Show Off Your Linear-Tracking Turntables

[MarkWComer]

My HK ST7…
Part of the problem was probably the tracking tire, but the spring suspension at the tonearm mount was also screwed up (under the plastic “Rabco” badge).

 

[MarkWComer]

Here is my Linear Tracker:
1917 Edison C250.
I have about 600 Diamond Disc recordings for this.
I restored it (cabinet and rebuilt the transport (gear driven) motor and all mechanicals some years ago.
Transport across the recording is based on the speed, regulated by the speed and is engaged with the vertical Edison reproducer.
That mechanism is not used for conventional lateral reproduction at 78 RPM
This plays at 80 RPM, and I have several lateral reproducers that I can play conventional 78's on. There is a speed adjustment
to slow it to 78 RPM for those and the lateral reproducers use the standard wooden or steel "needles" of the day.
The standard Diamond Disc uses the reproducer as shown, with the 1/4" thick Edison Diamond Discs.
I thought of this when I saw Laz's post about the little felt pads............seems Edison beat you to it .
These C250's came out in 1915, and cost $250 a lot of money in 1915....about $5000 today.
Tracking weight of the diamond stylus is about 2 pounds !!!!! but the records hold up well, anti skating was not an issue .
Fun stuff, I have rebuilt these, and many conventional Victrola style machines through the years.

View attachment 72054 View attachment 72055 View attachment 72056

Ya beat me to it- was gonna post about the diamond disc screw-drive tonearm. Edison didn’t want the groove to bear the task of moving the arm, so he used the screw drive from the cylinder phonos.

I have a handful of Diamond Discs, no Edison phono, but I do have a Brunswick windup with the Double Ultona soundbox. The soundbox needs some work, I broke the retaining ring for the diaphragm while trying to flatten it out (WITH A HAMMER!). There’s also some kind of silken thread connecting the needle bar to an eyelet at the center of the diaphragm that needs to be reconnected- use Krazy Glue??

 

[MarkWComer]

And a couple spares being repaired. View attachment 72025 View attachment 72026

HA! Someone who has worked on these!

Do you have a list of all the electrolytics used on the board- INSTEAD OF THE PIONEER PART NUMBERS? Frustrating- it will track a record only when it wants to, I hope it’s not the CdS cell. The coils do energize and moves the arm to the lead-in, but tracking is a crap shoot.

Any advice? Thought I’d start with the caps first…

 

[MarkWComer]

Here is my Linear Tracker:
1917 Edison C250.
I have about 600 Diamond Disc recordings for this.
I restored it (cabinet and rebuilt the transport (gear driven) motor and all mechanicals some years ago.
Transport across the recording is based on the speed, regulated by the speed and is engaged with the vertical Edison reproducer.
That mechanism is not used for conventional lateral reproduction at 78 RPM
This plays at 80 RPM, and I have several lateral reproducers that I can play conventional 78's on. There is a speed adjustment
to slow it to 78 RPM for those and the lateral reproducers use the standard wooden or steel "needles" of the day.
The standard Diamond Disc uses the reproducer as shown, with the 1/4" thick Edison Diamond Discs.
I thought of this when I saw Laz's post about the little felt pads............seems Edison beat you to it .
These C250's came out in 1915, and cost $250 a lot of money in 1915....about $5000 today.
Tracking weight of the diamond stylus is about 2 pounds !!!!! but the records hold up well, anti skating was not an issue .
Fun stuff, I have rebuilt these, and many conventional Victrola style machines through the years.

View attachment 72054 View attachment 72055 View attachment 72056

Funny- did you ever see a 12” Diamond Disc? Were any made?
Or were the 24 minute discs the only 12” disc?

 

[MarkWComer]

Oh yeah, my Pioneer here. I must have been on a Simple Minds bender with the videos.

 

[Vintage 700b]

Funny- did you ever see a 12” Diamond Disc? Were any made?
Or were the 24 minute discs the only 12” disc?

