Inexpensive Good Vintage Turntables?

I prefer linear tracking turntable. Good one are Yamaha PX2, PX3. B & O 4000. 

VPI TNT HOT ROD JUNIOR. Built like a tank. Not made anymore. Used one costs approx $5000.

Perhaps a vintage VPI. I own an HW-19 and I think parts for it are readily available as are upgrades. Plus, customer service is (or it was about 2 years ago) pretty responsive. 

Just because your biased doesn't mean your right

Probably typed without a hint of irony.

"Just say no to DD."

 

Wow, as an owner of all types of drives I had to laugh at that moronic statement. There are plenty of vintage DD tables that still perform better than most of the junk sold today. It would take a hell of a good belt drive to match the drive motor in say a JVC QL-A7! About 3 to 4 hundred verses how many thousands? Lot's of thousands to come close to those specs. Just good powerful smooth delivery of music.

Just because your biased doesn't mean your right. Of course you could be British, they were duped to believe that kind of nonsense.

 

BillWojo

There's a 1229 on USA that looks interesting.

@holmz I haven't had time to figure out how to use the audigon image insert.

I guess I'm not the first.

Thanks for watching this space.

Picking up on the comment ‘how vintage’ is a fair point.

 

The Linn LP12 has been in production for almost 50 years. It has had many iterations I hasten to add - a bit like a Porsche 911 I guess 

The Rega Planers 2 and 3 are much the same.

Even the likes of the SME 20 go back 30 years and are still made now.

classic vintage is clearly those no longer manufactured such as the Goldring Lenco; EMT 950, Thorens TD124

in many ways the era when the most high tech together with market penetration was in the 70’s. Sadly the UK was fixated with the LP12 - we know there are many roads to audio nirvana nowadays but it killed off the chance of superb DD’s that proliferated the rest of the audio world were using from entering the UK market which was an awful shame.

Linn Basik...I have one with the Akito arm...superb (especially after putting a Jelco arm cable on it). Hard to find but generally can be inexpensive.

let's see if this produces a photo of the vintage Sota

@beartunes - nothing visible yet.

My Yamaha Yp211 has been going strong and sounding good for 40 years.  I would consider their products 

Just say no to DD.

Some modded the unit by removing the power supply and making it external linear.

 

Belt drive with auto lift.

Harmon Kardon T65C was nicknamed the "poor man's Linn Sondek"

I think the question is, "How vintage do you want it?"

I bought the #1 selling HiFi turntable of my early youth, the German-made Dual 1019. These were state-of-the-art best-sellers from 1965-70 and millions were sold in the USA on even the highest-end stereos! It’s an idler-wheel turntable (not exactly belt-drive OR direct-drive). Its low-mass tonearm supports 0.5gm tracking force, anti-skate, fully automatic and semi-automatic operation, 16, 33, 45, 78, pitch control, cueing, 33rpm installable changer spindle, 45rpm installable changer spindle(!), a do-everything table. Wow and flutter might be a tiny bit off of a quartz-feedback modern table but everything else is superb. Compared to turntables today I think you’d need to spend $800+. Many service specialists rebuild these tables.

As for headshells, Dual TK-12 headshell 3D reprints are available on EBay. As for cartridges dozens will work and I recommend Shure M44 (Jico M44 now), M55, Shure V15 or M97xe (M44 is perhaps the best selling cartridge of all time.) Modern Ortofon cartridges like red or blue or black will also mount on these.

In my opinion #1 is the cartridge, #2 is the tonearm (low mass is better, and anti-skating is essential), and #3 is the drive-technology & turntable features.  Dual 1019 has ALL THE FEATURES you could ever want and a highly competitive tone arm so this high-end 60’s table can still be competitive where it matters - in the sound coming out of your speakers.

...or budget.... ;)

Reacting to the ’vintage’ post, there are more older tables that performed well; not SOTA for their era, but may have gotten matched with a ’so-so’ arm and cart.

I’ve an older Marantz table that I intend to mate with a tangential arm, cart subject to budget and reasonable ’returns’ for it as a whole ’performance concept’. *L*

(SOTA is a state of mind, imho... ;) ...There will Always Be Better...*G*)

Have an old Rabco SL8 (...yes, go and cringe....it’s ok...) that could be subject to the plethora of mods for grins....but a diy tang arm is not out of consideration...

"I have the technology..."
The time?

*meh*L*

Pivot arms will be rejected.
Like you, I have my preferences...*S*

And, it hinges on your expectations, as usual....

let's see if this produces a photo of the vintage Sota.

aholmz thank you for the Bend OR suggestion. I do have family and friends there. I'm sure you're aware those Sota's weight a ton. To do that much schelpping I would not be interested in a casual looker, nor would I leave it there out of my care.

Kind regards,

Here's a top view photo. It has been meticulously cared for.

@beartunes I might be interested… if you go through Bend you drop it off with a friend.

Believe it or not Vestax DJ decks with new tonearms are on a par with the Technics SL1200. they are dismissed due to the DJ Deck aesthetic (which i actually like). Brilliant bass. 

What country are you in?

I own the combination that @jasonbourne52 recommended - Pioneer PLX1000 and an Audio Technica AT740ML. It's DD and new (not vintage). However, it looks very similar to the classic Technics SL1200 and its pretty inexpensive, when compared to other quality TTs. I think the combination sounds great, especially for the $1000 all-in price. I like that it comes with a non-hinged dust cover. No fuss, no broken hinges or stress on the dust cover. I cannot recommend it more highly for a setup in the $1000 price range.

