What are your top 3 favorite turntable companies (manufacturer) and why?

Plus, I've gotten great support over the years from Musical Surroundings. I am getting both my Universal 12" arms rewired.

Agree - Musical Surroundings' service & support has been fantastic. Great distributor. NO complaints there :) 

I suspect they dropped Graham because they were tired of covering for him!

Market for turntables is not tiny at all. In the US maybe limited but in other regions every household has a turntable, well, not every but many. What is audiophile here is common there in terms of analogue playback. And it is analogue not analog.

It is British, accept it.

1972-81 Pioneer direct drive table with Shure M93ED cart.  No longer in production was the best table I ever had and never should have sold it.  This is more of a recommend for direct drive than Pioneer tables.  Replaced it with a cheap Japanese table ugh.

1984-2004.  Rega Planar 2 w/Linn K9 cart.  Opened my ears to what a quiet table & good MM cart could do.  When I lost the platter bearing during a move Rega replaced free of charge.

2004-2015.  VPI Scoutmaster w/Dynavector 10x5, Benz Micro Wood L-2.  Solid all around table with better bass extension the Rega 2.  But much better MC carts, too.

2015-present.  VPI Prime w/1st gen. 10" printed unipivot arm and Lyra Delos cart.  This was a serious upgrade from the Scoutmaster.  Sonically better in all respects, which I attribute to the longer arm, better motor, and 22 lb. platter. VPI now fits the Prime with a 10 inch gimballed arm.

If you don't want to spend a ton of money Rega and VPI are solid bets.

inna

...it is analogue not analog. It is British, accept it.

Two countries divided by a common language. (George Bernard Shaw, supposedly)

I have been very happy (and for a long time) with a Sota Cosmos in one system and a VPI TNT V in another. I use a much less expensive Roksan Radius in another system where analogue isn't played as much.

The one that I sold and would love to have back was an Oracle Delphi , if only because they are works of art to look at.