Topic: ISO: Used Turntable - $100-300 Range - What should I look for?

[spcyrfc]

ePay is right.  i won!

[mfrench]

packaging instructions:

~ Remove the platter (see below for instructions), secure it separately from rest of deck, and well padded. Its heavy and can tear stuff all to heck. Make sure its well isolated and solidly restrained.

~ Two red bolts under the platter.
These are transport screws, and need to be tightened. They need to be tightened down to secure the motor for shipping.
You'll then need to loosen them at your end.

~ Tonearm and counterweight:
Secure the tonearm to the armrest by a twist tie, and remove the counterweight, antiskate assemblies, and the headshell/cartridge, to be safely secured, separately. You do not want the headshell or c.weights to be on the arm, or loose. They damage the arm.

You remove the platter by:
This is best done with three hands (someone to help), or by shimming the platter up slightly with some folded paper towels (what I do when I'm by myself).
Grip the outer rim of the platter with your fingers, slightly lifting it. Using a hammer handle as a striker, and a piece of wood as a cushion, you place the wood over the spindle, and slightly tap the spindle downward with a sharp rap on the wood -> TAP ON THE WOOD <- not on the spindle itself.
One or two raps with the handle of the hammer handle or plastic mallet, and the spindle will drop, and the platter will lift right off.

[mfrench]

+T congrats!

If you haven't already done so - go sign up at www.lencoheaven.net Its an amazing resource, and totally addiciting; great bunch of spinners over there.

[mfrench]

hmmm... what is it?


Presto Recording Corp. 15G2 Idler TT circa 1953:


up the skirt shots:


nice round cans:


pizza platter:


I think she's a keeper and a very fine specimen. I've been looking at the older Prestos with lust, and this one came up with a nice enough BIN pricing. So, she came home with me last night.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

There is a new record weight "clamp" on the market that is used on the center label of the record to hold the record flat, coupling it to the platter.
This new device has a built in chip that is timed such that at 33.3 the device emits a laser pulse that should appear as a still dot on the wall. When the needle is dropped, the dot goes off the scale, flashing elsewhere in the room, until such a time as the platter resumes its 33.3 pacing.

That's neat and interesting...  It'd be interesting to know how the visual aid translates into % speed difference.  And how it behaves on different TT designs..  Of course speed control is only one concern, and vibes in the platter from the drive mech or bearings are also something to consider.

I always liked the visual from the TT's with the strobe that flashed the marks on the edge of the platter to show speed.  The user was expected to tweak as necessary.  And then I think later, we had TT's with quartz phase locked loop speed control.

I have two tables.. A fully auto direct drive pioneer (not used in a long while), and an LP12/Ittok.

[mfrench]

I use a modern speed strobe mat. This combo freezes the proper designated rpm setting via the strobe effect. If there clockwise drift, its going to fast, and the opposite if c.clockwise.  If there is drift, you count the number of designated rpm numbers that drift in and out of the strobe effect.  There is a scale that gives you percentage of drift based on that number.
Its the KAB Speed Strobe Mat. Its not cheap, but with my table tweaking, its the best $100 I've spent in this game (beyond the decks and records of course).
http://www.musicdirect.com/product/73731

[mfrench]

Nice heavy platter Lenco L75 60hz North American model
$350BIN price - won't last!:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=110566583655&Category=48649&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D2

[achalsey]

Since it looks like this is thread is done (but similar to my question), I'm going to slightly hijack it instead of starting a new one.  Let me know if this is not cool to do.

I'm looking for a cheap turntable (> $200) and am wondering if going with used/vintage and a little sprucing up is worth it rather than just buying new.  Its a present and the person is by no means an audiophile and I'm not even sure she has a decent playback system.  I think I just answered my own question with that last statement, but just to make sure, would finding a new AT LP60 online be worth it or would waiting to get a good deal on some older equipment that might need an upgrade here or there be better?

After a quick check this listing is something I'm looking at also:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200501522150&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[mfrench]

That Dual has what some consider to be one of the finest tt motors ever made.
Where I foresee problems is in the automatic mechanisms. They're forty-five year old machines now. The moving parts get bogged down with age, with caked-out grease. They require a fairly extensive relubing and check out.
I do not know them well enough to make suggestions to you about them. I do know of two forums where you can get plenty of information:
http://www.vinylengine.com
http://www.audiokarma.org
You can D/L manuals at vinylengine, and there is a discussion forum there.
AudioKarma is a discussion board similar to ts.com. The Turntables forum has a scad of information on this deck (1019), with at least one current discussion thread.

Another quality name to look towards is Elac Miracord - but I'm purely parroting when it comes to this name:
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=elac+turntable&_sacat=0&_odkw=microcord+turntable&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313