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Re: The Lencos also have the best speed contol adjustment...

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melomane

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In Reply to: The Lencos also have the best speed contol adjustment... posted by Bung on February 1, 2005 at 08:16:34:

Does this mean I have to look up a big Garrard after I fix up my Rek-o-Kut Rondine?! Damn!

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Re: The Lencos also have the best speed contol adjustment... - orthophonic 15:07:16 02/10/05 (9)
No you don't, I have both and the Rondine deluxe is superior.
- If I were looking today, I would try and find a Rodine deluxe... - Bung 23:52:21 02/10/05 (5)
  They are great sounding tables. I would swich out the arm for an SME. The Rec-O-Cut arms were a little out dated for lightweight stereo cartridges.
  I have the Garrard for the best reason of all, I found it cheap.
  - We could have a "how cheap did you get your Garrard" competition. - Mark Kelly 00:23:50 02/11/05 (4)
    I got a grease bearing 301 for $AUD60 (about $USD45) plus a swap of an old solid state amp that I didn't want and a case of wine (part of my wine allowance) so the actual cost to me was just the $60.
    - Re: We could have a "how cheap did you get your Garrard" competition. - melomane 05:17:06 02/11/05 (3)
      I got my Lencos for the same reason, and people are trying it for similar reasons, and if I ever find a Garrard 301 or 401 going for a similar price, you bet I'll jump on it. I got the Rek-o-Kut via a series of trades. I discovered idler-wheel drives via the humble Garrard SP25, which I picked up all-unknowing at a flea market in Helsinki. It wasn't functional so I opened it up to be confronted by the most bizarre assemblage of gears and springs I had ever seen: I had never even heard of an idler-wheel drive, this occuring before the internet. I simply trew out everything that wasn't directly connected to the drive system, thus accidentally modding it, hooked up a decent MM cartridge, and was utterly blown away by the speed and dynamics! I was converted on the spot, as I knew this was a superior system to my Maplenoll and Audiomeca 'tables. I tried like Hell to find a Garrard, and eventually stumbled on a Lenco and decided to rebuild that one into a plinth instead, and mounted a Rega on it. A true Aristocrat of a 'table, refined, powerful, iron fist in velvet glove.
      - Re: We could have a "how cheap did you get your Garrard" competition. - orthophonic 11:32:38 02/11/05 (2)
        
        In Reply to: Re: We could have a "how cheap did you get your Garrard" competition. posted by melomane on February 11, 2005 at 05:17:06:
        
        Got my 301 for one dollar at the Salvation Army As -is annex about
        20 years ago.
        
        Re: We could have a "how cheap did you get your Garrard" competition. - melomane 07:59:03 02/12/05 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: We could have a "how cheap did you get your Garrard" competition. posted by orthophonic on February 11, 2005 at 11:32:38:
        
        Don't forget inflation, that dollar is about $3 today. I'll work on beating that, and opening up my peppercorn jar. Garage sale season coming!
        
        You Win! - Mark Kelly 17:23:13 02/11/05 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: We could have a "how cheap did you get your Garrard" competition. posted by orthophonic on February 11, 2005 at 11:32:38:
        
        Unless soemone else got it for a peppercorn. Free doesn't count.
- Re: The Lencos also have the best speed contol adjustment... - melomane 16:00:00 02/10/05 (2)
  Uh-oh, now the Idler-wheel Brotherhood will divide into factions. The Lencos blow me away, haven't tried the Garrard yet (too expensive, waiting to luck out) and will be trying the Rek-o-Kut soon, just found the coolest Art Deco Ortofon tonearm to go with it (ESL), heavy, but with superb bearings. Building an Art Deco plinth to match that beautiful Rondine styling. If you haven't guessed, I'm a sucker for Art Deco, love the facetted pilot light!
  - Re: The Lencos also have the best speed contol adjustment... - Tightwad 23:23:14 02/10/05 (1)
    I am very curious what you make of the Rek-O-Kut when you get it up and running.
    Am still very stoked with my Russco, which is a very similar beast AFAIK.
    - Re: The Lencos also have the best speed contol adjustment... - melomane 05:30:47 02/11/05 (0)
      Oh yeah, I forgot about the Russco! More and more people are definitely getting into the idler-wheel swing! I've also found various other big idler-wheel drives up here in the Frozen North, but with all these experiments on my bench have to stop buying for now. Keep your own eyes out for a Lenco, as they continue to sell for quite good prices, especially at garage sales, which will begin in a couple of months. I my experience, ALL idler-wheel drives (I've actually at least restored probably twenty, including various Garrards, Duals and Elacs), have a temendous sense of swing, dynamics and powerful bass, even the humble Garrard SP25s (try one someday, just mod it and mount a cheap MM, it's fun and these can usually be had for $5 to $20), so the experiment to verify the idler-wheel principle has already been done. One of my favourite projects was the rebuilding of the idler-wheel Garrard Zero-100, a beautiful white lacqer and brass creation with a parallel-tracking pivotted tonearm! A lot of fun, and this 'table was quite good: since the platter doesn't weigh much, the main bearing is usually in quite good shape, as this type of bearing (sleeve-over-post riding on small ball-bearings) is usually knackered by heavy platters and lack of lubrication. It's quite a big one compared with the recod-changers, and the motor was Garrard's latest development, superb. A friend into acid jazz bought it and was ecstatic. I've been looking for one ever since.

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