Yamaha GT 2000 Turntable

The GT 2000 is relatively(the key word here) inexpensive compared to the other Uber Direct Drive TTs solely due to their plentiful supply on the second-hand market. Yamaha sold many of these turntables in Japan, the only market in which they were sold when new.
As only the Japanese can do, it was a co-operative effort designed by Yamaha in conjunction with Micro Seiki using a motor and motor control electronics from the Japan Victor engineer who designed the motor and motor control electronics for the TT-81. That same engineer has stated in a Japanese blog that he prefers the GT 2000.
It is quite a revelation to hear. Whether through luck, a synergistic combination of design elements or a stroke of genius, it sounds superb.
The basic GT 2000 was intended as a starter module to which the owner could add individual optional elements which would bring the basic module up to what the designers envisaged as the best Direct Drive they could present. The key elements that could be added were an outboard power supply, a 38 pound platter, a suspension cradle and a vacuum platter mat ala Audio Technica. The 'fully loaded' GT 2000 with all those elements would weigh over 120 pounds. None of that would matter one bit if the basic unit didn't excel.
Fortunately, it doesn't excel. It exceeds.
This is one of the great vintage turntables. This is why it sold shitloads in Japan. The country which, at the time, had plentiful access to TT101s, L-07Ds, SP 10 MkIIIs. None of which sold as well in Japan. They weren't giving them away, so: What did the Japanese know that we are still to understand? It was word of mouth testimony that made this turntable the sales success that it was.
Remember, that the GT 2000 was released at the height of the Western media's rabid aversion to Direct Drives and the release year of 1982 coincided with the introduction of CD. The GT 2000 based on that should have tanked. Fortunately people have ears as well as eyes. Obviously Japanese ears liked what they heard. Very, very much liked what they heard, it would appear.
I have found that, as excellent as the GT 2000 is, it benefits mightily from being isolated. I live in a brick house with a concrete slab floor. The rack which only supports the turntable is welded steel with a stone top that weighs over 85Kg. Nothing flimsy there. The difference between isolation and without is night and day(when it is optimised). Some interpret my advocation of isolation for the GT 2000 as an indication that the GT 2000 has a serious flaw. I've already said that the basic unit without isolation is superb sounding. When isolated it rearranges one's sensibility of what can be achieved from vinyl playback. I personally think that all excellent non-suspended turntables require isolation. Under all circumstances.
But I digress. Do I think that the GT 2000 is the best top of the line Japanese Direct Drive? Well I've not heard the contenders. However the contenders are all superb. So in most cases it will come down to 
how they are used.The GT would be up there with the better ones.
Mostly due to my praise of the unit there is a small group of individuals who post at AudioKarma that have bitten the bullet and taken the plunge. They all had very good turntables previously and none of them have been disappointed with the 2000. Aside from them, the testimony is from the Japanese alone.
I don't expect this thread to generate any interest due to the fact that the only person greatly discussing this turntable is myself. That's not a big enough sample size for most folks. That's not a problem. I'll enjoy owning one whether the whole world knows about it or no-one knows about it.
Don't fall for the lie that the GT 750 is as good as the GT 2000. Only defrauded chumps fall for that one. The 750 was released on the back of the success of the 2000, at a lower price point(due to its being styled similarly to the 2000 but nowhere near as well designed, engineered or optioned) and despite being half the price of the GT 2000, failed to reach anywhere near the sales figures of the more expensive 2000s types. More than likely word of mouth again getting around that, despite the lower price of the 750, one was better off saving their money and waiting to buy the more expensive 2000. The 750 isn't bad. One isn't a chump for buying the GT 750, but some will try and tell you that it is as good as a 2000. Don't be chumped by them.

Lewm,
The GT 2000x came with the same stock platter as the GT 2000. 6.5Kg. The 18Kg platter was an optional extra for BOTH the GT 2000/L and the 2000x. Moment of inertia with the 6.5 Kg stock platter was specified at 1.2 tonnes/cm squared.
The fact that the bearing of all three(GT 2000. GT 2000L. GT 2000x) was rated to carry the 18Kg platter would imply that the 6.5Kg stock platter would minimally load the thrust pad in the bearing. This would bode well for the condition of the bearing long term.
The GT 2000 can be found in Japan for around $1500US. The GT 2000x is difficult to find for less than $3000US(with the standard 6.5Kg platter). The 18Kg optional extra gunmetal platter for the entire 2000 series(not just the 200x) usually sells for over $2000US. Yes. That is not a typo. The platter alone sells for more than the price of the entire GT 2000. More than likely for the GT 2000x and the 18Kg gunmetal platter one will be paying higher prices than these.
The GT 2000x, which was released on the back of the success of the 2000 3 years after the GT 2000/L, struggled for sales. More than likely due to the well received excellence of the GT 2000/L models at the lower price point  detracting from the 2000x. Rather than the lesser sales figures due to lower performance of the 750 and 1000. The rarity of the 2000x(they are rare) would account for some of the price variation. Interestingly enough and probably based on the second hand prices of the x Yamaha re-released the GT 2000x in 1991. It still didn't sell in great numbers. I'd imagine that the sheer numbers of GT 2000s made the 2000x a difficult model to shift.

totem
I have a link to a blog with a Victor engineer:

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=en&a=http%3A%2F%2F37282.diarynote.jp%2F2...

Is J.Carr's link to the same blog?

Axel stated on the 2000x page that the 18Kg platter was optional. The mistake he made was in saying that the increased diameter motor shaft in the x was necessary for the 18Kg platter. It isn't. The 18Kg platter was introduced 3 years before the release of the 2000x with the release of the 2000/L models which had the smaller diameter motor shaft.

lewm, I would expect that since you already own some thoroughly excellent Direct Drives, that the 2000 won't blow you away sonically. I also doubt that you'd be disappointed with it.

The difference between the GT 2000 and the GT 2000L is twofold:

1) The GT 2000 used the same black veneer that is used on the NS 1000 speaker. The GT 2000L uses a walnut(?) veneer.
2) the GT 2000 is a fully manual turntable which can be fitted with the optional arm-lifter which lifts the arm at the end of the record side. The GT 2000L comes fitted with the optional arm lifter as stock standard.

Other than those two differences, the shade of the veneer and whether the arm lifted is an option or fitted as stock, there is absolutely no difference between the two models. They are fundamentally, essentially exactly the same identical turntable. All accessories which fit the one, fit the other. The plinth, motors, motor control electronics, platter and arms(with exception to the arm lifter) are exactly the same with no difference at all. Twins wearing different make-up.

The optional arm lifter can be fitted to the GT 2000, so in essence the biggest difference is the veneer. Identical twins with different make-up.