Hi Mark,
I have talked to some "old timers" (I resemble that remark now) who told me that there were some classical 12" Diamond Discs produced but I have never seen any 12" Edison Diamond Discs. I have a lot (600+) Diamond Discs but no 12".
I do have at least one album of 12" RCA Shellac 78's and a lot of 10" shellacs.
The Edison player would allow a 12" recording, and the arm allows enough space to cue it up. Knowing some of the things that Edison did back in the day, he more than likely did produce some 12" recordings. They would definitely be LP (Long Play) because the regular 10" discs hold a lot of music compared to a 10" shellac 78 rpm recording.

 

[Vintage 700b]

Ya beat me to it- was gonna post about the diamond disc screw-drive tonearm. Edison didn’t want the groove to bear the task of moving the arm, so he used the screw drive from the cylinder phonos.

I have a handful of Diamond Discs, no Edison phono, but I do have a Brunswick windup with the Double Ultona soundbox. The soundbox needs some work, I broke the retaining ring for the diaphragm while trying to flatten it out (WITH A HAMMER!). There’s also some kind of silken thread connecting the needle bar to an eyelet at the center of the diaphragm that needs to be reconnected- use Krazy Glue?? View attachment 72226

Hi Mark,
Wow !!! A Double Ultona Soundbox is a rare bear. They are really cool. Your thread most likely is actual silk, and the tiniest drop of super glue will affix it. I have broken these retaining bezels before, and on Brunswicks, usually the screw in retainers. Yours uses the 4 screws to set the bezel into the case against the seal/diaghram. If they are warped, the metallurgy does not allow much finessing. They are way to easy to break. I use lots of Kroil....for days before I try to move the screw in type. I will be in the shop tomorrow and will look to see if I may have one that will work for you.
That one is surely worth restoring, they are neat and unique pieces. I have many of the Brunswicks that screw in, but I will look.
Fun Stuff, thanks for sharing!

 

[MarkWComer]

Hi Mark,
Wow !!! A Double Ultona Soundbox is a rare bear. They are really cool. Your thread most likely is actual silk, and the tiniest drop of super glue will affix it. I have broken these retaining bezels before, and on Brunswicks, usually the screw in retainers. Yours uses the 4 screws to set the bezel into the case against the seal/diaghram. If they are warped, the metallurgy does not allow much finessing. They are way to easy to break. I use lots of Kroil....for days before I try to move the screw in type. I will be in the shop tomorrow and will look to see if I may have one that will work for you.
That one is surely worth restoring, they are neat and unique pieces. I have many of the Brunswicks that screw in, but I will look.
Fun Stuff, thanks for sharing!

A look at:

 

[borchee]

Note the clamp.

I did and at first glance it seems it could work with Revox linear trackers. Have you made it yourself or is it off the shelf?

 

[gene french]

Knowing how to use a lesser tool well, is better than using a better tool poorly.

thats what she said ....

 

[Vintage 700b]

A look at:

Hi Mark,
That is a great video ! Beautiful set up, and great presentation.
The Double Ultona soundbox is a work of art, and yours looks original, unmolested in the video.
Gaskets and diaphragms are available, you definitely need a new stylus on the Edison side. These are available
from time to time complete, or can be retipped.
Great presentation.

 

[Lazarus Short]

I did and at first glance it seems it could work with Revox linear trackers. Have you made it yourself or is it off the shelf?

It's a Nagaoka RC-410, so it's off the shelf.

 

[borchee]

Thanks a lot.

 

[MarkWComer]

Hi Mark,
That is a great video ! Beautiful set up, and great presentation.
The Double Ultona soundbox is a work of art, and yours looks original, unmolested in the video.
Gaskets and diaphragms are available, you definitely need a new stylus on the Edison side. These are available
from time to time complete, or can be retipped.
Great presentation.

Progress since that video:
Found new mica diaphragms and gaskets, got the single Ultona free from the balance arm, found a usable stylus/needle bar. Tricky rebuild because of the two sides.

 

[NeverSatisfied]

HA! Someone who has worked on these!

Do you have a list of all the electrolytics used on the board- INSTEAD OF THE PIONEER PART NUMBERS? Frustrating- it will track a record only when it wants to, I hope it’s not the CdS cell. The coils do energize and moves the arm to the lead-in, but tracking is a crap shoot.

