There is a real elegance to those early Rega’s. I had one just like that until quite recently.
The motor upgrade is worthwhile if not done already
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It’s on the list. Aswell as is the bearing,
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Loving this. The first piece of hifi I bought when I started work. 6 months waiting list back then. Still got it.
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Yes, I waited 6 months, Bought it from Jeffries HiFi in Eastbourne.
Remember well the excitement of driving down and picking it up, fitted with an Ortofon VMS20 e
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When I had arms with a detachable headshell always swapped out to an Audio Technica MG10 magnesium job. 
How long ago! 
Ah…yes, I bought stuff from Jeffries HiFi in Eastbourne, the Naim 62 and 140 in use to this day - still the system in our sitting room. I spent many Saturday mornings in the shop with friendly and helpful staff at all times.
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It often happens that I see Rega turntables with a non-Rega cartridge fitted… is there a general consensus that the Rega elements can be improved and that other brands are a better fit?
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There’s no strong reason to stick with Rega cartridges if one wants something else. They can be improved on. My dealer often sells Rega turntables with third party cartridges. They think the Rega cartridges are just OK, and others they sell sound better.
Similarly, I have a Clearaudio turntable, but I don’t use Clearaudio cartridges, although I have in the past.
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Same as any turntable buy the cartridge you like just because the manufacturer markets one doesn’t mean it will suit everyone.
Taste And Try Before You Buy.
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One thing to be aware of though…in aligning the cartridge, there is only one position of the stylus which will correspond to one of the conventional tracking arcs. If you use, for example, a Rega TT, then use a Rega alignment tool.
Woolworth’s, sadly missed. Pick ‘n Mix, followed by the Airfix model counter………
ATB, J
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General consensus is Naim with Naim and Rega with Rega 
But there are heretics, as me, with a Lyra Kleos, before Delos, other with Audiotechnica or Van den Hull. The most important is the weight of the cart, must be ideally between something like 8g and 11 g.
No, sorry, but that’s not true. There are numerous alignment geometries and any cartridge can use any one of them. The stylus will have a different position relative to the head shell, depending on which one you chose.
A Rega cartridge is not required to use the Rega alignment, and it may not even be the best choice. The Rega protractor uses a modified Stevenson alignment. It has greater distortion overall compared to other standard alignments, but moves the inner null point closer to the label to help minimize IDG for records that are cut so close (like old classical). If you play a lot of older classical records that might be desirable.
However, that’s not a great choice more generally, unless you want the easy-peasy alignment of using the three screws of a Rega cartridge with a Rega arm. Otherwise one of the Lofgren or Baerwald (DIN or IEC) alignment geometries are more optimal and have less overall tracking distortion.
I play a wide variety of old classical to newer 45 RPM reissues and have chosen Lofgren B DIN as the best compromise for what I play.
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I was about to write something similar along the lines of what @JosquinDesPrez wrote. There’s no need, or even advantage to sticking to the manufacturers preferred alignment, other than the aesthetics of the cartridge sitting straight in the headshell.
I use a Technics deck, but I don’t use their preferred alignment, Stevenson, but Schon’s.
No, incorrect.
Agree, any cartridge can be used with any alignment…but, the fixing of the pivot to spindle distance means that only one of the standard alignments can be correctly dialed in, with the tracking arc being as per that particular alignment across the whole of the side of the record. The geometry is fairly complex, and probably best conceptualised by visualising it.
So, in fact, any cartridge can align to any standard pattern, it’s the choice of standard pattern which is fixed by the spindle - pivot distance. Does not mean that you have to follow the manufacturer’s decision, it’s just that whatever else you dial in will give an ‘unconventional’ arc.
No, that’s just not correct. My arms have a 295mm spindle to pivot distance. There is no one alignment geometry that is more correct than the others. There is no standard pattern. They are all compromises with varying characteristics. Which one is used is matter of preference, possibly guided by the contents of your record collection.
Take any arm with it’s correct spindle to pivot distance dialed in, and any cartridge, and no one choice of alignment geometries is more correct than any other.
I use a Acoustical Sounds SMARTTractor alignment tool. It provides five different alignment geometry arcs. I also have a Clearaudio alignment tool. It provides four different IEC geometries. There is no one that is standard.
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I did not claim that any of the named alignments are correct.
I did say that they are standard.
I did say that the spindle - pivot distance fixes which of the standard protocols can be correctly dialed in.
I have the spindle to pivot distance fixed for my tonearms as per Clearaudio’s recommendation (exactly 295mm). I can use any of the alignment geometries. They can all be just as correctly dialed in as any other, and no one of them is better than any other in regards to spindle/pivot distance.
Actually, none of them are correct. They are all compromises, and incorrect more or less in different ways.
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Try this experiment.
You will need an alignment protractor which shows both null points, or which shows the arc traversed. Then align. If using an incorrect standard protocol is dialed in, you will not be able achieve an alignment at either both null points simultaneously orwhich follows the standard arc for that protocol.
I do agree that there is not much point in getting too hung up about this, but the 3 point fixing clears any concerns (and has advantages in rigidity…another debate).
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