tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26344595942071385462024-02-07T21:06:40.406-06:00Pivot to Spindle| ˈpivət to͞o ˈspindl | adjective (phrase) <p>
The distance from the center of the platter spindle to the vertical axis point of the <p>
tonearm. Or the effective length of the tonearm minus the optimal stylus overhang. <p>
Pivot to spindle distance or effective length are used to calculate optimized tonearm <p>
alignment geometry.</p></p></p></p>Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-24162799025831304772012-07-12T22:59:00.002-05:002012-07-12T23:35:03.384-05:00Tools and TipsStatic and poor tracking are probably the two worst enemies of an enjoyable vinyl listening experience. I have found that with proper cartridge and arm setup, and some trial and error where record mats, cleaners, and weights are concerned, these issues can be pretty much eliminated.<br />
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For cartridge setup I use the Feickert Universal Protractor. In my opinion it's one of the best tools available for this purpose. I use it for alignment, and for getting a precise pivot to spindle measurement when mounting a tonearm.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An excellent alignment tool from Dr. Feickert Analogue</td></tr>
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Contact between the record and platter is also extremely important. Often an acrylic or properly finished MDF platter can be enough to ensure solid contact with little slip or static. If you happen to have one of the millions of metal platter turntables out there, you will most likely need a platter mat. It often becomes necessary to include a record clamp or weight as well just to ensure perfect contact and eliminate slip.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3m1sdz8GecPBY_pFGDLfWuc0HU8Dk4h7seM_oDa6ElKCeqSlEPxOwEexfcwCuXmUzMNiCTw2HH73pGgDhMmKTL17pcIa0fi1k26pT7iBJN-uMxrcYDkC8_hQY6t6hzW2k_DiQ8dlv-aI/s1600/photo3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3m1sdz8GecPBY_pFGDLfWuc0HU8Dk4h7seM_oDa6ElKCeqSlEPxOwEexfcwCuXmUzMNiCTw2HH73pGgDhMmKTL17pcIa0fi1k26pT7iBJN-uMxrcYDkC8_hQY6t6hzW2k_DiQ8dlv-aI/s320/photo3.JPG" width="303" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I have experimented with felt, rubber, cork, acrylic, and foam rubber mats. For my custom Thorens TD 316, I have found that the cork <a href="http://www.musichallaudio.com/detail.php?p=83" target="_blank">Music Hall Mat</a> is the best fit. It has eliminated my need for a weight, which has the added benefit of relieving stress on the belt drive.</span></div>
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Another major factor in a pleasing analog experience is dust and static reduction. A properly grounded turntable and arm go a long way to eliminating static. If you're having excessive noise issues, it's a good idea to check this out thoroughly. Cleanliness is also key. I use the <a href="http://www.spincleanrecordwasher.com/" target="_blank">Spin Clean</a> manual Record Washer II for vintage records before they ever get a spin, and then I use the <a href="http://www.gruvglide.com/HOME.html" target="_blank">Gruv Glide</a> system to maintain cleanliness and discourage static. I also use <a href="http://www.lastfactory.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=11&category_id=4&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1" target="_blank">Last Sylus Cleaner</a> and brush to keep my stylus clean which can help reduce wear on the record and the stylus, and provide an improved audio signal.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is an easy to use solution and makes a huge difference.</td></tr>
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Finally, picking a cartridge that is a good match for your tonearm is always paramount to quality playback. There are lots of low to mid level players that have tonearms that match a broad range of cartridges, but as you move up into audiophile-quality components, proper pairing becomes more and more important. I won't go into great detail here, but in general there is a range of effective mass in tonearms from light to heavy, and a range of compliance in cartridges from high to low. In theory a perfect match will be one of the following:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> Cartridge Compliance Effective Mass</span></div>
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High Light</div>
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Medium Medium</div>
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Low Heavy</div>
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That's a bit oversimplified, and it suffices to say that most gear ranging from quality entry level (not the cheap department store gear) to low end audiophile-quality gear will be closer to medium compliance and mass, so your choice will depend largely on your taste, or what sounds best on your system. If you're buying really cheap gear, then there's not much you can do, and if you're a serious audiophile, then your purchase decisions warrant the effort to research and then audition each item to make sure you're getting it right.</div>
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My combination of choice is the <a href="http://www.dynavector.com/products/cart/e_20x2.html" target="_blank">Dynavector DV-20X</a> high output moving coil cartridge, mounted on an <a href="http://www.tonearm.co.uk/onyx-tonearm.htm" target="_blank">Origin Live Onyx</a> arm. These both fall in the lower end of what would be conside<span style="background-color: white;">red audiophile gear, and the combination is one I worked out over a year of research, including a few rounds of trial and error. Together they provide a lively, full range sound, without excessive coloration of the tone, and excellent tracking ability which means no skips, and minimal distortion.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-90445601547294239982012-07-12T20:42:00.001-05:002012-07-12T20:48:39.270-05:00D-Mag Full TextThis is a redundancy I know, but you should be able to read the text in this full res version of the article.<br />
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<br />Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-89864609000926630522012-06-23T19:28:00.002-05:002012-06-23T19:28:38.192-05:00D Magazine!Awesome writeup in D Magazine and my new website finally launched - <a href="http://www.clineanalog.com/">www.clineanalog.com</a><br />
