My 21 y.o daughter wants a turntable. She SAYS she would like a vintage turntable. Besides FleaBay, where would you look? I think she will do best with one that has dependability>advanced features. In other words, she's not a fiddler, not mechanically minded. Thats why I wonder if a vintage item may not be the best, but I have no idea how troublesome/trouble free these things are. She wants to spend moderate dough, maybe $200-300. Thanks!
Technics SL-1200 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SL-1200 If you want to see a vote of confidence, check this out and please note, if buying used, do not buy from a DJ http://www.arar93.dsl.pipex.com/mds975/Content/vinyl01.html
You might try and find a Rega that is already set up and running well...that will probably put her over the top on her budget, but Rega are pretty dang nice tables... I have a P2 with a 300 arm and an Exact cartridge. Nice set up, but you can do nearly as well for several $100 less... Might be worth looking you never know if you are going to get lucky. You might check www.audiogon.com as well... James
My daughter was thrilled to find that her Dad had saved his Technics SL1200 with Stanton 681EEE cartridge (purchased in late 1976) and that it was still in perfect working order when she discovered vinyl records last year.
Vintage table, audiogon for shure. The Technics, if memory serves, is a Direct Drive, which fell out of favor by the time disco ended- yeah, good if you are a DJ, but for hi-fi, belt drive was the dominant force before and after. (Yes, there are some pretty serious DD turntables, even today, but I wouldn't include any of them in the bargain category). My favorite, in terms of pure performance, although you'll have to get somebody who knows what they are doing set it up for her is a Well-Tempered TT (not the 'Record Player') with the Well-Tempered arm. It should be available in her price range used. (Bill Firebaugh, who designed it, along with Andy Payor, who then got involved in the ridiculously expensive Rockport TTs, was going to come out with a new table, under a new brand name, for cheap, but I don't know if he has done so). The vintage mavens today are going back to 'rim drive,' and using old Thorens 124 or Garrards (not the plastic crap from the seventies, but the heavy duty stuff from the 50's). Those fetch collector money though, and you still need to come up with a tone arm. Rega is fine for moderately priced TT; but, given the depreciation on these things, she should be able to get something even better, used, for her dollar. And, perhaps from dealer who might stand behind it. I'll do a couple searches on A-Gon and see if there is anything worthwhile. And, check to see if Firebaugh released that el-cheapo table. Nothing on the 'Gon that jumped out at me; i also looked at the basic VPI tables, used, and a few others, but pricing seems to be pre-financial crisis. The few bargains looked like they got snatched up. My favorite 'budget' table new (although you could keep an eye out for a used one) is the Kuzma Stabi S. It is not only a remarkably clever piece of design, but sounds great, and is easy to set up and run. You might search for it on the web to see what I mean, but it is out of her price range. And, while a saw a show write-up about Firebaugh's latest (using a golf ball as an arm-bearing- the guy is quite ingenious), I don't think it has reached the market. He is distributed by Stanalog, outside of Albany NY. If you contact them, use my name. George, the owner, has known me for two lifetimes.
Some of those old Denons were good. I had one with a Dynavector cartridge. Luxman made another good midgrade table back then IIRC.
blast back to the past, anyone here remember 'AR' turntables? Acoustic Research...these used to be a staple for Hi-Fi fans who wanted a bare bones top notch belt drive turntable.
Phillips 212 or 312. Belt driven, easy to use and adjust. My son who discovered my vinyl collection at age 13 has been using my 312 turntable and stereo for some time now with great results. Might be time for a new stylus though. DM
Very decent bare bones tables. So decent that you probably won't find a functioning one on the market in the $200-$300 range. Another one that was similar in quality was the Sonographe by Conrad Johnson. Still wondering where WHART is gonna find anything made by Well Tempered in that range, but perhaps he knows a secret stash?
My 'stash' is not working right now. I reached out to George Stanwick, who is the Well-Tempered distributor in the U.S. and have not been able to reach him. Hoping he might have an orphan table somewhere in his closet. I actually have an old WTT TT w/arm that has upgraded motor, platter, arm clamp and arm rest, etc. Used to run a Lyra Parnassus in it. It is now collecting dust on a shelf, but not sure I'd be willing to get rid of it for a few measly dollars. The old AR tables were the starting point for alot of us, and were susceptible to tweaking. The stock arm was pretty cludgy. And, of course, that design was a precursor to the more refined, and more finicky Linn product, which dominated the burgeoning 'hi-end' market in the mid-seventies through the eighties, until tables like the VPI TNT made the scene.
For a new one, pick a color: http://store.acousticsounds.com/browse_detail.cfm?Title_ID=49793 For vinitage, look for a belt driven table. Happy hunting: http://www.audiogon.com/
Here was one example on the 'Gon- got sold the day it listed. Hi funk value, could be made to sound pretty good if it is all there. Was state of the art in the 1970's, before Linn: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1236380779
Mine still works just fine all these years later. With an Ortofon moving coil and matching head amp sounds v. good too. The wood veneer is cracking a bit though.
+1 for the Technics SL1200. They've been club, mobile DJ, and radio station staples since I started DJing 20 years ago- and longer than that, based on the previous post from the guy that had his from 1976! Plus, they're like the Rolex Submariner of turntables- classic design, few updates, solid as a rock (but not as good as some of the other higher end stuff out there, if you want to further the watch analogy...) In her price range, too. If you're going to get a vintage turntable, why not get an iconic one that you might see on TV, in a movie, or in a club sometime? Gio P
Really depends on what your daughter wants to do with the turntable. if she wants to use it to listen to 45's for mixing (read: DJ) - then the direct drive technics and a few others are good. However, for critical listening you do want to stay away from the technics. As its geared toward DJ work - it's tonearm (and associated cartridges) can wear a record a lot more than the critical turn tables. Right now, if you want to do DJ work - then the technics (mark whatever) are all good. For critical listening, definitely get a used one. All the new turntables are usually in the megabuck range. Some will make a Ferrari major service seem cheap. . .
If you really want a turntable, check this one out. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/16/ces.luxury.turntable/index.html The parts are built in the same factory that forges Ferrari parts.
Get her to check fleabay for a Thorens TD-160...you should be able to pick one up easily for those bucks (PS a little rumbly but aren't all the average decks
Very VERY nice. Must say I'm partial to the Walker Audio Proscenium 'tables myself though - sure wish I had the scratch for such a thing...
