View Full Version : Linn Service
A friend of mine has just got her Linn Sondek LP12 out of the loft after a number of years in storage. Which dealership in the Reading or Thames Valley area could do a full service on it, please?
Pretty sure Guildford Audio service/repair LP12's Martin.
http://www.guildfordaudio.co.uk/
May be a little way out but Sound Gallery in High Wycombe...
Thanks, Tim. They don't list Linn any more. The nearest Linn dealers I could find are Hi-Fi Cinema in Aldermaston, Hidden Systems in Hartley-Wintney and Ripcaster in Checkendon. The problem is that they are unlikely to have skills with the deck as they all seem to specialise in AV. As they nearly all do these days :(
Neal - do you know if they work on the deck?
Its not listed Martin, but if I remember rightly John (think that's his name) who works for them from Reading does LP12's. He used to be a member here, but not seen him post in awhile. If you give the main dealer a ring they should be able to tell you if he still does them?
daytona600
31-12-2012, 18:03
might be some contacts on the linn forum martin
hifi_dave
31-12-2012, 18:39
Might be a step too far but I do Linn service and at a fraction of the going rate. Downside is - no foo.
chris@panteg
31-12-2012, 18:40
Martin , it's a bit further but overture hifi here in Banbury are Linn dealers , and Frank Moran is top notch at fettling LP12's .
Its not listed Martin, but if I remember rightly John (think that's his name) who works for them from Reading does LP12's. He used to be a member here, but not seen him post in awhile. If you give the main dealer a ring they should be able to tell you if he still does them?
Thanks Tim, I'll pass the info on.
Thanks everyone, I'll pass all the info on :)
At least the guys at Overture (the nearest) were properly trained to do the work and if they're still heavily into the brand, will have all the basic parts in stock if needed...
MikeMusic
01-01-2013, 10:03
A friend of mine has just got her Linn Sondek LP12 out of the loft after a number of years in storage. Which dealership in the Reading or Thames Valley area could do a full service on it, please?
As Dave says he can set one up.
Journey to just the other side of Stanstead, but you have someone who knows what they are doing. The money saved will more than pay for the petrol too !
Also Richard at Harrow Audio can help might be a bit to far but he pretty good with the Linn and a nice guy to deal with and was trained by Linn
Neal - do you know if they work on the deck?
Yes, well the used to when I had my LP12....its been a few years since I had one, the guys there are very experienced...
Also Richard at Harrow Audio can help might be a bit to far but he pretty good with the Linn and a nice guy to deal with and was trained by Linn
I've known Richard for over thirty five years - :eek: he is a great friendly guy who will always do his best for you.
The thing is, so many of us oldies-from-the-industry have the skills, but not the readily available parts, to update and properly service an LP12. The old fruitbox may look childishly simple (it is basically), but vagaries in manufacture up until the early 90's meant that no two decks were ever quite the same. Dressing the tonearm cable and PROPERLY clamping it in the P clip was essential to good performance. Years of practice in "pre-forming" the P clip helped a lot, but I've seen loads of cables half crushed on one side and not gripped on the other for example. A thin Rega RB250 cable often needed tieing to the pillar Grace style at one end and packing out (I sometimes used matchsticks) in the P clip at the other.
The above sounds almost ridiculous, but we thought it made a difference at the time, and that's before we've judged how tight "tight" should be and got the belt and mat properly aligned...
This is why I tried to subtly push Overture, since they are long-standing Linn dealers and should be well skilled in quickly and consistently getting a fruitbox to behave properly. Not too far up the road from Reading either?
JazzBones
01-01-2013, 13:53
I've known Richard for over thirty five years - :eek: he is a great friendly guy who will always do his best for you.
The thing is, so many of us oldies-from-the-industry have the skills, but not the readily available parts, to update and properly service an LP12. The old fruitbox may look childishly simple (it is basically), but vagaries in manufacture up until the early 90's meant that no two decks were ever quite the same. Dressing the tonearm cable and PROPERLY clamping it in the P clip was essential to good performance. Years of practice in "pre-forming" the P clip helped a lot, but I've seen loads of cables half crushed on one side and not gripped on the other for example. A thin Rega RB250 cable often needed tieing to the pillar Grace style at one end and packing out (I sometimes used matchsticks) in the P clip at the other.
The above sounds almost ridiculous, but we thought it made a difference at the time, and that's before we've judged how tight "tight" should be and got the belt and mat properly aligned...