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Thanks to everyone at <a href="http://www.dmagazine.com/">D Magazine</a> - especially Zac Crain for the great write up, and Elizabeth Lavin for encouraging me to follow through on this. Thanks to Tamber, Julia, and Steve for supporting me by commissioning the zebra wood turntable. And finally, <a href="http://www.seanbadger.com/home.html">Sean Badger</a> for the headshot - Thanks Bro!<br />
<br />Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-30707010593896890382012-05-19T17:21:00.002-05:002012-05-19T17:21:41.922-05:00Updates on new buildsI mentioned last time that I was starting a couple of new turntables. This is an update on those, and an exciting new design that I've been working on.<br />
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The AR-XB rebuild using Brazilian Cherry is nearly complete, and would have been finished a week ago, but I discovered upon re-assembly that the motor was pretty much shot. The new motor came in the mail today so the AR will be officially completed this weekend! Below are a couple of quick snapshots showing how it turned out - professional photos to come as soon as I replace the motor, polish the edge of the platter, and add some feet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwOm7ctgesO8WENZ2nQQ4JCgpjcu8K2-L9jjoRM7ZOCN1S8N9zBpYnS7SNWHjhXpkbH4Udti1QpQYuhg5HuEp9coghjKQg033E7LSQp37hbb_6tcg3KpNNZHQoVS5US_zYaPIITxmUTo/s1600/Cherry+AR-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwOm7ctgesO8WENZ2nQQ4JCgpjcu8K2-L9jjoRM7ZOCN1S8N9zBpYnS7SNWHjhXpkbH4Udti1QpQYuhg5HuEp9coghjKQg033E7LSQp37hbb_6tcg3KpNNZHQoVS5US_zYaPIITxmUTo/s400/Cherry+AR-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tonearm from AR (made by Jelco) and a classic Shure M91 ED cartridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKXBzu9wb8DS9srEpsZaVs1_e2nyoZIV22VrHLLLGzyqUvGTM1dysXOfBklOEeYfISL-monxBvazfDyHNSJEN48gSHvQRrkDnouo8MKmaSNP4nuSPSVFa9pcmbtWcS4l1_6jhf6j_lWc/s1600/Cherry+AR-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKXBzu9wb8DS9srEpsZaVs1_e2nyoZIV22VrHLLLGzyqUvGTM1dysXOfBklOEeYfISL-monxBvazfDyHNSJEN48gSHvQRrkDnouo8MKmaSNP4nuSPSVFa9pcmbtWcS4l1_6jhf6j_lWc/s400/Cherry+AR-7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acrylic platter mat by IsoKinetik of Great Britain. <a href="http://www.isokinetik.co.uk/">www.isokinetik.co.uk</a></td></tr>
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The maple slab turntable that was mentioned in the previous post has been officially shelved while I complete my first build of this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFALiL612VcsEfLaydom_JcFm69CBFVSU-baV2rulCgpoLS8gdll7_rEVm2FAwzhjwhS5EpMFyPEeJJ4dXMBP7X-TZaLjZz9eWxZYwzGSbVMrudKDpxMKa2mdtznZ867WOAthqVxpmcc/s1600/Rega+Hybrid+Design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFALiL612VcsEfLaydom_JcFm69CBFVSU-baV2rulCgpoLS8gdll7_rEVm2FAwzhjwhS5EpMFyPEeJJ4dXMBP7X-TZaLjZz9eWxZYwzGSbVMrudKDpxMKa2mdtznZ867WOAthqVxpmcc/s400/Rega+Hybrid+Design.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top view and 3d view rendered in Photoshop. The final product will have a sorbothane<br />dampening layer between the base and platter support along with a clear acrylic platter.</td></tr>
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<br />This is just an initial rendering. I am currently working on a Northwestern myrtle wood base piece, and the platter support and arm board will be made from a beautiful maple burl that I found. The maple will be revealed through the clear platter when the turntable is not in use.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This myrtle wood makes a very solid, dense foundation for the turntable, and looks good at the same time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhEWHe9RlrciDg7YnvJL5nnu72KtWGXPtHSksjR6X4jMk8bHSOTuFgvXWx6fLk9T8gldKCFPeY5eNVqYKZ6gebGnvHTr4lHFNaPaycq0W3BrDDfhIW_D2WIhyphenhyphen9p8_ecx9BXXKoxgMAkg/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-05-19+at+4.46.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhEWHe9RlrciDg7YnvJL5nnu72KtWGXPtHSksjR6X4jMk8bHSOTuFgvXWx6fLk9T8gldKCFPeY5eNVqYKZ6gebGnvHTr4lHFNaPaycq0W3BrDDfhIW_D2WIhyphenhyphen9p8_ecx9BXXKoxgMAkg/s640/Screen+shot+2012-05-19+at+4.46.42+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An amazing book-matched 16" x 25" maple burl that leaves me plenty of material to cut out the 12" circle for the platter support and use another 5" circle for the arm board. The platter bearing will rest at the center of the star pattern.</td></tr>
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</div>Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-68506170504479830702012-04-25T22:53:00.000-05:002012-04-25T22:53:30.362-05:00Two new turntable builds in progress!I'm excited to announce that I've have begun two new turntable builds. One is an Acoustic Research (AR) XB which will be given an updated arm, Brazilian cherry frame, a few minor tweaks, and a lot of cleaning. The other will be a combination of Thorens motor and platter, a custom after-market tonearm, and a nice flamed maple slab I ran across recently.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q4afwGA7WkyEdRF0l8YgBTYJ950q5p1P8QnsikH2i67frjr2WYuPAH_ydITcFDGyjucas5jwalbva2vdmJaOwNMTcw2NgPf1jiKfElQscFEskqKiM9IeL3KKWdElQoJxCnf61X-RfHE/s1600/Cherry+AR+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q4afwGA7WkyEdRF0l8YgBTYJ950q5p1P8QnsikH2i67frjr2WYuPAH_ydITcFDGyjucas5jwalbva2vdmJaOwNMTcw2NgPf1jiKfElQscFEskqKiM9IeL3KKWdElQoJxCnf61X-RfHE/s400/Cherry+AR+1" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The XB was in pretty bad shape when I got ahold of it. I have removed all<br />of the mechanical and electrical parts and will be thoroughly cleaning<br />everything before putting it back together.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnoQk4QqSu2ta4p9mE9yEcESdVZxVEuZoK5Lv1yJvzweEcPNP7jxuC4Lm8V7E3SvKzVZqmA-EVYLCAdS-QA2CNKnxC9YPyilvj74gJoON3YPz1tmpMRt4V4NQ9DehoBs4tW8IW5QxvjQ/s1600/Cherry+AR+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnoQk4QqSu2ta4p9mE9yEcESdVZxVEuZoK5Lv1yJvzweEcPNP7jxuC4Lm8V7E3SvKzVZqmA-EVYLCAdS-QA2CNKnxC9YPyilvj74gJoON3YPz1tmpMRt4V4NQ9DehoBs4tW8IW5QxvjQ/s400/Cherry+AR+2" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This image gives a good view of how the XB was originally constructed<br />from particle board and cheap laminate. The Brazilian cherry wood will<br />be a welcome improvement.</td></tr>
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<br />
