Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II

Mr Win Tinnon, the Black turntable, and the Oswald Mill tasting report

First from scratch idler built in this century!!

I quote a small portion:

"Mike Lavorgna of Six Moons will be doing a writeup shortly, and I am waiting for participants to send in their photos, but some of the highlights for me this year were Win Tinnon's incredible 200 pound plus new idler drive turntable, in slate. Colby Lamb did the machining, and was also in attendance. Tinnon has a patent pending on the idler mechanism, and they built everything but the motor themselves, with Mark Kelly designing and providing the three phase control electronics. OMA did the slate work, Frank Schroeder provided one of his inimitable tonearms (Reference SQ.)"

Word around the campfire is that the cognoscenti have declared the table one of the best they have ever heard. I sure wish there were pictures.

Oh yes! I have seen the Black Slate Beauty machined parts as they were made.
The idler wheel doesn't use a shaft!
I've been lucky enough to have seen photos of the complete table as well.
I hope to hear this slate beauty, to compare with the Birch ply Lencos in my stable.
Impressive when one considers how well a properly (wood) plinthed, tweaked out Lenco can stand up to the ultraexpensive belt drives.
The word from the Mill is that this one is fantabulous.

Well, at this end I've been bootin' it to get that Lenco vs SME 30 showdown set-up, which apparently happens this week. It'll be set up over a week and played before a line-up of various excited witnesses. So, to recap, it'll be the Mighty Lenco - excepting for proper restoration, and some tweaks, "Au Naturel", but Direct Coupled to a Giant Russian birch-ply/MDF plinth - with a variety of tonearm/cartridge combos, vs the SME 30 set up with a Graham Phantom/Benz LP combo. We'll also likely simply move the RS-A1/Monster Cable Sigma Genesis 2000 from one turntable to the other, as the RS-A1 makes this easy.

In other news, I finally received the rebuilt Leak Stereo Twenty, which turned out to be astonishingly detailed and fast. I've now got it set-up with the Mighty Electro-Voice three-way speakers of mine, which belong to the Patrician era. The combo, with my ultra-quiet Pioneer C-91 preamp, is incredibly dynamic, quiet and detailed, with amazing bass, PRaT and gestalt, even with only the "humble" replinthed Technics SP-25 in heavy plinth, with Sumiko FT-3 matched to a cheapie - and not very good - Supex MM!! I cannot wait to hear it with a Giant Lenco tonight, don't even know what to expect given the irresistable results I already have as-is! Holy Crap! I'm also installing a beer fridge, and will be inviting the interested to come and hear what vintage items (mixed in with some modern) can REALLY do! Being in a garage/workshop out in the country, there's no limit on SPLs too ;-).

Too bad what should have been great news is severely mitigated by petty politics, axe-grinding, and the need to create neurosis as to a certain Mighty record player ;-). Nevertheless, cause to celebrate the Ongoing Idler-Wheel Revolution, let's hear it: Vive la Lenco, Vive la Idler Wheel!!!

"Too bad what should have been great news is severely mitigated by petty politics, axe-grinding, and the need to create neurosis as to a certain Mighty record player ;-)."

What do you mean? Anyway the Might record player will be reviewed at 6moons. Already written up there and much interest has been shown. I guess they a good thing when they see one. ...and a bad one as well. ;-)

Gadfly wrote:
"I guess they(know)a good thing when they see one..."
The key word is here is "see".
Might be wise to have a good listen before puffing up one's chest.
- Mario