This is why I tried to subtly push Overture, since they are long-standing Linn dealers and should be well skilled in quickly and consistently getting a fruitbox to behave properly. Not too far up the road from Reading either?
Dave, I would urge any Linn LP12 owner who is wedded to his/her deck for life should learn how to set it up themselves, its not like building or maintaining the Sydney Harbour bridge. What is essential are logical common sense and proceedure, the correct tools, not numerous, and a good set up jig as most of the work is carried out from underneath the deck, a bit like looking up a Scotsman's kilt sort of thing :eek: I hasten to add that I have never attempted this not being that way inclined! Spare parts such as grommets, springs, belts etc are readily available (at a price) from the likes of Russ Andrews and The House of Linn etc. Outboard PSU units for the LP12 are also easily obtained via an internet search as are set up manuals. The mystic of setting up has been ongoing since the conception of the Linn LP12 as the hourly rate charged by most professionals is exorbitant and a good money earner! Having rebuilt my two LP12s, one Linn spec one modified, and periodically performing an MOT type tune up led me to confidently tackle extensive work on my Techy. Message: If you love turntables learn how they work, learn how to work on them.
Lest you forget Dave, it was you who taught me the black art skills during the old Hertfordshire days when the spring driven wind up gramophone was beginning to fade in popularity:whistle:
I may have recruited another member to AoS. In any case, she has read this thread and is grateful to everyone for the info :)
MikeMusic
01-01-2013, 21:52
I may have recruited another member to AoS. In any case, she has read this thread and is grateful to everyone for the info :)
Is she barmy enough ?
:)
Johnnie7
04-01-2013, 20:28
in london there is always infidelity hifi
there awaits the god known as Derek Jenkins...well worth a trip there !!!
im linn trained as well and in all my years of working with decks i have only ever seen "one" lp12 that a customer managed to get it perfectly set up and to bounce lovely
that was "Snapper" off of this forum :cool:
not sure how the old git managed it...but he done a fine job i can tell u
bw
j7
I didn't remember Infidelity as a Linn dealer for some reason, only Rega (Simon used to be sales manager in the bad old days) and Naim. They certainly seemed to be caring people though...
Johnnie, for right or wrong, I was trained in Linn setup by no other than Jimmy Hughes. Now, Jimmy was very much a "Do as I say and not as I do!" kind of person. his decks would have arm boards all skew and not apparently level, often with sub-chassis set too high or too low, YET, his were at the time amongst the best sounding LP12's in the business, because the little things that really DID make a difference were expertly attended to, all the rest being cosmetic. In fact, I have it on very good authority that it was actually Julian Vereker who actually devised the correct setup procedure for LP12's, Linn doing a bit of a shoddy mess in the mid 70's when all this started (I've seen it first hand). Even the act of putting a washer between the p-clip and the fixing nut (as grahams did and maybe still do) had an effect on the sound on the bloody thing (I chose not to use such washers although it makes sense to do so).
Please, I'm fruitboxed out and really don't want to dredge up thirty years of angst over the bloody things. Just get a bloomin' Spacedeck, plonk it down on your favourite cabinet or shelf, listen to the wonderful music coming from the records being played and forget about springs, getting the fuses, belt and mat round the right way, grommets going hard or soft and the sub-chassis breathing up and down as the platter goes round 'cos the platter is never in proper balance (castings are never so accurate that you can ignore this).......... let alone a perfect bounce!
JazzBones
05-01-2013, 15:28
in london there is always infidelity hifi
there awaits the god known as Derek Jenkins...well worth a trip there !!!
im linn trained as well and in all my years of working with decks i have only ever seen "one" lp12 that a customer managed to get it perfectly set up and to bounce lovely
that was "Snapper" off of this forum :cool:
not sure how the old git managed it...but he done a fine job i can tell u
bw
j7
J7, my man, I blame it all on that high octane whisky with a lager chaser that you have in Glasgow...after a while not even the floor boards are level or bounce! :eyebrows:
Lodgesound
05-01-2013, 16:29
OK playing devil's advocate here..................why not just plug it in and use it?
Does it need a service? I'm willing to bet it's absolutely fine - why throw money at un-needed work?
MikeMusic
05-01-2013, 16:33
OK playing devil's advocate here..................why not just plug it in and use it?
Does it need a service? I'm willing to bet it's absolutely fine - why throw money at un-needed work?
