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View Full Version : Lenco turntables - worth a go for a fit&forget audiophile?



jandl100
03-11-2011, 07:37
Several re-furbished Lenco (GL75) on eBay at the moment.

Are they worth a go for someone who is NOT into spending large amounts of £££ in getting kit fettled/upgraded?

Like this one for example?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200669015853?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Will a DV10X5 or a Supex SD900 Super live happily in those antique-looking arms?

If so, what sort of money should I be looking to pay?

I'm hoping that this thread won't start an eBay bidding war :doh::eyebrows: - but t'internet is full of unending reams of prose about these decks - I just want a set of fairly easy to grasp answers! :)
Viz - should I buy or not? - if so, how much to pay?

Ta. :)

Dominic Harper
03-11-2011, 07:53
The Lenco is not really a Fit and forget turntable. The standard arm is pretty dire for starters. The main bearing is ok, but can be improved. The plinths they came in were also pretty poor. Lenco's are for those wanting very good sound after some investment, ie, new plinth, arm, bearing etc.
When all that is done, they will see off some pretty expensive modern turntables and come fairly close to a sorted Garrard 401.
Heres the last one I did for a customer. This had a new solid plinth, Jelco arm, new main bearing, chassis re paint, platter polish etc etc.
This customer also has a Nottingham Analogue turntable. He prefers the Lenco.

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af30/hifimaster/DSC02053.jpg

jandl100
03-11-2011, 08:00
Wow - nice looking work, Dominic! :thumbsup:

And thanks for the opinion - that's pretty much what I was expecting!

jandl100
03-11-2011, 08:02
Do 'fully fettled' ones ever come up for sale?

John
03-11-2011, 08:09
I would agree with Dominic but Dave thinks the arm is good
There are people like Dominic and few guys over at Lenco Heaven who would be willing to get it to spec.
Its a very capable TT when modified but for someone who likes to keep trying new gear I do not think you get your money back, you probarly lose about 200 to 300 when you resale

Rare Bird
03-11-2011, 08:10
The standard arm is pretty dire for starters.


:D Don't go telling Dave that :lolsign:

Good job Dom. Btw: how did you cut out the motor unit chassis without chipping the grey paint or is it a re-spray?

Dominic Harper
03-11-2011, 08:18
The chassis was originally grey. Had to re paint it. Had some gloss black here so did it in that.

Tea24
03-11-2011, 09:20
This is my turntable transformed from the Lenco I was given by a friend which had languished in a barn for 22 years.

Dom has done a fantastic job on it & it looks and plays superbly.

My Nottingham is the entry model Interspace Junior which coupled with a Pro-ject Speedbox SE is no mean performer but the Lenco has more authority & 'punch'.

Both are played through a Graham Slee Jazz Club into Quad 66 pre and 606 MkII power to KEF 104/2s.

Dom's hard work & attention to detail are well reflected in the resurrected Lenco. Thank you Dom; have a drink on me:cool:

camtwister
03-11-2011, 13:07
Hi Jerry,

I live with three GL75s that range from slightly modified to stratospherically altered. I suggest that the majority of Lenco Heaven members would agree that much of the pleasure of ownership includes the customisation process. My stacked platter project has sonics to suit my taste and system, but only the motor, idler assembly and platter(s) is from the original deck.

A standard GL75 in excellent condition is worth about £100-£150 in the current European market but I doubt that it would satisfy you. I certainly wouldn't put a DV10X5 on it.

The best of the modified Lencos are rarely sold by private owners, although there are two or three individuals starting to sell them with plinths and non-original arms on eBay.
So unless you feel that you would get as much pleasure from hot-rodding the Lenco as listening to the final creation, I would look elsewhere.

DSJR
03-11-2011, 14:07
Ok fella's, let's have it - what is bad about the Lenco arm?

V-Blocks - the soft rubber ones wear badly, but the desmo ones won't. may need some ptfe washers to aid centring though.

ball-races/stiction - I've owned a number of GL75's and fettled a good few more in past decades. I've NEVER had one that had bad bearings - a bit sloppy sometimes, but free enough and they are adjustable.

Counterweight beam - many are sagging badly now and others have snapped off with terminal results, but the cotton reinforcement did work for me on one occasion.

Arm rigidity - has ANYONE ever coupled an accelerometer to one and actually measured how bad it's supposed to be? or is it imagination left over from the 70's when ultra-low mass was the norm?

Ghastly headshell - No worse than many others, but I admit it doesn't follow the "SME" style fitting. At least the boxy shape aids it in twist-resistance. the voids could be filled with blue-tac if this was felt to be an issue.