The AR XB has a three point suspended sub-chassis which I will be modifying to ride on sorbothane bushings instead of the metal springs. It will no longer be adjustable, but will retain all of the original vibration dampening and isolation properties. The weakness of the original XB is that over time the springs wore out and caused the suspension to sag creating an overall "mushy" experience. The original tonearm is being replaced by a much newer AR tonearm from one of their "The Turntable" models.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK9dmH_F7MxzYR54jiVKjb_UcsBUSuv0WRB3GVWbM0ZzW04T-hvaxo6uBnJ5b235cfXbfTJgVb3LzpZBbMAZ8SCTPbb92ZBKnwiKMbaIl_1MoC06xfVEIPS9976LH_Mr489hZ04zXq2c/s1600/Cherry+AR+4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK9dmH_F7MxzYR54jiVKjb_UcsBUSuv0WRB3GVWbM0ZzW04T-hvaxo6uBnJ5b235cfXbfTJgVb3LzpZBbMAZ8SCTPbb92ZBKnwiKMbaIl_1MoC06xfVEIPS9976LH_Mr489hZ04zXq2c/s400/Cherry+AR+4" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm really impressed by this wood. Nice grain and color!<br />(It's been lightly coated with mineral spirits here to show<br />off what it can look like when finished.)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjNinzI2VuGYeAiPUsPGI5wQ2Q3ixESr4RJvb2K90eGA37MownFll3IvLqTTle0nY6x-sIZcO36iU2HqTyR67V9iNP1szsKOXJ-K5p6pg_vgKnzsVszvJWHQLb54cUlj9GyU10oJ8YCM/s1600/Cherry+AR+5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjNinzI2VuGYeAiPUsPGI5wQ2Q3ixESr4RJvb2K90eGA37MownFll3IvLqTTle0nY6x-sIZcO36iU2HqTyR67V9iNP1szsKOXJ-K5p6pg_vgKnzsVszvJWHQLb54cUlj9GyU10oJ8YCM/s400/Cherry+AR+5" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Initial frame cutting done. It looks better already.</td></tr>
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<br />The other turntable is a fully custom build that will be very similar to the Thorens TD-316 that I rebuilt last year and use daily. It will retain the electrical system, motor, and platter from a Thorens TD-150, with custom isolation and dampening, and then be given an Acos Lustre GST-1 tonearm. <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwScK1WBj3fV7ofPjyfFfwAMWiiQAEuZdkWbYVZ3yltlFc2d2r0mXFc-ITqI3y6oh6jnCjQZmcIqV9_z8GjQtCJ9LHs2DWchDoMefMkg7m9bMlek6LKCn6glrWGRBLVexW43prcQzyS9M/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-25+at+9.52.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwScK1WBj3fV7ofPjyfFfwAMWiiQAEuZdkWbYVZ3yltlFc2d2r0mXFc-ITqI3y6oh6jnCjQZmcIqV9_z8GjQtCJ9LHs2DWchDoMefMkg7m9bMlek6LKCn6glrWGRBLVexW43prcQzyS9M/s320/Screen+shot+2012-04-25+at+9.52.47+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This flamed maple slab is 33"x15"x1" so I'll be able to select<br />the most attractive 13x16 portion of it for this turntable.</td></tr>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi95K4NhggGOK5YCs1PR2qhyT6jD8Qp8Q4Ig45hEONfb6z_xOKkgPWQhokRwuD31cgV1nX72YAsF5UzdwxgsCusyaZuMgbK996tm1wGz1kRWpdZg2IXvmqMKKdbRCWXMz29S_WV1dvno0/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-25+at+10.41.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi95K4NhggGOK5YCs1PR2qhyT6jD8Qp8Q4Ig45hEONfb6z_xOKkgPWQhokRwuD31cgV1nX72YAsF5UzdwxgsCusyaZuMgbK996tm1wGz1kRWpdZg2IXvmqMKKdbRCWXMz29S_WV1dvno0/s640/Screen+shot+2012-04-25+at+10.41.50+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closeup view of a section of the flamed effect that attracted me to this piece.</td></tr>
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<br />I've been waiting for an opportunity to use this arm in a build and am excited about the aesthetics and performance that it will bring to my new turntable.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5UqcoFoWP6jia7iNzOCqSZpIPEBELUA9F8uqBHffTic6FWHQHOmbZYYL3jq2lXceOi151Cdugq8j60FNygvBiEIZoohnzWxadE9U8z1fRPcZ8T03rhqHtl7zqFzbkW-wU7h75I2A50g/s1600/DSC_8672.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5UqcoFoWP6jia7iNzOCqSZpIPEBELUA9F8uqBHffTic6FWHQHOmbZYYL3jq2lXceOi151Cdugq8j60FNygvBiEIZoohnzWxadE9U8z1fRPcZ8T03rhqHtl7zqFzbkW-wU7h75I2A50g/s400/DSC_8672.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo and the one below are from Audio Andromeda. Check out their<br />blog. It features all kinds of interesting audio gear.<br /><a href="http://audio-andromeda.blogspot.com/2005/06/acos-lustre-gst-1.html">http://audio-andromeda.blogspot.com/2005/06/acos-lustre-gst-1.html</a></td></tr>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Gh-MSTigPr2yxgeQz9D-F0hFZR6EHRFx4kcK6f3bsJpZyZfkSU1NFAd10LdhMwhhzmM03i8-FoXxVMKyKbJu9sJooJlJ5d1Wg-Hw7xIXToJ4wYkvQ8zRhNiDDS2JR050DBzuJSRjRSo/s1600/DSC_8668.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Gh-MSTigPr2yxgeQz9D-F0hFZR6EHRFx4kcK6f3bsJpZyZfkSU1NFAd10LdhMwhhzmM03i8-FoXxVMKyKbJu9sJooJlJ5d1Wg-Hw7xIXToJ4wYkvQ8zRhNiDDS2JR050DBzuJSRjRSo/s400/DSC_8668.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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More to come as these two turntables progress.</div>
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</div>Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-69513078410725644442012-04-04T20:40:00.002-05:002012-04-04T20:49:42.298-05:00Austin Vintage Audio Phono Preamp<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39w2OHuIUXzHJaiCXChJZc4YKIUpSAuDLbw0aRZ3xL__v1muMPRDkyxjkYEtuxID18fXnVcBYYSETOlEaOJnlqYWq2SLbcR1Foc94YZmhvZHkvwm1343FbdxDz10Is3KcMAyYVaucXnE/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-04-04+at+8.02.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39w2OHuIUXzHJaiCXChJZc4YKIUpSAuDLbw0aRZ3xL__v1muMPRDkyxjkYEtuxID18fXnVcBYYSETOlEaOJnlqYWq2SLbcR1Foc94YZmhvZHkvwm1343FbdxDz10Is3KcMAyYVaucXnE/s320/Screen+shot+2012-04-04+at+8.02.25+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.austinvintageaudio.com/" style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">http://www.austinvintageaudio.com/</a></td></tr>
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I had been thinking for some time that the Dynaco PAS2 I was using - particularly the phono stage - was the weak link in my audio system. My setup includes the Maple Thorens TD-316 that I built last year, which has been upgraded to include an Origin Live Onyx tonearm with a Dynavector 20x (HOMC) cartridge. I had also improved the Dynaco by adding new, original circuit pcb's, upgraded i/o and selector switch, and an Alps Blue Velvet volume control. I then performed Curcio Audio's RIAA correction to the phono stage and bypassed the tone controls to clean up the signal, but I was just not satisfied. So I commissioned my buddy Andrew Draper of Austin Vintage Audio to build a new custom phono preamp for me. </div>
