View Full Version : The elusive Melco Turntable
BTH K10A
31-03-2016, 20:22
These were retailed in the UK by Studio Beko Ltd in the early 80's and I've only ever seen one a long time ago that belonged to the father of one of my friends. Never seen another since.
http://www.topclassaudio.com/web/eng/used_product_details.jsp?gid=7070#
http://www.topclassaudio.com/web/eng/used_product.jsp?gid=709&page=4&type=Turntable
Audio Advent
31-03-2016, 22:13
Is that dealer seriously asking $22,252 for an 80s motor in a box and a heavy platter on a cast iron tripod??
walpurgis
31-03-2016, 22:18
Is that dealer seriously asking $22,252 for an 80s motor in a box and a heavy platter on a cast iron tripod??
Yes.
pure sound
31-03-2016, 22:46
Yes.
That's the little one. The big version was called 3560.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/38/1a/32/381a329b3576c39927a2d424cd99a452.jpg
Studio Beco was run (in part) by Be Yamamura. Besides running a Japanese restaurant in Soho he was importing & building some outrageous systems (the price of a house) back in the late 70's. He brought in the Melco along with Audio Note cartridges & amps as well as other Japanese exotica.
£2345 was a mad price for a turntable back in the 70's.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh107/pure_sound/Melco%20PR.jpg
Here's a pic of a really blinged up 3560 with gold versions of the Ikeda & Odyssey arms. This looks to be a fairly recent pic.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh107/pure_sound/Tommy%20GS.jpg
Spectral Morn
31-03-2016, 22:47
These were retailed in the UK by Studio Beko Ltd in the early 80's and I've only ever seen one a long time ago that belonged to the father of one of my friends. Never seen another since.
http://www.topclassaudio.com/web/eng/used_product_details.jsp?gid=7070#
http://www.topclassaudio.com/web/eng/used_product.jsp?gid=709&page=4&type=Turntable
New one on me Clark, never seen or heard of one before.
Far eastern prices for rare items are often high, very high. Personally I wouldn't touch anything very rare as spares, belts etc might be very hard to find.
pure sound
31-03-2016, 23:02
It's interesting to see the company back in the HiFi business again now with their high end streamers.
http://www.melco-audio.com/about-us/
I thought Melco were a Hungarian company that used to design and produce professional equipment for broadcast use; an alternative and rival to EMT. We have/had a member here who used to use one and, I think, put one up for sale a couple of years ago. It wasn't a thread-drive, but a rim-drive design similar to the EMT 930.
BTH K10A
01-04-2016, 04:49
That's the little one. The big version was called 3560.
Studio Beco was run (in part) by Be Yamamura. Besides running a Japanese restaurant in Soho he was importing & building some outrageous systems (the price of a house) back in the late 70's. He brought in the Melco along with Audio Note cartridges & amps as well as other Japanese exotica.
£2345 was a mad price for a turntable back in the 70's.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh107/pure_sound/Melco%20PR.jpg
That pic is of page 909 of the December 1980 issue of Gramophone magazine
BTH K10A
01-04-2016, 04:54
I thought Melco were a Hungarian company that used to design and produce professional equipment for broadcast use; an alternative and rival to EMT. We have/had a member here who used to use one and, I think, put one up for sale a couple of years ago. It wasn't a thread-drive, but a rim-drive design similar to the EMT 930.
I think you're thinking of Mechlabor Barry. ;)
They produced the SL 101 and 102 turntables but were probably better known for their STM series of professional RtR's
pure sound
01-04-2016, 07:50
It appears from the company website that they actually started in 1975. I didn't realise it was quite so early.
I heard the 3560 once over in Stockholm with an FR66 and an Io. Extraordinary sounding deck.
It'd be fun if the company were to launch another TT after all this time.
hifi_dave
01-04-2016, 09:29
Be Yamamura brought the Melco over to me around 1977, so they were definitely around then. The price was crazy, as our 'top end' turntables of that time were probably only £300 or so but it did open my ears as to what was possible. We did the single platter v double platter demo, which was impressive.
Be also introduced me to the, at that time, Audionote silver cables. Once again, bonkers prices but oh so good when you consider that the 'state of the art' then was Monster cable. I did manage to afford a FR64S tonearm though.
I think you're thinking of Mechlabor Barry. ;)
They produced the SL 101 and 102 turntables but were probably better known for their STM series of professional RtR's
Ah yes, you're right Andy. My mistake.
hifi_dave
01-04-2016, 10:00
Oh and Hi-Lect headshell wires or 'pigtails' as they called them. Far and away the best headshell wires I have ever used. I still have a handful of headshells equipped with them.
pure sound
01-04-2016, 16:23
Oh and Hi-Lect headshell wires or 'pigtails' as they called them. Far and away the best headshell wires I have ever used. I still have a handful of headshells equipped with them.
Like these?
http://www.hifido.co.jp/photo/15/504/50431/a.jpg
BTH K10A
01-04-2016, 17:06
New one on me Clark, never seen or heard of one before.
