Empire 498


Hi all - I have an Empire 498 turntable I inherited from my grandfather years ago that has been collecting dust in my crawlspace...I've been all digital with no analog for years.

Cleaned out the crawlspace for some home repair and came across it.

It's in great shape, if dusty, and I'm curious as to whether this is they type of turntable to begin collecting vinyl around or if I should just put it up for sale.

I have no clue what to ask for, and thought I'd begin my research with you guys. I read an article online about Empire turntables, and it appears the 498 is the 'rare' model of the bunch, but I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing! :)

Anyway, any knowledge you may have about these turntables would be appreciated. It has sentimental value, but if it's worth a few bucks, I may sell it, particularly since I don't own one LP.

Thanks,

- Dan
dklap
Anything that you know of of more recent vintage. I believe the original Empire arm has an effective length of 228.5mm so is there any reason an arm of similar effective length would not work?
Thread resurrect -

So I never did anything with the turntable. Bought a new belt (should receive it shortly) and the grommets on the motor are somehow still supple (my house must be too humid).
If it is up and running with just a belt, I'll let you know.
Otherwise, I found a place called Midwest Audio (midwestaudio.net) that can hopefully help me out in the event it needs more TLC.
I'll keep you posted on the restore. Son is getting into vinyl.
-Dan
Please keep us updated. I’m thinking of adding an Empire to my turntable stable : )

Thanks for your post!