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He had already built my power amp based on an old RCA 6V6 console amp, and we talk about speakers and other components on a regular basis, so he was familiar enough with my system to be able to build just the right phono pre.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlsKkcFqTygn9gLrTZFM-YgDHewMLhjr9vNcGnlVxIs5XzUtl8c_o35kgbT8iGWi2kwd2UpVN9PsLHeSuKmp0AQpbXmLo-MKha-yeiEZUds4lTRFfvR4YPEDjwQhO0SON22S8UJsjwSQ/s1600/phonopre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlsKkcFqTygn9gLrTZFM-YgDHewMLhjr9vNcGnlVxIs5XzUtl8c_o35kgbT8iGWi2kwd2UpVN9PsLHeSuKmp0AQpbXmLo-MKha-yeiEZUds4lTRFfvR4YPEDjwQhO0SON22S8UJsjwSQ/s1600/phonopre.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"</span></span><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">This pre features (2) 6DJ8, (2) 12 AT7, and a 6by5 rectifier tubes. All stages are <br />actively loaded using current sources. A passive, feedback free RIAA filter fed </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">by a </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">cathode follower is used for equalization. </span><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">The power supply is tube rectified <br />and choke filtered. Output impedance is low enough to drive any power amp. <br />What does all this mean? Beautifully detailed, accurate, warm, non fatiguing <br />music from sweet vinyl records.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"</span></td></tr>
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I picked up the AVA Pre about 3 weeks ago and hooked it up between the Thorens and my amp and, after a good listening and break in period, I am immensely pleased with the richness and dynamics of what I hear. Finally I have a matched system that delivers the kind of musical listening experience that I have been searching for.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVO5YGaw90WLROmVafchGZAcra0_f1SqhrcQ4H0ROgT7jJjPX6qShNqX4haIvwrxlngrhlNhtV9xnG3aUvCsxeZ3Vc8dDnUgavs0Z9pSMOHfFYorfllLhfekz-abJmRCH2hGI47a_1u5I/s1600/internals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVO5YGaw90WLROmVafchGZAcra0_f1SqhrcQ4H0ROgT7jJjPX6qShNqX4haIvwrxlngrhlNhtV9xnG3aUvCsxeZ3Vc8dDnUgavs0Z9pSMOHfFYorfllLhfekz-abJmRCH2hGI47a_1u5I/s1600/internals.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Guts!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXScnvQuSQ-j-k1gmIzhskGSQtT87t1ko0CQiUXKv9wF_GGqi6FH0FcmzzPF2BZPflonXxUe-PT0cGkT9DAomQadNL44opvFwLRS018QAk9Khl5x7CyzVGn5Y2ZfU3myRSRI2mxObqI0/s1600/back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXScnvQuSQ-j-k1gmIzhskGSQtT87t1ko0CQiUXKv9wF_GGqi6FH0FcmzzPF2BZPflonXxUe-PT0cGkT9DAomQadNL44opvFwLRS018QAk9Khl5x7CyzVGn5Y2ZfU3myRSRI2mxObqI0/s1600/back.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew kept it simple for me on this pre, but he tells me he could easily add additional <br />
inputs and a selector switch, along with a slight modification to the circuit to make this a <br />
full-functioning preamp capable of handling multiple input sources.</td></tr>
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Take a look at the Austin Vintage Audio Facebook page for some information on their other projects.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-Vintage-Audio/167627996676522">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-Vintage-Audio/167627996676522</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_zTJD9iohBgld-AqBrIUQJbsNp-xe5X-CPXgoZQmCRPY7GVzY2YMIYSpgLDItzCAgY5dGkqlZu2OEVOPK-V7dXQJ69le9jJhTF9-qDB-i5TJhCbVkKZOlru4vvyIq27GHwYvRM7hdvc/s1600/Amp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_zTJD9iohBgld-AqBrIUQJbsNp-xe5X-CPXgoZQmCRPY7GVzY2YMIYSpgLDItzCAgY5dGkqlZu2OEVOPK-V7dXQJ69le9jJhTF9-qDB-i5TJhCbVkKZOlru4vvyIq27GHwYvRM7hdvc/s400/Amp.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 6V6 power amp built by Andrew Draper.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGVr4nY4I1G4u68h7QjJj2674Wg53BsUS8845ShYF9EhFuV72JwOX6i9n1VsjUZT2-iHmlRF2PaBJI-JdZcdKDIjANntPtlvFaFeoqqgRQOFi4hsEPfed3TAopg1Cwt_oNjbfQbqNopc/s1600/6v6+Ultra+Linear+%252B+Choke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGVr4nY4I1G4u68h7QjJj2674Wg53BsUS8845ShYF9EhFuV72JwOX6i9n1VsjUZT2-iHmlRF2PaBJI-JdZcdKDIjANntPtlvFaFeoqqgRQOFi4hsEPfed3TAopg1Cwt_oNjbfQbqNopc/s400/6v6+Ultra+Linear+%252B+Choke.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The schematic for the 6V6.</td></tr>
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<br />
Thanks for taking some time to check out Austin Vintage Audio. I am a huge fan, as you can probably tell.Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-17367567141517581062012-03-24T19:02:00.000-05:002012-03-24T19:31:43.566-05:00A shout out to Rick at SimplyPhysicsCables and isolation products are always a major consideration in any audio system. Having waded through much of the swamp of not so good but affordable products out there, I stumbled across Simplyphysics about a year ago. Simplyphysics is a company owned by Rick Roberts in Houston, TX.<br />
<a href="http://www.simphys.com/">http://www.simphys.com/</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zOLkTN5Yl_Mrvds3CI9LB-YJ-DO7LbX02VSo0Yg8Aw5yUu2a99mQcJp1mux0UH2HZsBpMgRyZD-ZnuukyiRUEfORTapj9hFEx8hTDC-Dh_NEPxWL9q9RmnA2np4anMzB2H5PNmia1Lo/s1600/IMG_1579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zOLkTN5Yl_Mrvds3CI9LB-YJ-DO7LbX02VSo0Yg8Aw5yUu2a99mQcJp1mux0UH2HZsBpMgRyZD-ZnuukyiRUEfORTapj9hFEx8hTDC-Dh_NEPxWL9q9RmnA2np4anMzB2H5PNmia1Lo/s320/IMG_1579.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medium ToneCones on my turntable grounding base</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGE1E8H8kdZ2a2B-JWEZ5WO7snGg67j233GXkOEGN5tL9x6jr9YufpbQa3ji5Pp8k9dMWKIHnHRSPTs06RRBePs-HGSIL0sWNb312vhW9T_nxUSvZO9B7fVBgvIPNHfGEJjzCOEkPWhY/s1600/IMG_1582.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGE1E8H8kdZ2a2B-JWEZ5WO7snGg67j233GXkOEGN5tL9x6jr9YufpbQa3ji5Pp8k9dMWKIHnHRSPTs06RRBePs-HGSIL0sWNb312vhW9T_nxUSvZO9B7fVBgvIPNHfGEJjzCOEkPWhY/s200/IMG_1582.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IsoPod 5's on my home-built speaker cabinets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqMi7EgnondrWLKOPkYi-Tk2y3maM89Y_GzH9X6L09M7oPCJ_deiGJhropTlLcXq8G-luRS_-Sw3KgXDsd-yRyQBGqAKGaka-bI-WA-jBvsUwb9XQ9mcaSO4iWuVKZ_0zMHT0jL08xFQ/s1600/AMP+Feet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqMi7EgnondrWLKOPkYi-Tk2y3maM89Y_GzH9X6L09M7oPCJ_deiGJhropTlLcXq8G-luRS_-Sw3KgXDsd-yRyQBGqAKGaka-bI-WA-jBvsUwb9XQ9mcaSO4iWuVKZ_0zMHT0jL08xFQ/s320/AMP+Feet.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small ToneCones and IsoPod 3's on my custom-built tube amp.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcC_HIj79k9fn7-n_eQXyDlm8chzEiqqSH09Ln9wbYPEssdQuh6yTsPmg_vTgrA1ho9czmHSn4FoEEmZ_WZYyFEvIvI1y0r-PlqWx6-P3F5nWUEIEY2vrMNJ5rBaNDNQJ1zAz_0_jEXnE/s1600/Pre+Feet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcC_HIj79k9fn7-n_eQXyDlm8chzEiqqSH09Ln9wbYPEssdQuh6yTsPmg_vTgrA1ho9czmHSn4FoEEmZ_WZYyFEvIvI1y0r-PlqWx6-P3F5nWUEIEY2vrMNJ5rBaNDNQJ1zAz_0_jEXnE/s320/Pre+Feet.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medium ToneCones in ConeCup T6's on my Preamp - This was custom<br />built by my friend Andrew of Austin Vintage Audio. Look for a<br />write up on it and some of his other gear soon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For the price, you can't find better cables or isolation feet. I have used his Isopods, Small ToneCones, and Medium ToneCones for isolating my gear. I also use his SCKT Phono cables on all of my new turntable builds. Rick recently posted one of my applications on his user page. Check it out here:<br />