Being an official cheapskate I'd take the cheap route but
>out of the loft after a number of years in storage
seems to say to me "have a service"
Lodgesound
05-01-2013, 16:41
As part of my job I recently resurrected a 40 year old professional videotape machine that had been in storage unused for 15 years.
Worked straight away with no problems - measured fine and all within specifications. This is a device which is INFINITELY more complex than a turntable.
These are austere times we live in - do not give your money to folk unesessarily.
Johnnie7
05-01-2013, 18:53
J7, my man, I blame it all on that high octane whisky with a lager chaser that you have in Glasgow...after a while not even the floor boards are level or bounce! :eyebrows:
hehhehe its the drambuie that gives me a nice bonce :cool:
Aye, I've always loved that big bonce of yours! :lol:
Marco.
OK playing devil's advocate here..................why not just plug it in and use it?
Does it need a service? I'm willing to bet it's absolutely fine - why throw money at un-needed work?
This is a bloody Linn Springdek we're talking about, with iffy grommets, lop-sided springs and probably bent bolts on older ones, wooden bits that compress and make fixing bolts loosen and a belt that goes shiny and "off" fairly quickly. The felt mat shrinks (with a drastic negative effect on the sonics) and the tiny armboard screws loosen due to compressed materials. Many older main bearings leak all their oil out as well, so the thing ends up running almost dry with devastating results for the point on spindle bottom!
Nothing "Professional" about a Linn LP12 of yesteryear I can assure you!!!!!
Now, take a NAS Spacedeck, since it's the cheapest NAS model and sounds absolutely TONS better in all the Linn ways than a pre Cirkus LP12 at any rate, no matter what it's fitted with! The belt is designed not to stretch appreciably with time and the separate motor pod can be adjusted for distance easily, the main bearing is superbly done and rarely needs checking for oil. The arm mount is well thought out and I've said before many times just how wonderful the Rega RB arms sound on this deck - I don't know why, but they don't impede the musical flow at all, unlike on other decks such as the Techie for example..... The base is just put where necessary, the motor pod a finger thickness from the main plinth (levelling should have been done by the dealer and is easily corrected if necessary). Check the arm balance and playweight/bias and off you go with a huge grin on your face. Maintenance is simply dusting!!!!!!!
Apologies in going off on one, but the average Lp12 is a dogs dinner and was never meant to be "Fit and Forget!" That's what kept us dealers in business you see, selling all the upgrades to willing punters at the time. of course, now the bloody things are getting old, have had many owners no doubt with suspect setup skills and many good but well used main bearings in the early 80's are wearing out, Linn's coffers are waiting for remedial dosh to put them right..
No, nowt professional about a fruitbox.....
And I haven't even mentioned the old Techie yet - so many of them (1200mk2) in mastering rooms and playback studios all over the place...
And I haven't even mentioned the old Techie yet - so many of them (1200mk2) in mastering rooms and playback studios all over the place...
Wonder why, eh? ;)
Marco.
We were discussing the fruitbox and there's more than enough discussion about the techie on here already :lol:
Ha - I just couldn't help latching onto your rather good point! ;)
Marco.
hifi_dave
06-01-2013, 16:44
LP12's do need fairly regular servicing especially if they are early examples and/or not used for a few years but....but it doesn't have to cost a couple of hundred Pounds to do the job. It also absoloutely doesn't require the foo which goes with a service.
Lodgesound
06-01-2013, 18:22
This is a bloody Linn Springdek we're talking about, with iffy grommets, lop-sided springs and probably bent bolts on older ones, wooden bits that compress and make fixing bolts loosen and a belt that goes shiny and "off" fairly quickly. The felt mat shrinks (with a drastic negative effect on the sonics) and the tiny armboard screws loosen due to compressed materials. Many older main bearings leak all their oil out as well, so the thing ends up running almost dry with devastating results for the point on spindle bottom!
Nothing "Professional" about a Linn LP12 of yesteryear I can assure you!!!!!
Now, take a NAS Spacedeck, since it's the cheapest NAS model and sounds absolutely TONS better in all the Linn ways than a pre Cirkus LP12 at any rate, no matter what it's fitted with! The belt is designed not to stretch appreciably with time and the separate motor pod can be adjusted for distance easily, the main bearing is superbly done and rarely needs checking for oil. The arm mount is well thought out and I've said before many times just how wonderful the Rega RB arms sound on this deck - I don't know why, but they don't impede the musical flow at all, unlike on other decks such as the Techie for example..... The base is just put where necessary, the motor pod a finger thickness from the main plinth (levelling should have been done by the dealer and is easily corrected if necessary). Check the arm balance and playweight/bias and off you go with a huge grin on your face. Maintenance is simply dusting!!!!!!!
