LP12 servicing

[Roy S]

Been quoted £50 today to service my LP12, can anyone comment on whether this sounds ok? (if anything it seemed a bit cheap). Cheers.

[Mark Pope]

Sounds cheap. I had mine done by Simon at the audio files. (http://www.theaudiofiles.co.uk/index.htm) He charges £85 for a service. What will you get for £50?

He did a fabulous job of servicing my LP12, fitting a Lingo and a new Benz Micro Ace SL cartridge.

Highly recommended.

[hifi_dave]

I normally charge £50 for an LP12 service and set up, any parts are extra. I believe the going rate from a Linn dealer is a minimum of £150 + parts + VAT.

[Roy S]

Thanks Mark. Where's Simon based?

I'd already put a new belt on it but there was an earth hum & I got a slight shock off it when trying to address that issue. Don't want to chuck too much money at it but would like to hear what it's capable of.

These are the people who quoted £50, they're just up the road so convenient but would like to hear from anybody with any experience of them (nice shop in Brentwood, but people like sparkly things there)

http://www.audiot.co.uk/storefinder/brentwood/

[YNWaN]

£50 is cheap - I can think of more than one dealer who charges a lot more than that. Of course it partly depends on what a service consists of - most dealers would replace the suspension grommets and springs, oil etc. - some may just reset the suspension.

I see that this Brentwood shop isn't actually a Linn dealer - so presumably they don't have any Linn spares; I would definitely take it to a dealer with the Linn account.

[Roy S]

Cheers Dave, you're not too far away from me.

[Roy S]

Thanks Mark. Will give them a call tomorrow to find out what's included & go from there.

[YNWaN]

Yes, that sounds like a wise course of action.

[The Barbarian]

I don not see the logic of turntables set up unless they come to your home & do it..

[hifi_dave]

If you go to a Linn dealer, you will pay the recommended, inflated price but you do get some of the magic fairy dust which magically improves the LP12 sound..:rolleyes:

[Roy S]

If you go to a Linn dealer, you will pay the recommended, inflated price but you do get some of the magic fairy dust which magically improves the LP12 sound..:rolleyes:

Thanks Dave, I may well be in touch.

[Mark Pope]

Thanks Mark. Where's Simon based?


http://www.audiot.co.uk/storefinder/brentwood/

Simon is in Crowthorne in Berkshire.

[Roy S]

Simon is in Crowthorne in Berkshire.

Thanks Mark, another option

[DSJR]

I don't know who's at Audio T in Brentwood now, but a founding manager/director of this branch is around the same age as me, although I don't know his exact Linn experience. Like me, hifi dave is an ex-Linn dealer and has set up a few hundred of the bloomin' things in his time :lol:

An LP12 setup really depends on the deck itself and when it was made. Pre 1982 ones were ALL totally different and this is where the setup 'religion' came from, as you needed different skills for each sample. As time went on, the decks became much more consistent in plinth manufacture and tools became available to make sure the bolts were parallel (I still have mine) as well as the traditional gas pipe to level the main bearing to the sub-chassis (you shouldn't do this with glued chassis'). The plinths made in the last twenty years are so much better than most made before this time and modern LP12's all but fall together I remember.

Sorry, but official Linn dealers often have a very inflated opinion of themselves (takes one to know one, so I'm not exaggerating here). Good luck :) It's still an involving listen, especially on iffy 1970's pop/rock pressings that a more 'neutral' player may show for what they are - IME.

[YNWaN]

I agree that Linn dealers (certainly some of them) cloak the whole experience in a mystique that is not deserved - and charge to match. I have no issue with recommending ex Linn dealers if they use Linn bits (service bits are cheap enough) and are experienced.

[Roy S]

Serial no. of mine is 50971 so if I understand what's on vinyl engine correctly that's post '82, pre '84 (got the original receipt somewhere).

Edit, found it, March '84 -

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss68/Lodger56/linnbill.jpg