Five; the life of a casual 78 collector-turned semi-professional transfer engineer in about eight years:
1) Audio Technica LP-120. Removed the built-in preamp to improve the signal chain. Used for a few years as a starter table
2) Dual 1229. Read good things, but the automatic queue feature broke a week after I bought it. Used it as a second table for stacking cheap 78s for a few months before I realized how bad it sounded. The speed stability was a lot worse than advertised. Whoever I bought it from claimed to have restored it, too.
3) Technics 1200 in DJ-worn shape. Intended to have it modded a bit to use with 78s, but never got around to it.
4) Rek-O-Kut Rondine 3 made by Esoteric Sound for use with 78s. Infinitely-adjustable 16-90 RPM, generally good specs for a ~$1,000 table. Used for several years, generally about as good as it gets for most 78 collectors. A lot of well-regarded reissue CDs were made (by others) with this table. Decent mid-level Jelco transcription tonearm. I generally liked this setup, but it still has an upper-mid-end sound.
5) Technics SP-10R. Endgame. Albert Porter panzerholz plinth, upgraded Fidelity Research FR-66S and Viv Labs Rigid Float tonearms. Soon to have a Soundsmith Strain Gauge to supplement the Shure V15 Vx (generally the best it gets for 78s because dozens of stylii are needed and MC cartridges are non-starters)
