Interesting looking arm. That knob on top of the counterweight sets the position on the stub, or is it spring loaded, or both?
The outrigger weight is another interesting feature. The pivots for vertical motion are on either side of arm tube, but what about horizontal. Is that a unipivot, or is that gear looking thing the pivot?
Looks like this came built-in on a Japanese table, probably from the '70s or early '80s. A company called Excel might have produced it, probably for another manufacturer, but I don't really know. I don't think it was from one of the biggies, Technics, Denon, Pioneer, Micro Seiki or Kenwood. More like Akai. SAEC made some arms that sort of looked like that, but I kind of doubt it. Do you have an arm base that came with?
If you want to try it, get a standard headshell and measure the distance from the middle of the vertical arm pillar (beneath the horiz pivot), to the end of the slots in the headshell (mm). Can you check the horiz pivot first, seems to move freely? Also, if there is no arm base you'll have to rig something or get one from another arm and adapt it.
Strange that you would buy an arm without knowing the heritage. It is kind of cool looking though.
neo
