Twoodruff was looking for a table, so in kindness I passed along the AR I had been working on. Actually, my offer to him was with his budget but after discussions I informed him that there were two more things that would provide him a bit more performance out of the table, a record stablizer and a drop counterweight. Well, he decided that he wanted it complete, so he had me order the items before shipping the table out to him.
Today the last item can and was installed. I am proud to say that this project is right up there with the satisfaction with my Thorens TD850 project. This table looks incredible and sounds fantastic. The Blue Point #2 now has around 25 hours on it and continues to improve. The next 25 should get it to it's optimal performance point. However, I'll leave that enjoyment to Twoodruff.
When consulting with Twodruff he stated that his amp had plenty of gain and that he didn't need an active preamp, so I recommended a passive that is built and performs beyond its price point. I also recommended the phono pre, which he got for a great price and, which also sounds very good, indeed.
Now, I have to take picture for his rebuild, trying to make this as turnkey as possible. Afterwards, with a tear in my eye, I will say goodbye to the table but with feel mighty glad that it is going to a good home and a new vinyl fan will be born.