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

As I cast my eyes over my wood (not oil) work shop and back over a second machine/tool (with oil) work shop, I take note, that just about every tool in both shops are 30-130 years old.

The newest things I have are only for safety. Straps have an expiration date.

At least 100 different TT plinths. Thoren, Russco/QRK/Sparta, Fairchild, EMT, Garrard and 4 or 5 TT kits.

No CNCs here, the newest thing I have (but haven't used this one) is a duplicating machine. Great for carved table legs, guitar bodies and parts, piano parts, Mask, speaker cabinet holes (best I've found for a baffle)
and TURNTABLE plinths.

I'm old, I'm GOOD. Some TT are better, just not GOODER, get it?

Click my mystery page coming together. Look at that old Russco and the OLD style speakers.. LOL

SOTA, means State Of The Art,

I say it requires CANI, Continual And Never-ending Improvement to remain SOTA..

No matter where you spend your money on a Turn Table, BUY some new pants.. Give me an address and sizes I'll send you some. :-)

The PLINTH, that's on you.. I'm flex sealing the bottom and inside on two TD124 25lb 4 layer plinths now. HIGH gloss clear coat coming up, hand brushed, wet sanded and buffed to a mirror.. Spring/shock system is added right before the deck it set in place..

You see all that to say.. Some of us like to TINKER and make our own stuff.. Look at Farm Girl, older is better. SHE can wear bell bottoms all day long..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev9oigcIc_A

Regards

I’m setting here looking at a TD124 I, and a TD121. Pretty serious TT.
The rumble on those tables is the lowest of all of them. Hands down..
Get a stethoscope listen for yourself at the bearing base

I dug out a Garrard 401 (still 220 50hz) Hmmm??? Tiny
I like the 301 better, BUT I know I can get the 401 quieter.

I have my/a Russco sitting on a mobile. I’m setting it up for RtR recording. :-) Working on an air ride, we’ll see.
Garrard Killers, you should see the two setting side by side. OLD VW bus vs New Mercedes van.. LOL Twice as big.. Motor TWICE as big easy. 10th HP.. F/motors.. "Drivers start your engines" ZOOOOOM!!!

I have a 47 pounder I started 40 years ago. I did 5 of them. I have one left it’s on my page, it had a bugger or two.

Fairchild, Roberts, and EMT. Talk about "let me line my walls with".
The best I ever had was a 750 Fairchild with air lift.. ZERO rumble, 1 minute warm up.. Some one nicked it out of a friends house?????

One Of A Kind SOTA or moded TT are the absolute best, age HAZZZZZ ZERO to do with it..

Get one of each get a good arm or two and then a great cart/phono stage or two.

I’m going with mobile tonearm stands and arm boards for mounts too, tired of stationary mounts, friggen’ PITA.

Too many flavors to stick with just ONE or TWO or THREE, OP, don't you think?

4 is close 5 or 6 sounds better..

For now.. A pair of 124s. Definite Peach flavor.. and a dab of Russco, (flavor yet to be determined).

Regards

OP I go with the SME, Never heard a Woodpecker.

Buddy is a BIG SME fan, that and Colt. LOL He says they are close in build quality.. They are.. Serious QC there.
Soundsmith and SME, peas and carrots...

NEVER heard a Garrard rule the roost.. The closest is a 401.. there is a BIG difference between the two 301 vs 401.

I’ve hear quite a few Triangle Art units too.. The guy use to use the same speakers I use. RMx Elixirs.. https://www.google.com/search?q=vmps+rmx+elixir&sxsrf=ALeKk00-tDINoxmfm5IDNg9b7b5GC4xoTg:1623265...

Billwojo, you forgot the motor which is directly connected to the plater in an idler drive. It does not have a bearing? Actually, it has two, one on either side of the stator. I’m sure it is a cool device.

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Billwojo is a machinist, I’m a retired HD master mechanic.

WE can make anything quiet. If you’re nice WE might teach you a thing or two..

If not WE’LL leave the 100 years between us to someone that DOES.

The only TT I can’t get quiet are the old mechanical automatics. Like a Zero 100. (sure nice looking for being such a pile SQ wise) A TD224 I can get to work perfect and be quiet.

No matter what anyone builds, the platter can’t ride on a ball. Once you accept that, you will understand what QUIET is..

Air ride or mag lift is QUIET.. Everything else has rumble

The 33.3 BS being spouted is hogwash.. I know for a fact no one could tell the difference if I set it at 32.3 or 33.3 rpms, much less being or staying accurate. You might notice wow, BUT I haven’t heard that in 35 years, and even then more so on RtR tapes needing to be re-tensioned.

Startup on a rim drive is 1/4 to 1/2 turn to full speed.. The real way to Que is to TURN OFF the motor on a Russco and flip the switch to start the qued record.. Mine are full speed in 1/4-1/2 turn.. Summer/Winter (temperature change) They have GEAR SHIFTERS for Gods sakes, how cool is that... Remind me of Cylons, just need a JBL diffuser for a helmet..

So many goodies but only so much time. :-)

Regards

Actually mijostyn you can modify the platter drive to drag the platter vs PUSH the platter.

That drive boggy on a Thoren or Russco/QRK/Sparta is swapped to an aluminum pully / bronze bushed and super soft silicone rope o-rings.

The platter is easy to dampen and drop balance AFTER the dampening is added.. Flex seal works wonders to quiet the whole thing down.. Chassis and all

Dimple roll the stuff it’s even quieter, but it's not the prettiest, when you dimple roll.. The plinth stabilizes too NO more growing summer to winter.

Regards

I have an untouched 401 220 50hz. Anybody want a Garrard 401. I’m sure I have 60 hz pully here too (somewhere) if you want to go that direction..

I heard the same thing on the 301 and 401. the 220 50 is better with a converter.. PS is just the latest.. Good reviews though. I’d give it a shot for the money no doubt.. There are US models though, different motor if I remember.. The 220/50hz model is suppose to be the cats meow!!

I’ll stick with Thoren. Any one use the NEW TD124 DD? You want all that speed control. I bet Thoren has it down to a gnat’s a$$. E50 motor though? LONG GONE

15K retail, progress? I’ll bet mine are better and 12-13k less. ;-)

You can air ride a spindle I don’t see how with direct drive, AND easy to do a air seal change...

Regards