With a tiny bit of regret, and a whole lot of relief, I no longer represent Sorane. This is due entirely to irreconcilable differences with the exporter. I’ve never had more difficult dealings in my life, especially in high end audio. The good people at IT Industry are top notch craftsman, deserving of praise and support.
As the second draftsman of the SA1.2 (the second iteration of the SA1), and draftsman of the ZA12, I have sufficient experience in design, machining and assembly to do the same thing here in the USA. Plans are to produce tonearms using parts from Japan wherever available, with larger machined parts made locally. There are highly specialized manufacturers who only produce a few parts, but in the thousands. These are used where appropriate. There are design changes that will improve performance across all models, including matched offset angles, a move to magnesium, and more.
Accordingly, I will be working with Mr. Masahiro Shibazaki to relaunch the line under the original name, Abis. Abis is the brand name for Sibatech Inc., exporter of Audio Note (Kondo), among others. Mr Shibazaki paid to develop Abis tonearms for the export market. During an ailment, he lost control of Abis (later Sorane) and Hana Cartridges. Mr Shibazaki was not compensated for the loss of intellectual property or future sales.
I look forward to reintroducing Abis tonearms, and in engaging in a combined effort to produce even better tonearms, at competitive prices. Return here for updates on our progress.
Mr Masahiro Shibazaki