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Thread: GL75 tonearm and bearing mods.

  1. #1
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Near Accrington, Lancs, UK

    Posts: 307
    I'm Ralph.

    Default GL75 tonearm and bearing mods.

    I've been playing around with the GL75 arm for as long as I can remember trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I don't think its turned out too badly.





    I also managed to turn up a push fit bearing housing out of brass. It doesn't leak either



    Of course I'm bound to say that I'm very happy with the result but I really am

    Ralph.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    Very nice work Ralph. The only problem I can see is that the diameter of the bearing appears to be ?touching the motor or is certainly very close to it which means all sorts of nasty vibration getting into the bearing and then the platter.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  3. #3
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Near Accrington, Lancs, UK

    Posts: 307
    I'm Ralph.

    Default

    Thank you Andrew. The bearing does clear the motor ok though it's quite close to the speed control linkage. That's not a problem as it's in the 16 rpm slot in the pic. The housing is 30mm diameter which is as big as I could make it.
    Ralph.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    Ralph, have you ever consider removing the speed control linkage altogether and fixing the speed of the Lenco to say 33rpm, of course this mod is useless if you like to play 78s and 45s.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Near Accrington, Lancs, UK

    Posts: 307
    I'm Ralph.

    Default

    No not really Andy as I like to have the facility to play at other speeds. I have the speed control rigged to disconnect the idler and when I'm using my Lenco I leave the motor running throughout the session. I also find it easy to fine tune the speed at the control lever and I don't have any speed irregularities when moving the lever back from one slot to another. All other linkages and superfluous parts have been removed and if I thought it necessary I could easily damp what's left. In fact this particular turntable has no damping anywhere yet. That'll get done when it gets put into a better plinth but tbh I'm really enjoying it just how it is right now.
    Ralph.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by CornishPasty View Post
    No not really Andy as I like to have the facility to play at other speeds. I have the speed control rigged to disconnect the idler and when I'm using my Lenco I leave the motor running throughout the session. I also find it easy to fine tune the speed at the control lever and I don't have any speed irregularities when moving the lever back from one slot to another. All other linkages and superfluous parts have been removed and if I thought it necessary I could easily damp what's left. In fact this particular turntable has no damping anywhere yet. That'll get done when it gets put into a better plinth but tbh I'm really enjoying it just how it is right now.
    Gotcha! That's fantastic. It's nice when you can just appreciate a deck for what it is. Please dont get my disease of Tweakitis!!!!
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  7. #7
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Near Accrington, Lancs, UK

    Posts: 307
    I'm Ralph.

    Default

    I'm not an obsessive tweaker but I spent a hour or two today making fractional adjustments to the alignment, vta and downforce. I'm happy with the results. I'm only using a 2M Red in the Lenco arm and it really does sound fabulous. I've decided that even though it's sounding so well I'm not happy with the big clunky Lenco headshell so I'm going to attempt to make something more svelte. I'm going to have to do this with hand tools I think. I really need to buy myself a small milling machine as my mate Mick is a grumpy c-nt and sometimes he won't give me access to his. He's a strange chap. Other times he'll do anything for you but when he's in a mood he doesn't like anyone else working in his shop. Never mind, I had a good day yesterday. I found a nice lump of aluminium bar in the workshop just big enough to turn into a full bearing housing instead of like the brass sleeve I made. I'm just waiting for the oilite bushes to arrive and I'll ream out the housing to suit the bushes and then size the bushes to fit the Lenco shaft. I machined the bottom cap out of brass and grooved it to take a neoprene O ring for a good seal. I need to pick up some peek tomorrow to make some thrust pads. Pics later.
    Ralph.

  8. #8
    Join Date: May 2011

    Location: Glasgow

    Posts: 7,718
    I'm Brian.

    Default

    Your tonearm and bearing mods look fantastic Ralph . I know the GL75 quite well now and I know how difficult it must be to make these parts . I'm still happily using the beautiful headshell and counterweights which you so kindly made me last year . They're a joy to use . I wish I had your skills mate
    Regards
    Brian

    Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment . (Rumi )


    Korus Computer Audio music server
    JustBoom DAC . HRT Musicstreamer 2
    Amplifier : Sony TA FB740R
    Speakers : Tannoy 637
    Interconnects : MS Audio / Klotz MC5000 .
    Speaker cables : Western Electric 16AG

  9. #9
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Near Accrington, Lancs, UK

    Posts: 307
    I'm Ralph.

    Default

    Thanks Brian. If you should ever need a lighter headshell just give me a shout.
    I'm very happy with the mods I did to my tonearm and I was considering having the tonearm bearing housing cnc machined so that others may be able to convert their own arms but I don't think its going to work for small numbers. I'm not really that good a machinist to get repeatable results but I might just give it a go. Practise makes perfect as they say but I'd need that milling machine. I machined this first one with an end mill in my stand drill
    Ralph.

  10. #10
    Join Date: May 2011

    Location: Glasgow

    Posts: 7,718
    I'm Brian.

    Default

    Hi Ralph , I'm not sure under what circumstances , or with what cartridge , I would need to use a lighter headshell
    Regards
    Brian

    Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment . (Rumi )


    Korus Computer Audio music server
    JustBoom DAC . HRT Musicstreamer 2
    Amplifier : Sony TA FB740R
    Speakers : Tannoy 637
    Interconnects : MS Audio / Klotz MC5000 .
    Speaker cables : Western Electric 16AG

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