<a href="http://www.simphys.com/Pages/AV%20products.html">http://www.simphys.com/Pages/AV%20products.html</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNSIYiXyhmgg7bB6aycdKcVD7JNh26u6E4qM7Vw84Yymo6oc56C4piehX-YeTDpjCw_f60_VqbZ3UzYFqr2Q9knFqMcH2cX9bTx1ez690FTdyglvv-ZpMK9SmJfKhB8shTxZYX00VVwc/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNSIYiXyhmgg7bB6aycdKcVD7JNh26u6E4qM7Vw84Yymo6oc56C4piehX-YeTDpjCw_f60_VqbZ3UzYFqr2Q9knFqMcH2cX9bTx1ez690FTdyglvv-ZpMK9SmJfKhB8shTxZYX00VVwc/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had Rick make me some phono cables from his SCKT cable products.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I have two more turntables that I'm starting this weekend. Once I have a few photos to share there will be another new post.<br />
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<br /></div>Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-78430442929675935272012-03-21T01:46:00.000-05:002012-03-21T01:46:27.459-05:00More TD-180 PicsAt the suggestion of a few friends and coworkers I'm adding some variations of the Thorens TD-180 photos that highlight the glossy top suface of the turntable a little better. Being surrounded by photographers, who also happen to be self-promotion experts, can't hurt when you're trying to show off something you've done.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIasxlHkQTcXsLiMbdSP5_uVBfJlaWKFbVRt7wJHoUzCky7tLPq7RuflSSpfbgMLEXo4zf1e1ArL-i3eDtOdB16_jfXO_ews-6VWblLJ6pnGT3gGlH6Bv_5yaKjoi73aNMgFBKqyMTJw/s1600/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIasxlHkQTcXsLiMbdSP5_uVBfJlaWKFbVRt7wJHoUzCky7tLPq7RuflSSpfbgMLEXo4zf1e1ArL-i3eDtOdB16_jfXO_ews-6VWblLJ6pnGT3gGlH6Bv_5yaKjoi73aNMgFBKqyMTJw/s640/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-07.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a big change, but it adds a little dimension to the surface.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGskml5Uqu9fH1bMqV2JRebi1wCRTldbBQrsZGX-XG0nWSn7XIO3EPdH0W004AvTD9qsdQ3sMpkNzIhAlWOebFGAFZN5QJUr1vN8-FGXP7tbbe-18LAhDUa5N88uS6Dxe3UO00ZveZTo/s1600/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGskml5Uqu9fH1bMqV2JRebi1wCRTldbBQrsZGX-XG0nWSn7XIO3EPdH0W004AvTD9qsdQ3sMpkNzIhAlWOebFGAFZN5QJUr1vN8-FGXP7tbbe-18LAhDUa5N88uS6Dxe3UO00ZveZTo/s640/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one really shows it off in the reflection of the tonearm.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Thanks to everyone for your input and support!</div>
<br />Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-71508895465671696822012-03-18T15:48:00.001-05:002012-03-21T02:11:26.347-05:00Thorens TD-180 RestorationI've been building, rebuilding, and refurbishing turntables for a couple of years now, and in my constant striving to improve each new build I have learned a lot about woodworking and finishing. This latest rebuild maintains all of the original functionality of the Thorens TD 180 that was its foundation, and adds improved vibration dampening, a hand polished gloss black lacquered top and beautiful zebra wood outer frame. The pictures below will walk you through the process of transforming this basic black production unit into a highly customized show piece.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_ymxfrCoLz0YvHKpNVKVb21DBIbe64lo4ApQsTx1Ts0d8vSFB3oaW6uusZnie_wb7lMnfa9Ue-tCozQ1h3hXJRMlReoPEjhaqXC2za4SfRx5DUwttHbh_g_Mp2vmhQbXe0dudCrQ8GM/s1600/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_ymxfrCoLz0YvHKpNVKVb21DBIbe64lo4ApQsTx1Ts0d8vSFB3oaW6uusZnie_wb7lMnfa9Ue-tCozQ1h3hXJRMlReoPEjhaqXC2za4SfRx5DUwttHbh_g_Mp2vmhQbXe0dudCrQ8GM/s640/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">The final product - more final images below.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9Th8qg0f3f-kjgNWTm46sYC9rZtoTD5fYmrAiwicl58Cjt-7Smt7NmQQQ_RseJ9xhPSNSqNAQilfWooJfVH0M4adYZeZAfdMZI2lO7D2vic8o40vaa2mcdqkpdNyZpFXSTgoozNIYf8/s1600/Saw.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9Th8qg0f3f-kjgNWTm46sYC9rZtoTD5fYmrAiwicl58Cjt-7Smt7NmQQQ_RseJ9xhPSNSqNAQilfWooJfVH0M4adYZeZAfdMZI2lO7D2vic8o40vaa2mcdqkpdNyZpFXSTgoozNIYf8/s200/Saw.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Zebra wood and a hand-miter saw.</td></tr>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kkFTjjyqYrnT1uMLiK2WthtaK5xD1GCjC2iJ5iU1YEcfJmBddaeGJYLX9Ma8ankMEotzehPPLPQSbIIyoIuOUkLJwOXBqpKFNxC040Kb_CvMQYX1hyXBOvIEEyNiSgPEeZf0fMV2lV4/s1600/Comparison.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kkFTjjyqYrnT1uMLiK2WthtaK5xD1GCjC2iJ5iU1YEcfJmBddaeGJYLX9Ma8ankMEotzehPPLPQSbIIyoIuOUkLJwOXBqpKFNxC040Kb_CvMQYX1hyXBOvIEEyNiSgPEeZf0fMV2lV4/s200/Comparison.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A comparison between the old and new.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eTk9HVCupadv-p3CHaXaOEiyrnYw0PhbkOy9AHBnXBDIy3NZ6nwQeDAOVnq2edAHhsVux_OwUM0u0f6coppUlD0z8Llk9bCeyye9DzTPMEcevXy6lBEvHDhD5QHK8MmttoLoZPO0Cdc/s1600/Joint.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eTk9HVCupadv-p3CHaXaOEiyrnYw0PhbkOy9AHBnXBDIy3NZ6nwQeDAOVnq2edAHhsVux_OwUM0u0f6coppUlD0z8Llk9bCeyye9DzTPMEcevXy6lBEvHDhD5QHK8MmttoLoZPO0Cdc/s200/Joint.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I learned a lot about joint work in trying to <br />
make the zebra wood striping appear continuous.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEHtCIqtS67EjKq4JtC2sCjkqQPnWA87cK8ANNUUyckzjzqsq1i9-JODOPq2ed3JmcFIeetQNak1Lc4kogWb0-IrXHGmmMSADim8gjxbvnX_cfJ9-faUF8VdEWL3hWNUO-u_hJOx4SOk/s1600/Router.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEHtCIqtS67EjKq4JtC2sCjkqQPnWA87cK8ANNUUyckzjzqsq1i9-JODOPq2ed3JmcFIeetQNak1Lc4kogWb0-IrXHGmmMSADim8gjxbvnX_cfJ9-faUF8VdEWL3hWNUO-u_hJOx4SOk/s200/Router.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top plate was duplicated with a router<br />
using a circle-cutting jig, and then a<br />
pattern-cutting bit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWrhEpySWoE_G_oNQ0IIeagiKG9QY3exNaFuK49gxDtOOQzF69e0zmx5BvziQ0VIEHlpc81zH2Ja1-yTAfojgUZwUI02ePRr0kVvPJKLfKII6zgV2kK1boifG-kNDlvz7CnfekrBZAFs/s1600/Preliminary.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWrhEpySWoE_G_oNQ0IIeagiKG9QY3exNaFuK49gxDtOOQzF69e0zmx5BvziQ0VIEHlpc81zH2Ja1-yTAfojgUZwUI02ePRr0kVvPJKLfKII6zgV2kK1boifG-kNDlvz7CnfekrBZAFs/s200/Preliminary.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Test assembly before finishing. I've decided on a lustre finish <br />
