Micro Seiki DQX-500 Turntable resto-mod

NeverSatisfied

Chief Journeyman
Joined
Nov 3, 2021
Messages
915
Location
Houston Texas
Tagline
Play the Game, don’t be the Game
#1
So I bought this TT off the Bay and it was in rough shape and would not hold speed. I cleaned up the bearing and now mechanically it is good and locks both speeds. The arm (MA-707) is also rough and the head shell was broken, it was also missing the sliding weight to adjust for different compliance carts.
My original thought was to get it running, clean it up a little and then pass it along but after working on it, I decided to do a resto-mod with the end goal of adding a second arm, the Black Widow I got from Lee.
I am still on the fence as to whether this is a worthwhile endeavor but we will see.
In the meantime I found another MA-707 arm in excellent shape, so now I have to decide if I want to have two 707’s or, one 707 or one 707 and the BW…..decisions, decisions.
To start the cosmetic part of this, one main issue was the platter was badly corroded. So I stripped it and started playing with an idea I have had for awhile, jeweling the platter. It is tedious work but kind of fun and so far I have had mixed results. The first time I did it, I did not prepare the surface, meaning it was just dark etched from removing the paint and anodizing, I did not like the results at all. So I sanded it down and created a nice brushed surface by starting with 220grt and working up to 1200grt. This looked really good just by itself, so I only added one row of jewels, I like this result much better and might just stop here, haven’t fully decided yet.
The next part is repainting the plinth, which is relatively easy, then to figure out how to add a second arm board. This is going to be the really hard part and require some out of the box ideas.
I will update as I move forward. 52167D64-CA91-4114-BD0A-D44BEDBFF367.jpeg 298A7DCE-76F8-4DA6-AB73-77FFE6F6B676.jpeg 18725F89-7412-4507-AD28-4E50DFCA74A3.jpeg
 

NeverSatisfied

Chief Journeyman
Joined
Nov 3, 2021
Messages
915
Location
Houston Texas
Tagline
Play the Game, don’t be the Game
#8
But then got some parts in for yet another PL 8000, so decided to get this one going while the paint dries on the Micro.
PL needed the usual, rubber isolators and the lifting motor belt, that was all she needed. Very clean unit, a little elbow grease and a new cart, she was up and singing. It came with a Shure 15 IV but there was something wrong with it and I could not get it to track at the proper stylist force, swapped it out for a Shure M55E and…..wow I really like this cart. 64F889DA-877A-4A3F-BDE9-BAFDA89B176B.jpeg 1C228F3E-A812-4FB8-8C92-8CD234DB2329.jpeg 7185CBF5-A794-40B7-8208-84106AD54641.jpeg
 
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
482
Location
near Liverpool, NY
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Lifelong student / listening = bliss
#11
Wow. Great projects! Great photos - every single one!

And that's the first time I've ever seen a Phase Linear 8000 TT with sharp, 'you are there' action photos!

Well played, NeverSatisfied!

(insert golf clap here. :0)
 

NeverSatisfied

Chief Journeyman
Joined
Nov 3, 2021
Messages
915
Location
Houston Texas
Tagline
Play the Game, don’t be the Game
#19
Spence....I think we need to discuss this obsession you have with needle files.....
Well….actually that’s not all of them. My grandfather was among many other things a watch maker and my farther did it also as a hobby. Many of those files are over a hundred years old. I keep the really old ones put up.
 
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