Record Clamp for Thorens TT




Can any one recommended a decent record clamp for a Thorens TD 166 Mk2. Do you think I even need one? Please no clamps costing more than the table :-)

Stan
anacondastan
That clamp weighs 390 grams that I followed the link for. That is a LOT of weight to strain the bearings on some turntables and the motors. I would never put that much weight on my turntable. How about using a plain 'ol $2.00 5.5 oz (156.76 grams) hockey puck? I use this on my Dad's B&O 4004, and on my own Ariston turntable. It has plenty of weight to dampen the record and get a slightly warped lp to lay flat(er) on the platter. I smile when I read of people paying $200.00 (or $800 for a shin mook?) for a clamp made from a "special wood" that is still only a weight. Someone please save these people from losing their minds and saying a piece of wood makes their music better sounding. Any clamp will do the same thing. The clamps like "the pod" are different than a plain weight. These hockey pucks do not even weigh as much as a 180 gram record. It is about the size (but a tad smaller) than a record label on a lp. Simply drill a hole in the center of the hockey puck, but not all the way through the hockey puck. Make sure it is deep enough to get down to make contact with the record. I had to drill mine about 4 times until it fit over the spindle to get a good clamping effect on the record. Then use it and enjoy. It really did open up the sound stage on my Dad's B&O 4004, and my own Ariston turntable. It is not too heavy either to strain your motor. I bought two new hockey pucks at 1.00 and 1.99 so you tell me is it worth a try? Use the 198.00 dollars you save towards a new Nitty Gritty vacuum to really start enjoying your vinyl. :) Good luck. John Chleapas
Whatever happend to the plastic German made spider thing costing $30? It worked great.
Check out the following:

http://www.needledoctor.com/showitem.cfm?catnum=3&parentcatnum=0&itemnum=1633
If you had the budget, the Black Diamond Racing "Round Thing" is great, but at $200.00 is probably not a wise investment for a TD 166.

I believe the link below will provide the solution to your problem. This is the correct size, weight and probably only about $35.00.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~rabruil/puck.html