lacquer for the zebra wood, and a glossy black for the top plate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9AG7N8RfLqDch2mK82r5Ad7tYShx_l5_X0duPbQ2XfV9PTx_8BG6h8uUVKeJmDBjNmIpbhcbKBMrY7mhfID82IWRfvj53_gXlv_o2ACVz5PIfy5uCaCAiiXOwv4ArtNRAYkjc3xbCLg/s1600/Sandpaper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9AG7N8RfLqDch2mK82r5Ad7tYShx_l5_X0duPbQ2XfV9PTx_8BG6h8uUVKeJmDBjNmIpbhcbKBMrY7mhfID82IWRfvj53_gXlv_o2ACVz5PIfy5uCaCAiiXOwv4ArtNRAYkjc3xbCLg/s200/Sandpaper.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The piano-gloss black had to be wet-sanded using eleven progressively <br />
finer sandpaper grits, and then three stages of polishing compound. All<br />
together, the finish took me about 30 hours of labor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRpHMYYpm71iiu_9w9FOzAJhp4NNYPeUieppoFqBMWc9ReLtY_UpwoRoJO2y1P2RlSPnSwNbg5KPvrgPqoEHYF4Iy4cakopNUoxnt9r8IjMJ_XYqHx1vl9AddiIYUU3AN2jC6aTldDuU/s1600/Paint.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRpHMYYpm71iiu_9w9FOzAJhp4NNYPeUieppoFqBMWc9ReLtY_UpwoRoJO2y1P2RlSPnSwNbg5KPvrgPqoEHYF4Iy4cakopNUoxnt9r8IjMJ_XYqHx1vl9AddiIYUU3AN2jC6aTldDuU/s200/Paint.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing in progress - you can't see it from here but at this stage there was<br />
still a fine orange peel texture to the black lacquer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Here are some additional final photos. A few minor tweaks such as adjusting the speeds for accuracy, and setting up the cartridge properly, will get this beauty ready for delivery. I'm not sure I will pursue the piano-gloss black in the future, but I am much more informed about professional finishes, and that will improve each new turntable project.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by,<br />
<br />
Brian<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYhRH02KhwxdEb8zYRLxfnfKuU-sNAJ6DhDjYHOlu89vxeEwbnlHaV1zeL0lEO6zfSoV_MAq_4e3iuqPxMXH12jdAZYhXHLQD6Klf7sZ1fxeUomaeQUUxa6j10Vt5oO_Q5Tk093GllTs/s1600/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYhRH02KhwxdEb8zYRLxfnfKuU-sNAJ6DhDjYHOlu89vxeEwbnlHaV1zeL0lEO6zfSoV_MAq_4e3iuqPxMXH12jdAZYhXHLQD6Klf7sZ1fxeUomaeQUUxa6j10Vt5oO_Q5Tk093GllTs/s400/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-06.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the speed control switch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrO39ppYN5otU25sXKszCsNzZs7SiAeiEmoyZ7EWYNjyca2el1iAvkkegdz-6b94Nrq8om1LscTiFSqwhq8gx1iAvfQybEAIkoAeBu1dl0hnUfDtnlo3AEXOxWFte2rouYXM_2QoOcJL8/s1600/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrO39ppYN5otU25sXKszCsNzZs7SiAeiEmoyZ7EWYNjyca2el1iAvkkegdz-6b94Nrq8om1LscTiFSqwhq8gx1iAvfQybEAIkoAeBu1dl0hnUfDtnlo3AEXOxWFte2rouYXM_2QoOcJL8/s640/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The zebra wood plinth contrasts very nicely with the gloss black.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKlYpj6B2oU6Twl8qNGlZ6sURcShLqbOo1KDEtLk48OQu8P-M-3eMsETZBgYpgstPNsKqW6Iehlhngd2YbAi2To7UrA4Wh2Muk0JzhEyRcTwabDiBKKFx8qKCHyvgYj8dJ56K02RYlxU/s1600/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKlYpj6B2oU6Twl8qNGlZ6sURcShLqbOo1KDEtLk48OQu8P-M-3eMsETZBgYpgstPNsKqW6Iehlhngd2YbAi2To7UrA4Wh2Muk0JzhEyRcTwabDiBKKFx8qKCHyvgYj8dJ56K02RYlxU/s640/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added a Grado moving iron cartridge to ensure quality audio reproduction.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnbCMr-edZR-MKNANwpyBz34nMt7GeBUB91bRAv8Lv9dRjicZsrkmexmzTkB7mgAcvmi2QWnbfKP7TyzSvs-kW432iAYPVUj8gIFHiX0jGJcnY3FOH9B6KPoinljTN59cFgUSeuEFbB4/s1600/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnbCMr-edZR-MKNANwpyBz34nMt7GeBUB91bRAv8Lv9dRjicZsrkmexmzTkB7mgAcvmi2QWnbfKP7TyzSvs-kW432iAYPVUj8gIFHiX0jGJcnY3FOH9B6KPoinljTN59cFgUSeuEFbB4/s640/Thorens+TD-180+Rebuild-04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-53878335637622573942012-01-22T11:53:00.000-06:002012-01-22T11:53:41.369-06:00Brian's Turntable ManufactoryAfter lots of construction and reworking of my space this past 6 months, I'm finally back up and running. It feels good to be back in the shop! I have one major rebuild nearly complete and will be posting it within the week. With another refurbished classic and a completely redesigned vintage Thorens on the way I should be pretty busy for the next few weeks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNha1FurzjlaxA-2yJfizhW8t8prY3TuuTJaIUyBPlZpY1IzQZcDAiK8FinvwJJJTlXgMMpT3SXMdUirQG4qdpthwvsqkY48TrJ_ed2TOBjSdoCphUqAjDhTpoKihl7P6HKxZGpyc_1vQ/s1600/IMG_1525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNha1FurzjlaxA-2yJfizhW8t8prY3TuuTJaIUyBPlZpY1IzQZcDAiK8FinvwJJJTlXgMMpT3SXMdUirQG4qdpthwvsqkY48TrJ_ed2TOBjSdoCphUqAjDhTpoKihl7P6HKxZGpyc_1vQ/s320/IMG_1525.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This 9'x9' space actually works out fairly well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ctIVx0VmYpR9EIi120ZezELlaABnZUGo4XV0l7AvOJaR7UTA6aUY2cGBKPglmzAiviIho263K4pLVFDuzB71Z7JcuqYj0G5JkjuYeU9S_t14mFiJ9jRJTjKdDAgHzEd4_EA012Y2dAc/s1600/IMG_1595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ctIVx0VmYpR9EIi120ZezELlaABnZUGo4XV0l7AvOJaR7UTA6aUY2cGBKPglmzAiviIho263K4pLVFDuzB71Z7JcuqYj0G5JkjuYeU9S_t14mFiJ9jRJTjKdDAgHzEd4_EA012Y2dAc/s320/IMG_1595.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Repurposed Ikea Furniture is now workbench and shop storage.<br />
(And a sneak peek at the new turntable!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7W4A10H_OI2P6V4E9X6TwyNrHokAqLFwQ-4Km2y0wtfOfB4fZXVcrHoJwWcdqhZeTo2boG-iwt0aOLCvlGWPPqwul3A3fqFVCHbwjjSgJy3CZa5uhXusqA6QOELER5h2nWWjFTdGoUqM/s1600/IMG_1599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7W4A10H_OI2P6V4E9X6TwyNrHokAqLFwQ-4Km2y0wtfOfB4fZXVcrHoJwWcdqhZeTo2boG-iwt0aOLCvlGWPPqwul3A3fqFVCHbwjjSgJy3CZa5uhXusqA6QOELER5h2nWWjFTdGoUqM/s320/IMG_1599.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little organization goes a long way.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcmuvP4OxdOqZNoreVjnIroRjmumYjFYD_Kde6kgloTD8eN3pB49rWWsDP4yZIF8pgbeGFvennp2XSb4l3wbpbaSOkvlidCLEIvdPmPJf-oMz42qz6JZY76I4YDy1CrB5HNF_IArKhuk/s1600/IMG_1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcmuvP4OxdOqZNoreVjnIroRjmumYjFYD_Kde6kgloTD8eN3pB49rWWsDP4yZIF8pgbeGFvennp2XSb4l3wbpbaSOkvlidCLEIvdPmPJf-oMz42qz6JZY76I4YDy1CrB5HNF_IArKhuk/s320/IMG_1600.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The light is good during the day, though I<br />
