Can you buy turntable kits

[Bbdave]

Hi I have my dad's old quad amp. and sme arm but I need to get a turntable for some reason I wandered if kits were available to build your own?

19400

Dave

[Bigman80]

You could always pick up an old Rega and modify the life out of it.

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[ReggieB]

I'm not sure if there are kits, but I think many people who buy Lenco idler drive turntables (e.g. GL-72 GL-75) buy them as the core for a DIY project (me included - though mine is still on my man cave floor waiting for me to start). You can pick them up for a reasonable price (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=lenco&_ftrt=901&_sop=12&_sadis=15&_dmd=1&_osacat=48647&_stpos=wr112nb&_ipg=50&_ftrv=1&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xlenco+gl. TRS0&_nkw=lenco+gl&_sacat=48647) and there are sites (http://www.lencoheaven.net/) (and plenty of enthusiasts here too) dedicated to using them to create excellent turntables.

[Haselsh1]

You could always buy an old, cheap Linn Basik deck and build a whole new piece of kit around the motor and bearing assembly...?

[Stryder5]

There's a TD 160 for sale on here, if that's of interest.

[spendorman]

Decades ago there was the Connoisseur BD1 which cost only £10 and was often paired with the SME arm. It worked extremely well.

Thorens TD160 seems a good thought though.

Anyone remember the Valek turntable kit?

[walpurgis]

Decades ago there was the Connoisseur BD1 which cost only £10 and was often paired with the SME arm. It worked extremely well.

I've just bought another one for a bit of fun. I've probably had a dozen of them. :)

[spendorman]

I've just bought another one for a bit of fun. I've probably had a dozen of them. :)

Only had two, one sold to a friend with a Lustre GST1 arm, worked brilliantly, and another still here, Ariston arm fitted.

Probably needs a new belt now.

[Bbdave]

OK thanks I'll keep my eye out but basicly I can adapt any turn table to suit my SME arm? I look round my local second hand shops first to see if there's anything about.

Dave

[spendorman]

There is a 160 with cut out for SME on sale in this forum

[JimC]

I used a Pioneer Motor and use an SME Arm. Simple piece of Acrylic and some careful drilling and.......................

19413


Jim.

[RothwellAudio]

You can buy a load of different Rega parts from Analogue Seduction, including bearings, platters, motors etc.
http://www.analogueseduction.net/search/for/-/in/0/brand/95/page/1/
The woodwork involved in making a basic platform should be easy enough. You could go for a suspended design if you're more ambitious.

[montesquieu]

Get over to Lenco Heaven and look at the cracking projects people have done - you get a Lenco GL75, and either modify the top place as it stands and put it on a heavy plinth (there are quite a few alternative options for arms) or make use of one of the kits availble that enable that top plate to be replaced and the bearing/motor unit/platter etc to be removed and fitted into whatever plinth and arm arrangement you want, 12in, two arms, whatever.

And it will sound far better than any Rega.

Some pics here

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lenco+projects&biw=1250&bih=648&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj75te557zSAhXGCMAKHW8uCtQQ_AUIBygC

Always fancied doing something like this one myself

http://vinylhive.com/files/2011/05/2u8ld88.jpg

[farflungstar]

For possibly the first time im going to disagree with Tom, getting a Lenco to perform as well as a top notch DD or a Garrard is a long and expensive road.

I don't know your budget but basic Lencos, unmodded are going for around £250 - a top notch Japanese DD can be had between 350-750 and aside from a few minor tweaks wont cost more.

[montesquieu]

For possibly the first time im going to disagree with Tom, getting a Lenco to perform as well as a top notch DD or a Garrard is a long and expensive road.

I don't know your budget but basic Lencos, unmodded are going for around £250 - a top notch Japanese DD can be had between 350-750 and aside from a few minor tweaks wont cost more.

The OP was looking for a project, not an off the shelf, I was just saying that a Lenco project could be a lot of fun and would seriously outperform any Rega. Not much of a project really adding feet and a mat to a Techie ....

Incidentally I bought a very nice (cosmetically good, mechanically unmolested, quiet and well maintained) GL75 not so long ago for £100 they are still around at sensible money, added a plinth from Lithuania and a vintage AS-212 tonearm (fettled and rewired at Audio Origami) .. arm (chosen to drop in - there are cheaper options if you don't have this constraint) was the most expensive element of this but still a damned nice sounding bit of kit for the £500-600 it's cost me all up. A PTP project would of course cost quite a bit more in time and effort.

[farflungstar]

Point taken tom. Just don't rate Lencos.

[nthall]

There are kits, but it's usually easier to find a donor table for the bearing and platter, and build from that.

There are a ton of idler drive tables other than Lencos that you can use too. You can even use the original platter as a sub-platter.

Lencos motors cost more than a complete table is worth here.

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[Pete The Cat]

Bringing a Thorens TD150 to life with parts from donor kits was cheap and very satisfying :)

Pete

[nthall]

Bringing a Thorens TD150 to life with parts from donor kits was cheap and very satisfying :)

Pete
I wish those were easier to find in my area. I sold my 125 a couple of months ago.

I have an AR ES-1 that was built completely from upgrades. I didn't want to pay $1,500 for one just to throw all of the parts away. I did buy a beat up plinth just for the dimensions.