Thinking about buying an Lp12, Lingo table.

The LP12 when properly setup is a very musical table. The issue is having it adjusted correctly. The down side of the LP12 is that is must be setup correctly to sound good. Also they are very finicky and coming off a Rega, you will find that the Linn is very touchy and reacts to footfall in a bad way. Unless you have a solid floor or a suspended floor with bracing to remove any flex, you must tip toe while it is playing. I bought and had mine serviced thru Rick at audioalternative.com in Fort Collins Colo., not knowing anyone else in other states, I can only say my experience with Rick was, he knows this table. Watching him work on it was akin to watching a brain surgeon. Minor details like how many twists in a wire pair become crucial to the action of the suspension. That said the table can sound wonderful, and it took me quite some time to to get my RP10 to sound right and I still wonder. But each table has its own signature sound and I have come to love the Rega. In closing as much as I enjoyed the Linn, I seriously doubt I will ever go back to one, but in my opinion, every vinyl lover should own at least one in the course of table buying

$3K for a 20 year old Linn?  How about a newish VPI for a lot less and forget the LP12 headaches?

I used an Linn LP 12 for many years, and it was finicky to keep in tune.  Finally switched to a Rega 9 w/ RB1000 arm (now own 2 of them), and I wouldn't go back to the Linn. No muss, no fuss and excellent sound.

Thanks to all for the responses. I am also considering a VPI Scout (the latest model) which are supposed to be wonderful. A couple of dealers in the area sell and I am planning on listening to them. 

If you have access to someone who knows how to properly set up an LP12 then I would go for it. An LP12 that is properly set up will not go out of tune- the DIY'ers have mucked this fact up over the years.
As time goes on you can upgrade the deck in question to a very high standard- Radikal power supply should be the next step, then the arm.Go on the Linn Forum and get some feedback for techs in your area that may be able to help you-it is an international forum. There is just something magical about an LP12- gets to the heart of the music. Good luck!
ATB,
Mark

Did you buy the Rega new, and what problem did you have?

Look for a used SME 10 in your price range. Easy to set up and maintain,  Sounds great.

Hi Orpheus10.

The problem with the Rega is that they hum like crazy. I tried everything possible and and you may read it in some of my other posts. The table is now back at the service center to figure out what is wrong with it. They sent my dealer a bran new tonearm, RB 303 a new Exact cartridge and a new circuit board for the TT PSU. He connected everything and there was a loud noise when touching the tonearm. The cueing mechanism is way too fast and it is impossible to start a record from the beginning without the cartridge skipping ahead due to the speed at which it drops. The TT PSU makes a loud "pop" when turning it off.

Why not send me a new turntable and call it a day. A friend of mine went through 7 Rega tables and had nothing but problems. The cartridges loose volume constantly after a few months of use. Also the subplatjer is absolute garbage considering the price of almost $2000 including cartridge. I must say that they are very musical and they track well.

Some folks do a Incognito re wire and in most cases it gets rid of the problem but I don;t think I want to drop another $250 plays another $120 on an aftermarket subplatjer. Needless to say I am very disappointed and you can read all sort of complaints about Rega products. The other issue is that the new P6 just came out and the price of the Rp6 has dropped by $500 therefore there goes any kind of resale value. My dealer is willing to exchange it for something different. 

Forget it if you have bad floors and like to play while you move around. If the house is brick, you could wall mount. If the house is wood, forget it. You'll need an Ittok at least; otherwise not good value. 

+1 on what Varyat posted.

Don't be too concerned about footfalls and going out of tune....all of the posters who state that really IMHO don't know how to utilize or set-up an LP12. The model you are considering has the Tramp upgrade, that means you can mount the table on a less than desirable stand or table and still have minimal impact from the surroundings. If you are placing the table in a cabinet ( not IMO the best situation for ANY table) you may need to consider removal of the dust cover on the LP12 ( no big deal and they sound way better without them any rate). The shoe box Lingo may be a little bit concerning...only due to age. ( it may need to be re-capped at some near point). The same set-up tech can do this for you, and this may be a great idea from the get-go. As to the Akito, it will be the weak link but easily upgradeable...as is the rest of the TT. As Mark stated, this table can be a very nice spring board to something far better. VPI's---why would you??
As to value, $3100 is a little steep, but I would think that the dealer probably knows that- and will be open to a real offer. I would go for this table if it is in the condition you state and you can get a fair price...then it would be a no brainer, all IMHO.

Go for the VPI prime scout. I went from a Linn to this and can say it’s a much simpler system and to my ears a superior table .The only thing you need to worry about is alignment of the cartridge. Also as others have said if you have wobbly floors you will need to wall mount for best performance