@holmz thank you for your suggestion regarding the vintage Sota.

Its located in Portland OR, and currently boxed. I will have to figure how to up load a photo on this venue.

No doubt there is plenty of room for up grading the tonearm and cartridge.

kind regards.

There are literally hundreds of models of good used turntables available. An exhaustive list would literally be exhausting.

One will receive no end of recommendations of various models

Eg, I picked up a ’new and unused’ Mission 775S the other day, on the cheap. It cost me about a fifth of what a new Rega Planar and Rega tonearm would cost. It came with a Jelco manufactured Mission labelled tonearm. Is it superior, overall, to a planar 3, any planar 3? You betcha.....

Patience and some Sun Tzu, is advised. "If you wait long enough by the river, the body of your enemy WILL float by". Meaning, take your time, and do some opportunistic slow-mo well considered fishing.

One thought: the best sonic qualities are generally contained within fully manual turntable designs. Where the tonearm can be (and invariably is) a separately purchased item.

Since marketplace confusion exists, within buyers, this means they can overvalue complete systems where the tonearm is a lower quality design and is not perfected as a separate item. Where, alternatively, concurrently.. the given ’for sale’ turntable/tonearm combinations are separate purchases and integrated... and this is sometimes not recognized as the advantage that it is...this means..that with patience, and good analysis...excellent bargains can be found.

A caveat in that analysis, can be..that one has to take it on as a task likened to always being at the ready. Ancient Humanoid behavior adapted to the modern times. Funds ready to go, and looking at local and national adverts, all at the same time, like forming a habit. Waiting by the river, with spear held up high, poised above the river of adverts..waiting to strike at the unrealized bargain, when it shows itself. Bring home the turntable bacon.

If one is too busy in other things, well... take the lesser valued more expensive way out, and save the time, but spend the money. And buy a finished set with the majority of the value retention being on the seller’s side. Personal choice, I guess.

@whart don’t discourage the OP.

U can clearly spend silly money but plenty of fun can be had without blowing the budget.

Goldring 1042 cartridge is excellent as is the 1022 which is cheaper. A rega planer 3 or systemdeck with an rb250 or rb300 are very reliable and sound fine. Both very easy to upgrade 

For plug-n-play get a new Pioneer PLX1000 ($700) and an AT740ML cartridge. No headaches worrying about restoration costs. I bought one to add to my TT collection. I put a Denon 103R mc on it. Sounds excellent! Go to the Stereophile archives and read Herb Reichert's review from a few years back! 

@lohanimal The GL75 or a close matching model from Lenco is a good option.

The Lenco GL75 is very good suggestion and Lenco Heaven Forum is a great place to find ideas, instruction, pictorials and inspiration to get it up to its very best.

Another bonus of the GL75 is that there are designs produced for it by owners that can be seen on the LH Forum, that have it in use as a Belt Drive and Idler Drive.

It isn't just the turntable, but the arm, cartridge, phono stage and particular pressings, in top condition, cleaned. That is going to cost money. No way you get what "vinyl" has to offer without spending money. Some people are happy to go "used" and vintage; others are wary, short of a full restoration. 

If I budget this, it isn't cheap. And we haven't even talked about the cost of the "software." Record prices are high, and grading is all over the place. That said, I've been very fortunate- I talk to sellers in advance, because I don't want to have to return. And in a very few cases have I had to, given the number of records bought online. Just be aware that this isn't an idle pursuit, if you want to realize what good LP playback can offer. 

Not that I like the prices any more than you do. 

Bill Hart

Any Empire! I have four in my TT collection. Truly excellent American-made belt drives with powerful motors and heavy platters. 

@beartunes which city/state are you in?

Many people will see a single post and suspect a scam could be taking place. Or maybe I am unique.

A photo might help to provide some assurance.

Having the same TT and different arm, I suspect that the arm and cart are nothing too stunning.
I had a Sumiko BPS for a while (15 years).

 

I have a turn table question for the audiophiles.

I'm looking to sell a vintage Sota Spharrie with a Premier FT-4 tonearm, and a Blue Point cartridge. It has been meticulously cared for and in excellent condition.

Any thoughts on value?

Thank you,

AK

What about AR?

Hi , it might be helpful if you give additional info such as price point and your current system. That being said I have a restored and modded Thorens TD 160 MK II with a Grado Prestige cartridge. The plinth is custom made from rosewood salvaged from a Herman Miller table. The wiring and base have been redone as well. I do want a Jelco arm eventually. Happy Hunting, Mike B.

Although PBN do beautiful work on what are already excellent Denon turntables, the final cost would probably not meet the cost criteria laid down in the OP. Otherwise, great  idea. I’d vote for a Lenco L75 with maybe a few cost effective upgrades.

There’s a chap @pbnaudio who sells restored Denon direct drives.

if you are keeping costs down find a Goldring Lenco and make ur own plinth Lencoheaven is a superb source for tech details and support

Belt drive turntables are easy in many ways because motors tend to be easy to source - so a Linn is always a solid choice. 

if ur in the UK I would source a Townshend Rock Elite. I have a few turntables but I find this addictive - there’s a guy called Matt McNulty - just Google him - very honest and knowledgeable.

The world is ur oyster my friend

I would look for a Linn LP12. All parts are available (better than original) and you can update it all the way to a contemporary Linn Klimax. 

Thorens TD160 with all original parts will be a great start. The performance is superior to Technics1200.