Far eastern prices for rare items are often high, very high. Personally I wouldn't touch anything very rare as spares, belts etc might be very hard to find.
No need to worry about a belt as it's a thread drive
BTH K10A
01-04-2016, 17:26
It appears from the company website that they actually started in 1975. I didn't realise it was quite so early.
I heard the 3560 once over in Stockholm with an FR66 and an Io. Extraordinary sounding deck.
It'd be fun if the company were to launch another TT after all this time.
I'm pretty sure the one belonging to my friends father was the 3560 as the platter was huge. It had a FR66S tonearm and a cartridge with a wood body which probably was a Koetsu Rosewood. He also had an M7 preamp and new valve amplifiers which in 1981 was very different. I cannot remember the make of the speakers he had as they were soffit mounted. I do remember they were very large though.
No need to worry about a belt as it's a thread drive
OK, so what about the availability of a spare thread? Or will a piece of string do?
pure sound
01-04-2016, 17:37
I'm pretty sure the one belonging to my friends father was the 3560 as the platter was huge. It had a FR66S tonearm and a cartridge with a wood body which probably was a Koetsu Rosewood. He also had an M7 preamp and new valve amplifiers which in 1981 was very different. I cannot remember the make of the speakers he had as they were soffit mounted. I do remember they were very large though.
He must have had considerable disposable income (& very good taste) especially when you consider what was being touted as state of the art by Haymarket Publishing & HiFi News at around that time.
BTH K10A
01-04-2016, 17:49
OK, so what about the availability of a spare thread? Or will a piece of string do?
You could use the same thread as a Micro Seiki RX series or Platine Verdier turntable (sadly J C Verdier passed away recently)
You could make your own silk thread drives or even use some 1/4" RtR tape
BTH K10A
01-04-2016, 18:08
He must have had considerable disposable income (& very good taste) especially when you consider what was being touted as state of the art by Haymarket Publishing & HiFi News at around that time.
He was MD of a big shipping company. Big house backing onto a Golf course, drove a Bristol 412 and had a Laverda Jota for the weekends. He also had a 4 1/2 litre blower bentley at one time. We thought he was quite a cool guy for an old fogey.
Melco at Cool Gales, Bath Show 2016. Bottom box.
Not quite the same degree of cool as the TTs:D
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g436/User_211/Bath%20Audio%20Fest%202016/DSC02519_zpsvasvbzdf.jpg
You could use the same thread as a Micro Seiki RX series or Platine Verdier turntable (sadly J C Verdier passed away recently)
You could make your own silk thread drives or even use some 1/4" RtR tape
What do you do about the knot?
Would threads/belts made from Scotch 3M sound different to those made from Agfa, or BASF or Pyral tape?
BTH K10A
01-04-2016, 18:41
Would threads/belts made from Scotch 3M sound different to those made from Agfa, or BASF or Pyral tape?
When used in a RtR quite possibly
Audio Advent
02-04-2016, 01:38
New one on me Clark, never seen or heard of one before.
Far eastern prices for rare items are often high, very high. Personally I wouldn't touch anything very rare as spares, belts etc might be very hard to find.
"belt" is a piece of string of ANY size! Just move the motor further away. Can't see that anything else could have a spare part other than a complete new part making 1/3 of the turntable - i.e. it would have to be completely smashed or big lost parts to need "spares".
hifi_dave
02-04-2016, 09:19
Like these?
http://www.hifido.co.jp/photo/15/504/50431/a.jpg
They're the ones. The best I have used and I don't believe they were expensive.
For those interested in the Melco 3560, I helped my friend set his up after some years in storage last week, serial number #1. I will add some photo's over the weekend if anyone wants to see them, but this one was purchased from Be Yamamura in the early 80's by my friends, and partnered with an FR66-s and Koetsu Onyx. Silk thread between motor pulley and platter, additional brass 'mat' and 2 options for record clamp/weight, 2 or 6kg. Combined, close to 100kg, certainly a 2 man job to move and set up. As far as we are aware only 2 were brought in to Europe. Sonically, it produces very convincing piano, better than any other TT I have heard, very clean defined start stop, such a far cry from the british efforts of the day.
Attached images below:
https://zaxisaudio.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/nef7620.jpg
https://zaxisaudio.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/nef7580.jpg
RobbieGong
23-12-2017, 10:20
They're the ones. The best I have used and I don't believe they were expensive.
What are those headshell leads made of ?
hifi_dave
23-12-2017, 10:25
Not 100% sure but I believe they were 5 x 9 OFC Litz with copper lugs. I don't know what the insulation is but it is very soft. I have a few sets of these which are head and shoulders better than any others I have used over the decades.
farflungstar
23-12-2017, 12:32
Attached images below:
https://zaxisaudio.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/nef7620.jpg
https://zaxisaudio.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/nef7580.jpgBeautiful
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