Wiring - I know the Thorens TP16 arm has been successfully re-wired (thread on VE describing it IIRC), but it seems to me at present that so many are keen on junking this arm without actually trying these things? The exit wires are eaily replaced though, as the terminal block is under the platter on the GL75

L75 arm too massy? - Well, so's the Jelco 750 and no-one minds, so why the L75 - it's a doddle to balance and set tracking and bias as well.


Like I said, I do hope someone could make a new pipe/knife-edge assembly that simply drops onto the existing bearing block - but not charge several hundred for it - no need to be greedy in these uncertain times :) The headshell arangement could be similar to the Funk/Inspire arms (I don't think this is patented), or rather like the old Syrinx PU-2 with a sliding/tilting headshell clamped to the pipe and captive wires.....

Darren
03-11-2011, 14:11
"Ok fella's, let's have it - what is bad about the Lenco arm"

It looks really shit?

DSJR
03-11-2011, 14:20
Several re-furbished Lenco (GL75) on eBay at the moment.

Are they worth a go for someone who is NOT into spending large amounts of £££ in getting kit fettled/upgraded?

Like this one for example?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200669015853?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Will a DV10X5 or a Supex SD900 Super live happily in those antique-looking arms?

If so, what sort of money should I be looking to pay?

I'm hoping that this thread won't start an eBay bidding war :doh::eyebrows: - but t'internet is full of unending reams of prose about these decks - I just want a set of fairly easy to grasp answers! :)
Viz - should I buy or not? - if so, how much to pay?

Ta. :)

I don't know if this is one of my online pals, but two of them were buying plenty of GL75's and earlier in past months - one does this at times with various things it seems, but the stock situation went a bit mad and the best have got to go, the VERY best having been re-plinthed and lovingly re-built.

Don't think it's the chap as wrong part of the country I think, but of you want a nice GL75, I may be able to put you in touch.

if you'd rather look for yourself, the Sony plinthed ones are usually immaculate, as the heavy plinth and solid cover preserves the metalwork inside ;)

£150 does seem like a typical price these days for a mint one. A nice plinth (I know the Russ Collinson ones and recommend them) really sets these off as well as enhancing sonics. Not kosher, but an inline 20W or so resistor (or even the infamous lightbulb trick) improves rumble fiugures by several audible db too and the only effect I noticed at all was the "kick-start" wasn't so violent... No sonic change I could hear at the time.

jandl100
03-11-2011, 14:30
Some interesting discussion and a nice divergence of views, as usual! :)


So unless you feel that you would get as much pleasure from hot-rodding the Lenco as listening to the final creation, I would look elsewhere.

No - for a fella who likes to change kit on a fairly regular basis, the idea of hot-rodding stuff myself doesn't make any sense really.
And I've got two too many non-swappable items of kit already (speakers for sure and power amp for the medium term) so the last thing I want is to commit to something else. I enjoy trying different things too much.:)

For a 'few £100' I'd be happy and eager to give a decent Lenco a try - Dave (DSJR) - do you think the standard arm could cope with a DV10X5 or my newly arrived Supex SD900Super?

jandl100
03-11-2011, 14:33
Rumble could be a problem for me, if I read between the lines correctly ... my speakers go seriously low and with the 250wpc Parasound amp behind them ...? :scratch:

camtwister
03-11-2011, 16:08
Stock Lencos do rumble, although it's possible to drastically reduce the transmission of this to the cartridge with mods. I've used an almost stock GL75 in a system with a 400W 12" sub, and after careful siting and at moderate levels, there was no feedback.

The kick-back that Dave mentions is also curable by correcting the angle at which the idler wheel meets the motor shaft and then the platter.

John
03-11-2011, 16:11
Just a quick response to Dave
The arm ok but thats it; the thing about the Lenco is it deserves better IMO

camtwister
03-11-2011, 16:17
Ok fella's, let's have it - what is bad about the Lenco arm?



I don't disagree with your comments about rigidty and mass in a good example but I do think that, by the time you've replaced the V-Blocks, counterweight beam and wiring, you may have just as well replaced the stock arm with a higher spec item.

Rare Bird
03-11-2011, 16:29
It looks really shit?

:lol:

jandl100
03-11-2011, 17:44
Ummm ... OK, guys, that's fine.

Y'all have managed to put me off this particular bright idea!! :lolsign:

keiths
03-11-2011, 18:22
Just started working on mine today. This will have a 12 layer birch ply plinth (veneered on top with black walnut) and a Rega RB300. I'm using Peter Reinders "PTP4" top plate replacement and it will eventually have electronic motor conrol/speed change.

