SP10 Mk II vs Mk III

Lewm

Albert, Assuming I ever could find a Mk III, does it too have an oiled bearing, and does it require a shipping bracket for transport?

There is no ship bracket but the platter must be removed before transport. Oil goes in the spindle at the top edge. There is no easy "marked" oil hole like on the MK2.

If you go to Sound Fountain:

http://www.soundfountain.com/amb/sp10page.html and scroll down about half way, there is a photo showing where oil goes on a SL1810. The SP10 MK3 is the same place.

Before anyone asks, I choose Mobil One 5-30 for both my Technics. Mobil One is synthetic, so it will mix with whatever was there before (if any) and no issues with gunking up.

Thanks, Albert. As far as I am concerned, this could become a miscellaneous SP10 thread, in which any relevant info to the care, feeding, and resuscitation of these great tables could be discussed. So no worries about hijacking.

OK Lewm,
I need 2 screws for an SP10 Platter. Does anyone know where to source some or alternatives??

Here is my new SP10 MKII, in a 80 lbs plinth, black ash veneer, simple. It sounds very good but the cartridge is brand new so it will get better. But I'm excited about this TT, I'm using a cheap Lentek Step-up (battery operated - made in the UK in the 80's) into my Audio Research SP16 phono section. I'll be looking for a suitable /affordable Step-up for the SPU if anyone has a suggestion!

SP10--FR64S--SPU

Nice! Did you make the plinth?
I've seen repro SP10 platter screws for sale in sets of 3 on eBay, but not in recent weeks. Check it out, anyway. Maybe Albert has a better lead. Failing that, you can probably fashion some using the proper metric screws plus a piece of tubing or metal stand-off to create the sleeve over the threads. Check McMaster-Carr for odd metric stuff.

When you say your SP10 is "very good", what are you comparing it to? I see an RS-A1 sitting on something over to the left.

Thanks, I will get some McGyvered Screws made up this weekend. I had the SP10 Plinth made for me , it is a "standard" Russian Birch Ply/MDF type.
I am Comparing this SP10 creation to The RS Labs Arm on an older plinth I had made for a Lenco L75, to the right of this SP10, I have a 301 with 3012 MKII arm in a Simple Plinth (Its a layered Ply/MDF also)
I like all three of these Turntables and have had them in one plinth or another for many years. The L75 is in it's 4th plinth, the 301 is plinth version II and the SP10 is in Version 3, My system pics show version 2 of the SP10 with racing stripe - Yikes!! It's first version was the Original McCurdy Plinth with about 300 lbs mass and a Rega tonearm. While using that SP10 I found I really liked/preferred the big DD tables versus some of the other turntables I had used (Sota Sapphire/Vacuum/SME IV and VPI TNT Jr , Linn and a few other Belt drives ) Then Came the Lenco Challenge that offered me a view of the Idler wheel phenom., and the 301s came last after one very fortuitous Summer were I found one for $25 and two weeks later found one in the trash! Really!
I find the Garrard 301 to the most beautiful Vintage turntable. This latest SP10 Plinth came about because of the FR64S arm that I found this summer (Garage sale too, but I had to pay Non Garage sale price for it...) I wanted to do my best Plinth yet and really give the SP10/FR64 the platform it deserved. So I had this plinth built with strict instructions to keep the look Simple and wanted close 100 lbs mass. Early listening to this SP10 prove that it will be World Class in Performance but the cost has been VERY Reasonable, I cant imagine equaling this TT with a Modern purchase for anywhere near the same money.