Make over for a Heybrook TT2, Ebony armboard, ebony spacer, extra heavy CW

[Magna Audio]

Here is a bit of a make over and fix up project for a Heybrook TT2 turntable.

First a new solid ebony armboard, 18mm thick with the 4 mounting points.
Fitting is a Rega RB arm.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180131/709df29898c17b671e35dcc081d8a00b.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180131/9623aa9aab580ceb33d1226a6f20076d.jpg

A solid ebony replacement for the aluminium spacer ring

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180131/12f86d55b021c3c886af7da17e196715.jpg

An extra heavy tungsten counterweight with nylon damping insert

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180131/4e4497045da1bc935f6477723683ce9a.jpg

These turntables originally suffered from a well documented problem of the armboard mounting area not being level with the platter.
I carefully shimmed the armboard so that it was perfectly true to the platter in all planes.

Ready to go.

[shane]

How does the ebony armboard sound compared to the original?

[Breezy]

That's my turntable! :)

I haven't collected it yet, so can't comment on the sound, but judging by the photographs it seems that Steve's done a fantastic job. I suspect that having everything on a level plane may make more difference to the sound than the board medium, but all will become apparent once I have the cartridge back on. All in all I'm very excited! I think the old TT2 looks pretty good for an old timer....

[shane]

Looks beautiful! I look forward to your impressions. I must say I hadn’t come across this problem before until recently. I wonder if it was only later production that was affected? Certainly from ‘81 to ‘84 I don’t ever remember sending out replacement arm boards or hearing warped or badly made arm boards being discussed.

[Breezy]

To be fair, Shane, when it came to it I think the problem was actually more to do with the sub-chassis. When Steve took the original board off he found that when the platter was level the board mounting was not, which is why he ended up having to put a thin shim in to true it all up. Of course, there have been people who have had board issues.

Just checked... My TT2 serial number is 3958. Can you date it from that?

But yes, it will be interesting to hear what the new board material does. It's a very dense material and with the TT2 mounting being in the centre of the board the extra density may well change the way it behaves.

I'll report back once it's all back, installed and configured etc.

[Svend N]

So this is what you get when you put together two Steves and a Heybrook? :D Nice work!

Steve (the Gumby one), I'm looking forward to reading your impressions of the sound. Did you make any other changes? Arm, cartridge?

I'm going to check my TT2 to see if the platter and armboard are both equally level. This has made me very curious. I don't think I ever checked that, just levelled it all from the armboard and plinth with a little bubble level.

[shane]

Just checked... My TT2 serial number is 3958. Can you date it from that?.

IIRC they were up to around 2000 when I left in ‘84, so I guess yours would be late 80s.