Any advice? Thought I’d start with the caps first…

Sorry for late response, I am back on shift right now.
I do not have a list, although Glen has been working on putting one together.
My advise would be to download the manual and go through the test procedures for the tracking adjustment, you will need a scope and meter and will need to make a set of extension cables so that you can run the controls with the plinth removed from the base. The manual tells you where the test points are and what voltages and timing should be. There are 6 variable resistors than can be adjusted. I have not seen one with a failed Cds cell but am pretty sure the only replacement would have to come from a donor machine and getting at it is very difficult ( it’s buried in the base of the arm sled).
Of the 6 that I own, only one had an electrical issue and needed adjustments, the others only needed mechanical restoration.

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Here I can start it off
Pioneer pl l1000
this is same unit as a Phase Linear 8000 made by Pioneer
This one was built in 1980 and it was the Pinical machine for Pioneer

my Signet is currently on this unit View attachment 72019 View attachment 72020 View attachment 72021 View attachment 72022

Glen, why do you say this is Pioneer's Pinnacle TT??? Just curious. I've never had a Pioneer TT before (that I can remember).

 

[grapplesaw]

Glen, why do you say this is Pioneer's Pinnacle TT??? Just curious. I've never had a Pioneer TT before (that I can remember).

Perry
Here is my take on it
These linear trackers were developed in the late 70’s just prior to CD’s
Pioneer spent a fortune on R&D on this TT. It out preformed any of their (Pioneer) TT’s from before or after Its release

turntables really did not evolve much after 1980 for the larger Japanese manufacturers. Sure the exotic few carried on with new fantastic offerings but The Japs started simplifying and making cheaper units as CD market grew.

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Perry
Here is my take on it
These linear trackers were developed in the late 70’s just prior to CD’s
Pioneer spent a fortune on R&D on this TT. It out preformed any of their (Pioneer) TT’s from before or after Its release

turntables really did not evolve much after 1980 for the larger Japanese manufacturers. Sure the exotic few carried on with new fantastic offerings but The Japs started simplifying and making cheaper units as CD market grew.

So the specs were tops compared to all other Pioneer TT's? That's what I wanted to know.

 

[grapplesaw]

So the Pioneer pl l1000 was sold only in Europe and Asia. Since Pioneer had bought Phase Linear it wanted this top of the line turntable sold in North America under this brand and called the Phase Linear 8000. Both the Pioneer Pl l1000 and Phase Linear 8000 upgraded to the “A“ version . It has some sales gimmic but the thing I see is the motor assembly had been down grade to use a cheaper and lighter unit found in the Pioneer pl 8000 and pl 500. as pictured. This supports my feeling 1980 was the top for Pioneer tables.

some also stated their differences as follows
The later PL-L1000A had a carbon fibre arm and was sold in the U.S.A. under the Phase Linear model 8000A.
In actual fact there are some four distinctly differing versions of this turntable. The original Pioneer PL-L1000 which is black, and the nearly-identical Phase Linear 8000 Series 2 which is silver. The next generation was the black Pioneer PL-L1000A and the nearly-identical silver Phase Linear 8000A. There are several differences between the original and next-generation 'A' models. The original 1000/8000 models had a 'jog dial' which you spun around either left or right to cue the tonearm above the record. The later 1000A/8000A models have a rocker-type switch that you press to the left or right to cue the tonearm. The motor and platter assemblies are a bit different between the 2 models also. The original versions had a heavier-looking motor assembly and larger main circuit board, which look smaller and a bit cheaper in the 1000A/8000A models, although they are supposed to perform to the same specs.
Pioneer did not offer the PL-L1000 for sale in the US so most of the PL-L1000's that have shown up in the U.S.A. were brought back by servicemen stationed overseas."


here is a review and note what the summary has to say
to







here is the more robust motor

here is the light weight a motor as used in othe models

 

[borchee]

...Here's an opportunity for members to show off their linear-tracking turntables...

OK...my English isn't good enough to discern between singular/plural regarding member(s) and/or our/mine number of linear TTs...and Slovenian has dual also - so, plural means three, not two, or more to me...hence, Show off I get...I believe.



Edit: Revox B790