Capital AudioFest 2013

The "cult of tonearm" grows, particularly with but not limited to wooden arms. I'd heard of but never seen in person one of James Grant's tonearms (Analog Instruments Limited).

His newest, the Siggwan 12, fitted with a Miyajima Labs Shilabe driving one of Dave Slagle's Emia silver step up transformers was mounted on what appeared to be an unrestored Garrard 301.

Mr. Grant, who I believe is a former airline pilot, earned his cult reputation with an earlier design, the Apparition 12. The new Siggwan 12 has a hydraulically damped cueing system, Eichmann ETI Tellurium copper RCA plugs, a re-designed anti-skate system, re-designed bearing/wand interface, longer Cardas cable run, a more functional finger lift and a new armrest.

The arm uses a great deal of brass, which probably helps produce a very lively sound the counters the wood's tonality, but I'm just guessing on that. I've heard the wait is long for one of Mr. Grant's arms so that, combined with the exotic materials and even the exotically named town in which the arm is manufactured, Pukekohe, New Zealand, only adds to the "cult of arm". An added attraction is the projected price of $1500 to $2000.