need a couple of shop lights for evenings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIfICeJGozTXzQn-XUF3fK6JiFGk2kdMSBwMCSsVZuOllKzlmSyEogcgUmLQFBhTF3CLsHKZP3YjpmPu9zQ-M8S3sGS5x8-ZrYO7s13LqdaA9xBf4Ng6RIEvuKfbTENXUrkP9xQHfYl0/s1600/IMG_1603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIfICeJGozTXzQn-XUF3fK6JiFGk2kdMSBwMCSsVZuOllKzlmSyEogcgUmLQFBhTF3CLsHKZP3YjpmPu9zQ-M8S3sGS5x8-ZrYO7s13LqdaA9xBf4Ng6RIEvuKfbTENXUrkP9xQHfYl0/s200/IMG_1603.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soldering Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNGsI9z-D6Uwxkm8LZcB-9C3X9bSSz4-JYYOqbcY1As-qs-ddfgsSWXDmGo_miTTBPJ9eaoB4FwnDMfCDxs2o-4qfvxNz_H1IBVLLMl9iEKEX8qGAMi5zsb-VmKXJkRCRbgF_MUCQ2lQ/s1600/IMG_1604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNGsI9z-D6Uwxkm8LZcB-9C3X9bSSz4-JYYOqbcY1As-qs-ddfgsSWXDmGo_miTTBPJ9eaoB4FwnDMfCDxs2o-4qfvxNz_H1IBVLLMl9iEKEX8qGAMi5zsb-VmKXJkRCRbgF_MUCQ2lQ/s200/IMG_1604.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iPod and Phono interface for the<br />
shop stereo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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</div><div>More to come. With so many projects in progress I'll be posting weekly over then next month or so to update and show off the new turntables. Stop by for a look and let me know what you think.</div><div><br />
</div><div>BC</div>Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-30315341275111085502011-03-05T10:11:00.000-06:002011-03-05T10:11:01.474-06:00Simple RestorationsThere is a lot to be said for a good, classic turntable that works. The problem is that so many of them have quirky little problems that condemn them to life in a box in the attic. I've recently rediscovered the joy of restoring these little jewels in a couple of small projects.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8DhOpHS8oL81nfGDnnPL1IX00wGofkT0h2Y_Um8PR0-H-9dEl-UXbJqnMy3NEflei94w8hCqjeZ1uR_2OTdrUClKbvFKT3k8SliQ1TIC65jhojQqXWzW8GZw5jGirkkXHDXHMlCyCng/s1600/Restore_rebuild_2011-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8DhOpHS8oL81nfGDnnPL1IX00wGofkT0h2Y_Um8PR0-H-9dEl-UXbJqnMy3NEflei94w8hCqjeZ1uR_2OTdrUClKbvFKT3k8SliQ1TIC65jhojQqXWzW8GZw5jGirkkXHDXHMlCyCng/s400/Restore_rebuild_2011-5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">An old Marantz 6100 that I put a good bit of time into in the past, and a recent repair job on a Dual 1246.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The Marantz 6100 was one of my first turntables, and I put a lot of time and effort into it. I disabled the automated functions and removed some of the parts, overhauled the tonearm bearings and cable, and then installed Dynamat on the sub platter and inner plinth for resonance dampening. After that I put in a new motor and belt to complete the restoration.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokaAMnp1qLMQkXYFJUt5qhBoDxNAxhO0oHMfebsU3nJio6vk1SvtOWekVhwviFESAvIQ2GVRk6GRCdkozwVAdSqJBcQBO-fvO2SZGaS1hr4g6auXiYI7e_RfNJ8R17WPCSlZ_-ZQGfsk/s1600/Restore_rebuild_2011-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokaAMnp1qLMQkXYFJUt5qhBoDxNAxhO0oHMfebsU3nJio6vk1SvtOWekVhwviFESAvIQ2GVRk6GRCdkozwVAdSqJBcQBO-fvO2SZGaS1hr4g6auXiYI7e_RfNJ8R17WPCSlZ_-ZQGfsk/s400/Restore_rebuild_2011-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marantz 6000 Series are really sharp looking and well built.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Overall, the Marantz is a very capable turntable with a full and rich sound. I used it for almost 2 years before passing it on to a friend. When his turntable got upgraded this one came full circle, back to me.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-lEbT3GIBZtVGQeHQrVSsLpKx3pWCPYjnNg-ZZwwFdAxmGcVn1DhyphenhyphenCdxSds-QwlHWu7rIQcFJKzuxZgbiQ5lYE8RGftNfM0hodLdFEfF3lnWQgbltyPnHR0ARoMG59zAIN4T51GZjn4/s1600/Restore_rebuild_2011-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-lEbT3GIBZtVGQeHQrVSsLpKx3pWCPYjnNg-ZZwwFdAxmGcVn1DhyphenhyphenCdxSds-QwlHWu7rIQcFJKzuxZgbiQ5lYE8RGftNfM0hodLdFEfF3lnWQgbltyPnHR0ARoMG59zAIN4T51GZjn4/s400/Restore_rebuild_2011-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marantz's early stock tonearm remains one of the better mass-produced arms available.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The second project was the recent repair of a Dual 1246 for an acquaintance. While these are much more complex and have way too many moving parts for me, they also have a reputation for being some of the best automatic turntables around.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIOv6n9_ahlLuRgTtrlYfFbrowXuTbOUrYt9J7dQbo1Unwry7Fb3Qfh5r_KCZJ8NvLSzVW6tSGIdiyjDLft8SPjhknuJmELOEcLZNRSK0W_XK1j00bTobgfaSiBkCTcI1CaNf0GsTwo4/s1600/Restore_rebuild_2011-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIOv6n9_ahlLuRgTtrlYfFbrowXuTbOUrYt9J7dQbo1Unwry7Fb3Qfh5r_KCZJ8NvLSzVW6tSGIdiyjDLft8SPjhknuJmELOEcLZNRSK0W_XK1j00bTobgfaSiBkCTcI1CaNf0GsTwo4/s400/Restore_rebuild_2011-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dual 1246 - One of many excellent models from this maker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Mostly this turntable just needed lots of adjustments. The tonearm would no longer move into place when using the automatic start and stop, and the way the system is designed makes it difficult to use it manually. A couple of hours, and a few Google searches later got this back up and running like a champ.Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-46081709939089336672011-02-20T13:48:00.000-06:002011-03-03T08:52:54.047-06:00Thorens TD-316 Rebuild<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNXcFWIzsXrQI0XYC9fEuJj39hIsN7s_KnzXPhCD6731O_fCSmJ-0OPWfKzrusBdg3rt3SZU5zk7UoGvFFOH-mzFFOjIV5nFcNq287ulqhPwf36X5qP1_2K7dmyGTzU9PQCMBzO6H_zE/s1600/NewTT_2011_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNXcFWIzsXrQI0XYC9fEuJj39hIsN7s_KnzXPhCD6731O_fCSmJ-0OPWfKzrusBdg3rt3SZU5zk7UoGvFFOH-mzFFOjIV5nFcNq287ulqhPwf36X5qP1_2K7dmyGTzU9PQCMBzO6H_zE/s400/NewTT_2011_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The TD-316 - Reborn!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I had it in my head that I had to stay on track with the production turntable I'm working on when this great, but damaged TD dropped into my lap. With my shop now set up and ready to go, and a really beautiful slab of flamed maple in my possession, I got the bug to build!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrKQsxzoYMEjt86jCkczKySi4iMwPrWMZ2neUo2BNqDE1el9oQG2WKdDhQuBsc13r8P9oPmo2PgPzCfBWVHUxIqCoN81uLgGITb5y7QL339lDvk7wtsTRPPoUbWdfOKRPmdWNJkW28D8/s1600/Thorens+TD316.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrKQsxzoYMEjt86jCkczKySi4iMwPrWMZ2neUo2BNqDE1el9oQG2WKdDhQuBsc13r8P9oPmo2PgPzCfBWVHUxIqCoN81uLgGITb5y7QL339lDvk7wtsTRPPoUbWdfOKRPmdWNJkW28D8/s1600/Thorens+TD316.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It came without an arm, and with a giant chunk<br />