Apologies in going off on one, but the average Lp12 is a dogs dinner and was never meant to be "Fit and Forget!" That's what kept us dealers in business you see, selling all the upgrades to willing punters at the time. of course, now the bloody things are getting old, have had many owners no doubt with suspect setup skills and many good but well used main bearings in the early 80's are wearing out, Linn's coffers are waiting for remedial dosh to put them right..
No, nowt professional about a fruitbox.....
And I haven't even mentioned the old Techie yet - so many of them (1200mk2) in mastering rooms and playback studios all over the place...
Had to laugh at this - so so true......
Rare Bird
06-01-2013, 18:44
Let me get this right:
You take yout TT in to be reset up which is ok if your useless..you then stick it in car travel over lumps & bumps, potholes & what ever but yet you believe your TT is set back upto work optimum loike... :scratch:
Hahaha... Indeed! If the job is to be performed optimally, then it has to be done in situ, at the home of the user. Nothing else will cut it the same.
Marco.
hifi_dave
06-01-2013, 19:48
It is very easy/simple to pack an LP12 for transport by car. Nothing will change, alter or go out of tune in the slightest if done correctly.
It's very easy to pack, Dave, *if* the job is done properly. In all honesty, however, how many people do you think will put in the required effort, instead of just bunging the T/T onto the back seat of a car, and if you're lucky, taking the platter off?
Personally, if I owned a decent LP12, I'd want my local dealer to pop out and service it for me, in situ, and would gladly pay for the privilege! :)
Marco.
JazzBones
06-01-2013, 20:03
Hahaha... Indeed! If the job is to be performed optimally, then it has to be done in situ, at the home of the user. Nothing else will cut it the same.
Marco.
Thats why I say, 'learn how to do it yourself!!! Do a proper job of it and and spend the money (if necessary) to learn how'. Don't forget all these Linn gurus had to be taught themselves, it did not happen for them overnight and Linn themselves marketed the mystique to keep the Linn Sondek LP12 flying out of dealer shops in the early days.... that folks is why TTs like the Techie, Logic DM101s, Aristons and so on were sidelined and the bulldust lives on in folklore.
:rolleyes::):doh:
hifi_dave
06-01-2013, 20:13
Back in the day, Linn were very pragmatic about such things. The mystique, hype and foo were all due to certain dealers, some of whom are still perpetuating the myths today.
JazzBones
06-01-2013, 20:18
Back in the day, Linn were very pragmatic about such things. The mystique, hype and foo were all due to certain dealers, some of whom are still perpetuating the myths today.
Dave, I believe one of them actually travels the world to set up LPs? You missed out on that one back on the cusp of the 70s and 80s :lol:
Thats why I say, 'learn how to do it yourself!!! Do a proper job of it and and spend the money (if necessary) to learn how'. Don't forget all these Linn gurus had to be taught themselves, it did not happen for them overnight...
Absolutely, Ron. However, I'm also a believer, if necessary, in utilising someone else's greater expertise, and using it to my benefit :)
The best of these 'gurus', simply as a result of YEARS of experience of setting up and servicing LP12s, in my experience, can make them 'sing' like no amateur can, and if I had an LP12, I'd want a slice of that, rather than living with my own inferior efforts for some time until I'd acquired the same experience.
When I had my last LP12, every time John Watson (of Mana Acoustics) 'breathed' on it, it sounded amazing! Sadly, as with all LP12s, the effect was only short-lived, and with use, or going 'out of tune' again, or whatever, it quite quickly lost that magic...
The frustration of all that is largely what led me to the Techy, which no matter how many times is used, or disturbed in some way, always sounds superb! :exactly:
Marco.
hifi_dave
06-01-2013, 20:40
Dave, I believe one of them actually travels the world to set up LPs? You missed out on that one back on the cusp of the 70s and 80s :lol:
Back in the 80's I spent a good part of every day making cables and setting up turntables. Back then it was largely FOC - the charging of hundreds of Pounds for a set up and service is a relatively recent phenomenon.
JazzBones
06-01-2013, 20:42
Absolutely, Ron. However, I'm also a believer, if necessary, in utilising someone else's greater expertise :)
The best of these 'gurus', simply as a result of YEARS of experience of setting up and servicing LP12s, can make them sing like no amateur can, and if I had an LP12, I'd want a slice of that, rather than living with my own inferior efforts for quite some time until I'd acquired the same experience.
