Ellis’ highly modified AR XA. Also, added the first manual available here at Vinyl Nirvana. See the “manual” link for a complete XA manual. January 1, 2005~ Happy New Year to all! Thanks for the overwhelming support since this site went online over Labor Day. Upcoming upgrades: Sources for high quality modification parts and motor upgrade kits, as well as more features in the “do-it-yourself” pages. Additional vintage table sales coming too…some will be among the nicest I have offered. November 24, 2004~ Introducing my restored turntable offering of the week on the “Vintage Electronics for Sale” page. Check back weekly for the next restored table. November 11, 2004~ Added “Recommended Tools and Supplies List” to DIY page. Check out my “trade secrets.” 🙂 November 5, 2004~ Gallery updated with photos of Carson Hanrahan’s Merrill modified ES-1. Updated “For Sale” list. October 29, 2004~ History updated with photos of an AR XA packed in its original box with original packing. Also corrected dates on the historical documentation page. (Thanks to John Laskey.) Finally, added a few more links. October 16, 2004~ Gallery updated with Anthony Scillia’s highly modified EB-101. Also, three new links added. October 10, 2004~ By popular demand, added a list of turntables I will have for sale this fall and upcoming winter. See the Vintage Electronics For Sale link in the menu. October 9, 2004~ Gallery updated with photos of Mike Castellana’s “Heirloom-ette.” October 3, 2004~ New Links focusing on AR Company history added to “Helpful Links” page. Also, Needle Force Gauge Instructions added to “History” Page Septmber 26, 2004~ New Sections added regarding buying and selling AR Turntables. Also, another turntable featured in the Gallery by Joe Sadler. September 18, 2004~ Notes added to distinguish the mid-eighties AR turntable models. Special Thanks to Kurt Wolf.