HELIUS DESIGNS: Servicing their tone arms; the policy defined

Helius has produced over 15 different models of tonearm over the last 23 years and still regularly services all models, regardless of age and condition.   Where parts are missing we can usually make replacements

A standard service involves stripping down the arm, cleaning, checking and re-polishing bearing needles and cups, reworking solder joints, re-damping cue devices, and refinishing cosmetically damaged parts. Missing or damaged parts can be repaired, replaced or remade.  Chipped bearing needles are the main problem with the early models and these are replaced.

 The typical service cost of a 9” arm is approximately £90 - £120. Royal Mail Special Delivery post to UK addresses. The exact figure varies a little depending the amount of work needed. Some older arms can be difficult to dismantle, and occasionally  we receive ‘bags of bits’ with pleading letters to ‘put it back together’.

  Orion, Cyalene and Omega arms cost between £150 and £185 to service and return.  A better estimate of the cost can be given on examination of the arm, and again cost is proportional to condition.  

 For customers outside the UK, we recommend courier shipping which usually adds £20 to £30. Postal services outside the UK can be very variable, and product left kicking around the floor of some foreign sorting offices for a week or two, can find the product damaged on return. Our experience of making insurance claims made through the post is not good.

 Service time is usually between two and four weeks from date of receipt, depending upon the amount of work required.  However, there may be a longer delay if, for example, replacement arts have to be made or obtained from external sources or an upgrade has been requested.

 As we offer a trade-in service, it is sometimes possible to replace some of the larger, more complex components from reclaimed stock.

 Early Helius tonearms are now highly sort after  and fetch high prices on the second hand market.  I n  total there are less than 6 arms we have not been able to restore, so pretty well anything is possible.

Please contact us by email  to discuss specific requirements and the likely cost.