Meanwhile.... we are still seeing a lot turntables in for repair/ setup etc with all the exposure that Record Store Day produced ... exciting times!
On the Jig today is an LP12 in Black .. not our favourite finish in some ways as the black stain wears off over time to reveal the white ash underneath. This one is in quite good condition though and looks quite smart. The customer bought this and an Akito on Ebay and wanted a cartridge fitting, it all putting together and setting up. The deck looked like it had spent a bit of time in somebodies loft, the chassis is quite rusty (not actually an issue) and there were a few bits missing ... though nothing we didn't have to hand. The Linn Akito tonearm was bought separately ... this is in good condition, but as it quite common with Akitos it seems to have been overtightened in it's arm base at some point and this has damaged the main bearings a little. The result of this is a notchy movement as it arcs across the record. This is very visible with the weight set to zero and a little side force dialed in on the bias control ... the arm actually lurches as it passes over the flat spot on the bearing. We'll have to see how this plays .... not actually repairable unfortunately, the customer may just need to live with it, or find another arm. It's always worth checking this out with Akitos before you buy, around 75% of the ones we see here suffer from this issue.
We've opted for a Rega Bias2 cartridge, which matches the Linn well. The Bias2 is a good replacement for a Linn K5 or K9 cartridge as it has a similar balance ... and excellent value at £79
If you want to ask about having your turntable serviced, ring us on 01270 580734
