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Sell Me Your Women, Your Children, Your Vintage Turntable...

Ok I’m trying to understand the appeal of buying something like an old Garrard 301 or an elderly Technics all trussed up in a shiny new plinth, versus something manufactured in the 21st century by people not wearing clogs.

Surely modern gear has to perform better, dollar for dollar? It isn’t like these restored Garrards are exactly cheap, i was looking at one for almost $11k yesterday on Reverb. The internals looked like something out of a Meccano set.
 I ought to be more in tune with the past, I’m almost 60 and wear bell bottoms, but the style of the older TTs just doesn’t do it for me. Now then, my Dr. Feickert Volare had a look that was hardly futuristic, but that’s about as retro as I’d prefer to go.
All that said... I will buy one of these old buggers if it genuinely elevates performance. 
With $10k available for table and arm, on the new or used market, how would you splash the cash?

Rooze 
128x128rooze

Showing 2 responses by billwojo

billwojo
397 posts
 
Mijostyn said
"There is no way in h--l you are going to keep that many bearings quiet."
Huh? On my Russco that I'm restoring there is only one more bearing than my belt drive table. That extra bearing is the bronze bushing in the idler pulley.
Good idler tables like my Russco were expected to run 24/7 with a simple maintenance every 3 to 4 months so they were massively over built. 3/4" diameter main spindle bearing! Heavy cast aluminum chassis! The list goes on.
Ask oldhvymec, he can tell you as well.

BillWojo
billwojo
397 posts
 
Nope, I didn't forget the motor at all.
The motor certainly is not directly connected to the platter, there is a compliant rubber coated wheel between the motor shaft and the platter. Speed and W & F should be in the same area as a belt drive minus the slippage a belt drive can have as it's a simple mechanical reduction between the motor shaft diameter  and the platter contact area diameter. Slippage on an idler drive is non existent if it's adjusted correctly. Remember, professional idler drives come up to speed almost instantly.  If the ratio's are correct, speed will be correct. Idler drive motor RPM is set by incoming line frequency that is held to a very close tolerance.
If your looking for the ultimate in speed accuracy and low W & F measurements, the better DD will give you that easily.
I have nothing against a well built belt drive table but they have their issues as well.
Your ramblings are so full of inaccuracies it puts your credibility in question. 

BillWojo
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