All I've done so far is the top layer of the plinth and test-fitted the top plate with the bearing, motor and idler attached.

http://www.simister.com/public/test_fit.jpg

DSJR
03-11-2011, 19:47
Ummm ... OK, guys, that's fine.

Y'all have managed to put me off this particular bright idea!! :lolsign:

You could go even further back and try a L59 or 60.. The 59? with curvy arm is stunning and fitted with a Vari-Luctance cartridge and playing 78's, the sonics are truly stunning (I have some incredible needle-drops of this combination - absobloodylutely unbelievable :stalks:)

roob
04-11-2011, 10:49
Jerry
I have gone back to my LP12 so this is up for sale, minus the Ittok.
http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz125/muzzer_2010/P7090474.jpg

Lodgesound
04-11-2011, 14:20
Unless that idler wheel is PERFECTLY round with not even a hint of a flat you will always get a "once round thump" with these which is very noticeable even on a system with moderate range.

The trouble is that the very act of engaging drive on one of these is detrimental to the idler - one of the biggest achillies heels with this type of design as well as having an AC motor.

Very good in their day but will be readily seen off by a good belt drive or by an average condition SL 1200.

John
04-11-2011, 15:09
Have you heard one fully mod to reference levels?

Lodgesound
04-11-2011, 15:40
Indeed yes and very nice it sounded too - if I'm really honest I could'nt consider it in reference terms purely on account of the AC motor and difficulty in setting absolute speed of rotation (although admittedly you can get pretty close). The whole speed thing used to frustrate the hell out of me when I had one of these as a teenager and learned about stroboscopes. Hence my affiliation to direct or PLL belt drives.

John
04-11-2011, 15:55
Whilst I certainly do not go as far as Arthur has gone on his views of the reference Lenco I do think these can equal and beat most belt drives I heard imo as for a really good DD I perfer a really good DD but I myself use a rim drive TT that is simpy stunning

Jonboy
04-11-2011, 18:36
Intersting reading, i picked up a nice stock one complete with dustbug and Boxed Shure N75EJ Type 2 cartridge for £25 a couple of weeks ago, i suppose i ought to plug it in and give it a go some time :lol:

John
04-11-2011, 18:41
It needs a bit of work to get the best out of it but you quids in even you decide to sell it on ebay

Moko
04-11-2011, 20:28
I suppose you arn't going to get a lot of positive Lenco views on this site....the real Lenco fans are all over on Lenco Heaven, but I went from a Thorens 150 in an improved plinth to a stock Lenco and the improvement in pace & timing was just incredible.

Further improvements have included ditching the L75 arm and mounting the deck in a massive 25Kg plywood plinth using the template on LH and I am really happy with the sound. If the adjustable speed feature is not your bag (a lot of pitch sensitive people love it as they can tune the speed to their taste) coming shortly is an electronic speed controller which has been created by a bunch on the Lenco site which from reports so far sounds even more of an improvement.

I think for the £50 I paid for the deck and the £50 on parts for the plinth build I have a deck that could easily outclass a lot of much more expensive decks, but then Lenco's are for people who are prepared to get their hands dirty rather than just throwing money at the problems.

Vic's Salvation deck which is an amazing creation freely admits that a lot of his development was done using Lenco's as a base, and perhaps the Salvation is what the Lenco would have eventually become if the company had carried on building decks.

Spur07
04-11-2011, 20:49
Well it looks like, fingers crossed, I'll be collecting my GL59 next week. I'm actually quite shocked how much the price of vinyl has risen since I threw most of my collection in skip years ago. At the time most of it was worth virtually nothing. If I'd only found somewhere to store it indefinitely, although to be fair most of it was scratched to buggery in my youth. Even the more common, ubiquitous stuff seems to be fetching decent wonga if it's in good condition. Found of copy of Talking Heads, '77' in mint condition in a thrift store today, paid £2 :)

John, did you get your TT up and running again?

John
04-11-2011, 20:56
Yes the Salvation is working well Paul Let me know when you want to hear it

Spur07
04-11-2011, 21:48
Yes the Salvation is working well Paul Let me know when you want to hear it

Pleased its up and running again John. I know how you like your vinyl.

DSJR
05-11-2011, 12:07
A well serviced and re-blocked stock GL75 in Goldring plinth can easily out-perform the likes of a Linn Axis with any of Linn's budget tonearms, including the Akito.

The sense of pace and power from these really is awesome and the drive noise is more higher in the midrange, where there's a very faint out-of-phase "whine" way in the background I found, the rumbly bits well under control (I never came across a rumbly or thumpy idler, but I suppose there will be some shagged ones out there by now). Any excessive motor vibration can easily be tamed, and start-up is softened a little as well (for the umpteenth time of saying this).