VPI: The Traveler

[Fairchild]

Any of you guys ever experimented with vintage industrial type turntables? I have always had a desire to build on a Rek O kut K-33 type belt driven table and an SME tonearm. Any experience here and any observations?
I like the large oil well mainshaft concept with the single ball bearing at the bottom of the well. Seem very well designed.
I like my Technics SL-1200 Mk2 fine but it is a lightweight compared to the Rek.

An oportunity to show my TT again!

Here is a link to Sound-Thnking when I put her together.

http://www.sound-thinking.org/index.php?showtopic=1603&hl=fairchild

From the bottom.

Sub platter

As she sits now, old rack though.

Jim

 

[Fairchild]

I also have this one I bought to have around for parts.

Jim

 

[Pure_Brew]

Much love! Thanks for the drool time.

 

[Gepetto]

Loving the Fairchild. SME and Empire Arms?? Now that is a workhorse of a turntable.

 

[Gepetto]

Yes, that kind Lee. Rek O Kut was one of the few companies that went all the way to the record lathes in terms of product depth. I like those 14+ pound platters

 

[Fairchild]

Yes, that kind Lee. Rek O Kut was one of the few companies that went all the way to the record lathes in terms of product depth. I like those 14+ pound platters

That is a Fairchiold arm. I have collected some pictures of Fairchild Transcripers as well as lathes. If iterests I can put them in a different thread.

Jim

 

[laatsch55]

Hell, put em here!!

 

[Fast Forward]

I don't know enough to have a strong opinion either way about any of it. That Yammy above looks awesome!

My Technics SL-23 plays records well, with the AT440mla. I dont like that I can't move the arm up and down, and I dare say that there might be a subtle twist to the tonearm, when i look straight at the cart front as it rests on the Record.

I do like the detachable headshells though.

I've been aggrivated by the low end projects, and the plastic sub platter I have seen warped. Same on Rega, MH and others. That's really a pain in the ass when most records are not 100% flat to begin with. Yet, this old '76 Technics spins perfectly fine. Not sure how I feel about the suspended anti skate either or if I should care.

MC carts will definitely change things too. The Bellari won't work on its own but with thier step-up xfmr then maybe.

Denon ,,,Marantz,,Yammie,,, Technics,,,Don,t know if there is a looser in the Bunch,,,Headshells Connectors,,Cartridges,,Turntable Mats,,Isolation Absorbtion,,It never stops,,,Do you Build the TT around a Cartridge or around the TT ,,for me it was the TT Once I was Happy with The Yammie and The Mini mods done to it I knew I had a solid base to build on ,,Haven,t felt the need to do any changes since

 

[Gepetto]

Thanks Jim, I love the heavy duty gear...
I collect old "Arn" US made woodworking tools from back in the late 40s when things were really built.

 

[laatsch55]

90 % of our machine tools were built between 1939-1945.

 

[Gepetto]

American Iron...

 

[Rex Everything]

Any of you guys ever experimented with vintage industrial type turntables? I have always had a desire to build on a Rek O kut K-33 type belt driven table and an SME tonearm. Any experience here and any observations?
I like the large oil well mainshaft concept with the single ball bearing at the bottom of the well. Seem very well designed.
I like my Technics SL-1200 Mk2 fine but it is a lightweight compared to the Rek.

An oportunity to show my TT again!

Here is a link to Sound-Thnking when I put her together.

http://www.sound-thinking.org/index.php?showtopic=1603&hl=fairchild

From the bottom.

Sub platter

As she sits now, old rack though.

Jim

Very Nice!

 

[speakerman1]

Different cleaner apparatus.

http://www.sumikoaudio.net/okki_nokki/idx_products.htm

Larry

 

[Pure_Brew]

OOOOo I've seen this.. are you a dealer?

 

[speakerman1]

Nope. LOL

Larry

 

[Pure_Brew]

Tax return time coming. Debating on what to pull the trigger on. Since this post I got a SL-1800 for $25 in pretty good shape. Doesn't seem common? Direct drive/suspended sub chassis? I think the springs need to be adjusted, seems loosey-goosey. Skips just walking by but the flooring and this whole house is very rickety/shakey.

Been gawking at Thorens. Vinyl Nirvana is down the road from me.
Still, it is nice to have the speed stability that this technics seems to have, and I have a good bunch of piano if you know what I mean...

The basic starter tables look like they can be bettered by this old SL-1800. Seems like a new table, with a decent arm, platter, subplatter & motor is hitting the $1500 range. A Rega RP3, which has their better motor, RB303 arm and glass platter hits $900 + add in a groovtracer subplatter for $250 = $1150. Even still, that's speed control may not even be on par with my $25 Technics?!?!

Hmm. Makes the serviced Thorens TD160 with a Rega (moth) RB301 arm look like a bit of a better deal at $795. But I just looked and its SOLD. Someone else must have thought so too.

So I still dunno. It looks like the general consensus here is that, for the money, used is the best deal/way to go. I can't completely disagree, especially after owning this technics and having bought a project 1.2 AND debut III NEW. The Technics is so much better then those.