When I had my last LP12, every time John Watson (of Mana Acoustics) 'breathed' on it, it sounded amazing! Sadly, as with all LP12s, the effect was only short-lived, and through use, it quite quickly lost that magic, through going 'out of tune' again, or whatever...
The frustration of all that is largely what led me to the Techy, which no matter how many times is used, or disturbed in some way, always sounds superb! :exactly:
Marco.
Agreed Marco, BUT you can, with application and diligence, do its yourself. The difference between a professional and a competent and skilled amateur is one gets paid to do the job, the other gains experience and does a more considered job as it is for themselves and no hourly rate of money needs to be under consideration. I remember John Watson's Linn + Aro and how it sounded at his home in Middlesex (then) and it was one of the reasons, amongst other considerations, I learnt how to do it for myself :) No disrespect intended here, but there will always be people who have to call in a plumber to change a tap (fawcett) washer :lol: Probably why I enjoy both my LP12 and my Techy.
Lol... I totally get that. I do like doing some things myself - stuff that I'm confident I can do as good as or better than anyone else, but I also know my limitations, and acknowledge them accordingly!
The bottom line, for me, is that whatever job it is *must* be done to the highest possible standards, and if I can't trust myself to do it, then I'm perfectly happy to enlist the help of someone else who can :)
Marco.
It's very easy to pack, Dave, *if* the job is done properly. In all honesty, however, how many people do you think will put in the required effort, instead of just bunging the T/T onto the back seat of a car, and if you're lucky, taking the platter off?
Marco.
I knew what to do and took great pride in visiting client's houses to find the LP12 much as it left the shop. Once Linn got the springs and grommets sorted and the bolts parallel, the "creep" of the grommets was next to nothing - and vigorous jigging from side to side and heavy bouncing (cor missis ;eyebrows:) of the sub-chassis before the deck leaving the shop meant stability on long car journeys.
As mate dave says - loads of expensive Foo about this bloody thing, but most of what's left is down to the way the sample was built in the first place - this HAS got much better post Cirkus though and the few modern ones I dealt with just fell together easily and without strife :)
accuphaseman
09-01-2013, 16:24
Try Touchstone Audio. John specialisers in Lp12,and he is near Reading.
Audioman
09-01-2013, 16:40
My advice would be to save yourself Linn dealer service prices and do it yourself. If you had a Thorens 160 you probably wouldn't dream of paying a dealer? Setting up suspended decks is pretty similar for all and there are Linn set up instructons and advice on the net. I can't see there is any real magic with the Linn except it's awkward to work from underneath.
walpurgis
09-01-2013, 19:07
Paul's talking sense.
The Sondek is an uncomplicated device really, despite the apparent mystique, which I'm sure is put about by people in the trade wanting to make a bob or two out of servicing/setting up the things.
If you apply the same principles that you'd use with an old Thorens you should not go wrong. A bit of basic understanding of simple engineering/mechanical principles is all you need. Put it this way, if you can put a shelf up level on a wall, you're qualified to do your Linn.
Thanks again, chaps. All being relayed to my friend.
Westyman
12-01-2013, 22:27
Being out of hifi for a bit I've not heard of the NAS whatever it was but Googling it showed it to be Nottingham Analogue Studio. That's interesting I thought. Nottingham is just down the A52 from me....but it's Nottingham USA it seems :-(
Being out of hifi for a bit I've not heard of the NAS whatever it was but Googling it showed it to be Nottingham Analogue Studio. That's interesting I thought. Nottingham is just down the A52 from me....but it's Nottingham USA it seems :-(
Yes the yanks copying all our place names can cause confusion. That's the second one this week. I think they should have to add 'New' to them all. Seems only fair and some have already started. 'York', for example...:D
The Spanish names are okay as they are.
hifi_dave
12-01-2013, 23:01
Nottingham Analogue Studio are and have always been in Nottingham - GB. They most definitely are not in the US.
Nottingham Analogue Studio are and have always been in Nottingham - GB. They most definitely are not in the US.
See what I mean? I'm giving Obama a call first thing Monday morning.
Westyman
13-01-2013, 09:31
Nottingham Analogue Studio are and have always been in Nottingham - GB. They most definitely are not in the US.
OK I stand corrected. It was the San Jose CA contact on what appeared to be their website. It was a dot com URL so I suppose I should have suspected a US site.
Edited to add, apologies for thread drift.
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