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View Full Version : why does my ELITE ROCK 2 say CRANFIELD on it and not TOWNSHEND???


jamesie
02-01-2014, 04:30
as title ,and probably a really silly question, i have an elite rock 2 turntable and i have noticed that it does not say townshend on it , it says cranfield , pic is in link. the reason i ask is i am planning to sell, is it a cranfield or a townshend??

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t677/kirstyandjames/IMG_04331_zpsaf6fe551.jpg
Mr Kipling
02-01-2014, 06:22
It was originally developed with the help of the Cranfield Institute of Technology.
The Grand Wazoo
02-01-2014, 09:58
Not quite.
It was wholly conceived by Prof. Dinsdale and one of his research students at Cranfield, quite independently of Max Townsend, as far as I'm aware. Townsend took some of the design principles to market.
YNWaN
02-01-2014, 11:17
The original was quite a lot more sophisticated than most of the versions that followed it (which were simplified to reduce costs).
Audioman
02-01-2014, 11:42
It says Elite Cranfield. Townsend traded under the Elite brand before using Townsend. Used to be an Elite cartridge range - sure there was an Australian connection here?
hifi_dave
02-01-2014, 12:07
The 'Australian connection' is Max Townshend - from Australia but living in the UK for Donkeys' years.

As an aside, the original Rock turntable was an enormous lump and extremely heavy. Production units were, necessarily, very pared down.
Audioman
02-01-2014, 13:34
The 'Australian connection' is Max Townshend - from Australia but living in the UK for Donkeys' years.

As an aside, the original Rock turntable was an enormous lump and extremely heavy. Production units were, necessarily, very pared down.

Am I right in thinking that the Elite cartridges were made in Australia ?

Paul.
Mr Kipling
02-01-2014, 20:51
Kept falling of the record though.
hifi_dave
05-02-2014, 12:56
Am I right in thinking that the Elite cartridges were made in Australia ?

Paul.

No they weren't. I believe they were made in Japan by a company doing OEM work. The Elite models appeared with different stickers on the front for other companies around that time.

As an aside - Elite introduced the EEI 500 at £49 but it didn't sell. Max then put up the price to £83, had it reviewed in the mags and it started to fly out the door, for a while.