of one corner of the plinth missing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It wasn't difficult to get measurements from the old plinth and transfer them to the blank maple slab. I did, however spend a good bit of time deciding which surface would be the top, and then which would be the front. With that part sorted out I cut the slab down to size, and then used my router table and a straight bit to plane the edges. Then, I drilled out the motor and spindle holes, and sorted out where the electrics would be located.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5xgYX17fhs5EVqaJs87mNTZRTDuIxkcs2aS_EuHtxECgeiT0TViql0pnjK3fHKc01TYW5ftjatZUC4CVtnCXhsWxDSVVMmngo_-tsauu1Rv2I1WyzM2KMa4EFuGHgpA7Fw1gPTFu_MU/s1600/NewTT_2011_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5xgYX17fhs5EVqaJs87mNTZRTDuIxkcs2aS_EuHtxECgeiT0TViql0pnjK3fHKc01TYW5ftjatZUC4CVtnCXhsWxDSVVMmngo_-tsauu1Rv2I1WyzM2KMa4EFuGHgpA7Fw1gPTFu_MU/s400/NewTT_2011_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The maple is still pretty much intact, and gives a good weight and solid feel to the turntable</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
After that I used my random orbit palm sander to do an 80-120-220-320 sanding on all the surfaces of the plinth to prepare it for its lacquer finish. For this project I chose a spray gloss lacquer with no staining to reveal the natural beauty of the wood. After 15 coats of lacquer, with very light buffing using a 000 steel wool in between each coat, I was ready to finish the build.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBfaNZRISfVj1oJTK2IhrY8Ohi2nDLhIRj4XB5oiGDCnFes-G3NxiqHhQl0_7tTAp1vKpHzNKJpMgF_xZ7LByOi5OYeBMmzUqwylsxhOtf8Rz-Gq-IfeYF7h-86IygCK9z1a8mfD-odE/s1600/NewTT_2011_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBfaNZRISfVj1oJTK2IhrY8Ohi2nDLhIRj4XB5oiGDCnFes-G3NxiqHhQl0_7tTAp1vKpHzNKJpMgF_xZ7LByOi5OYeBMmzUqwylsxhOtf8Rz-Gq-IfeYF7h-86IygCK9z1a8mfD-odE/s400/NewTT_2011_6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sub-Platter in place.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
From there, the only thing left to do was to determine which tonearm to use. I had recently rewired and refurbished this old Acos/Rega R200, and it seemed like the perfect candidate for the job. After a few careful and precise measurements, and a little work with the drill press, the arm was in place!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8MmtqWwNlQrIgaEvHS5P5TJ2JylrsG4ucnooWtUXmTvWiqsmlGFpXWMq6dI62staIfKS_fEhrJSfTAJbZkXqkBHSUE_SWqrpdIG3uF9v1X3v8ZGilble-g2299_M_uzJ5Zp_D-fvm8c/s1600/NewTT_2011_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8MmtqWwNlQrIgaEvHS5P5TJ2JylrsG4ucnooWtUXmTvWiqsmlGFpXWMq6dI62staIfKS_fEhrJSfTAJbZkXqkBHSUE_SWqrpdIG3uF9v1X3v8ZGilble-g2299_M_uzJ5Zp_D-fvm8c/s400/NewTT_2011_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This arm originally came on the Rega Planet turntable from the early 1970's</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
After some testing, a little work on the grounding, and several hours of just playing time, the rebuilt TD-316 is ready for service. I just can't decide if I should keep it, or try to sell it. (Eventually that's the whole point - to make a little side money doing something I really enjoy.)<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp39dgJZKpMNiQ9V6Br-5S0BVzxw2dcsNibsp5R8jdk-lCcZ6MqtLanfUPh7_3WxnQGqIpexOUgGa3cVVV4t2E-eLyh9rvubBnp79IhPfMn_V4JQ_TbC3AZbBRKLyNHLlmkZG9AWd27U/s1600/NewTT_2011_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp39dgJZKpMNiQ9V6Br-5S0BVzxw2dcsNibsp5R8jdk-lCcZ6MqtLanfUPh7_3WxnQGqIpexOUgGa3cVVV4t2E-eLyh9rvubBnp79IhPfMn_V4JQ_TbC3AZbBRKLyNHLlmkZG9AWd27U/s400/NewTT_2011_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I added the platter dampening rings, then auditioned it with my<br />
Dynavector 10x5 cartridge and the sound is simply amazing!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp39dgJZKpMNiQ9V6Br-5S0BVzxw2dcsNibsp5R8jdk-lCcZ6MqtLanfUPh7_3WxnQGqIpexOUgGa3cVVV4t2E-eLyh9rvubBnp79IhPfMn_V4JQ_TbC3AZbBRKLyNHLlmkZG9AWd27U/s1600/NewTT_2011_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJocAMu6JOGvRXTv587ceYNNmSq2nd1KY40fvGr6Vxug4Tv6oQtHOmAAv7zzK8vvViYZ5aqSRWeLSgk0kACFIBYkvLGYM9raWaHkm2LuBXAFVJ2GGoGGWspgRPvbCRm1XPGyGtWaxLIAs/s1600/NewTT_2011_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJocAMu6JOGvRXTv587ceYNNmSq2nd1KY40fvGr6Vxug4Tv6oQtHOmAAv7zzK8vvViYZ5aqSRWeLSgk0kACFIBYkvLGYM9raWaHkm2LuBXAFVJ2GGoGGWspgRPvbCRm1XPGyGtWaxLIAs/s400/NewTT_2011_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see two feet in the three-point stance in this shot. Very stable,<br />
and sonically preferred by many audiophiles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2634459594207138546.post-30361099392282593872011-02-20T12:48:00.000-06:002011-02-20T12:48:56.375-06:00HelloAs the first post to this blog, this will be brief. As many of you know, I've been working on building turntables for some time now. The first was successful, if not anything particularly amazing to look at, and now the second turntable is completed!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2i0YQBwlenaAZvJEb06DUOeWTw2FS12Nru6VPunEA-ocdj2E7VrX2gSWedTC8bSqW1XbyZey7KBP6zLmmxpkKiafohPPsX6B14g0xP2A02OTA_MbH9nrJoasaOAUe_txWLj4g_leGbbg/s1600/TT+Project+Part+V+-+Complete-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2i0YQBwlenaAZvJEb06DUOeWTw2FS12Nru6VPunEA-ocdj2E7VrX2gSWedTC8bSqW1XbyZey7KBP6zLmmxpkKiafohPPsX6B14g0xP2A02OTA_MbH9nrJoasaOAUe_txWLj4g_leGbbg/s400/TT+Project+Part+V+-+Complete-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first attempt.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
As I move forward I'll give you all continuing updates on my projects, and a look around the shop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcp5tU1TZaTLWszcmU97ozFUnxrXIYJhyphenhyphenQzbrWtd2OCkRZQbOF58BjHcHjcMLqu4efsTWkOodSWo22mm_YPVvuF-_l1UDTJZbHt63zaoayAOjG1eEgLoohxI4xJBhHByQS21aSqnUNDvY/s1600/NewTT_2011_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcp5tU1TZaTLWszcmU97ozFUnxrXIYJhyphenhyphenQzbrWtd2OCkRZQbOF58BjHcHjcMLqu4efsTWkOodSWo22mm_YPVvuF-_l1UDTJZbHt63zaoayAOjG1eEgLoohxI4xJBhHByQS21aSqnUNDvY/s400/NewTT_2011_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The latest - a Thorens TD316 rebuild - more pics to come.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Thanks for taking a minute to check out the Pivot to Spindle!<br />
<br />
Brian<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Brian Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00706817946033353648noreply@blogger.com0