View Full Version : Townsend Rock Elite In The Loft!!!
Another trawl through gumtree last night and this TT was listed,i emailed and the seller called me and explained it was a present for his daughter given to her by a guy who worked at townsends in 1987.
She wasn't into vinyl and didn't know what to do with it,so its been up in her fathers loft ever since.
He said its been used only a few times and looking at the condition id say hes right.
It has a Mission LC tonearm on it,(shame it wasnt an Excalibur!).
I collected it from walton on thames and apparently the townsend factory is not far away.
It has the original box with tools and bottles of bearing oil and damping fluid.
Anyone know anything about the cartridge?
First thing tomorrow morning i'll be bunging the alphason on it! :)
https://s26.postimg.org/m0ukc05l5/IMG_1449_1.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/vzfiyhf0p/IMG_1450_1.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/jncmkzr61/IMG_1452_1.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/dl4zui2q1/IMG_1451_1.jpg
killie99
05-05-2017, 19:15
got to ask .... how much?
farflungstar
05-05-2017, 19:15
Lucky lucky man.
got to ask .... how much?
£20.
dantheman91
05-05-2017, 19:19
Lucky sod....£20........:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: amazing what people have in their lofts thats how i got my thorens/SME...:)
Surely you gave him more?
Lucky sod....£20........:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: amazing what people have in their lofts thats how i got my thorens/SME...:)
Surely you gave him more?
:lol: Im just winding you up,no i paid the going rate,not cheap.
dantheman91
05-05-2017, 19:24
:lol: Im just winding you up,no i paid the going rate,not cheap.
Blooming hell dude.....:) thats good what a stunning piece:) gorgeous
Here is one for you what do you know of the Mission 775 turntable ones local with an LC tonearm? worth a go?
vinylspinner
05-05-2017, 19:26
Nice turntable Jamie, have owned a few myself, great bass from these when set up right, nice compact footprint as well.
Should sound great with the Alphason arm fitted, try it without the damping paddle first.
Nigel
cheers for the info Nigel,did you own one with a plinth? if so how did it fit? did it just wrap around the sides?
Blooming hell dude.....:) thats good what a stunning piece:) gorgeous
Here is one for you what do you know of the Mission 775 turntable ones local with an LC tonearm? worth a go?
if its the 775sm then yes for sure!
The daughter must have been a cracker to get a present like that. Great find man.
vinylspinner
05-05-2017, 19:52
cheers for the info Nigel,did you own one with a plinth? if so how did it fit? did it just wrap around the sides?
Yes I did, the Rock just sat inside of it and it had two large diameter holes in the base for the cables to pass through. Probably better to have a custom made acrylic cover to sit right over the turntable tbh.
Nigel
cheers,im just looking through the owners manual and it doesn't mention townsend at all.the company is elite gramophones ltd.
vinylspinner
05-05-2017, 20:14
cheers,im just looking through the owners manual and it doesn't mention townsend at all.the company is elite gramophones ltd.
Must be a very early one then, what is the serial number, low 200 to 300 perhaps?
Nigel
Hi Jamie,
Excellent find, you are very lucky indeed!
As far as I know, the Australian but Japanese made moving magnet Elite EEI 300H is an entry level cartridge with conical stylus from the seventies.
Must be a very early one then, what is the serial number, low 200 to 300 perhaps?
Nigel
i cant find one,the back of the plinth has nothing on it.
it is very likely if the guy worked there that he got it 'out the back door' so to speak.
here's the info from the box.
https://s26.postimg.org/6yic1bl1l/IMG_1453_1.jpg
The daughter must have been a cracker to get a present like that. Great find man.
lol he didnt love her enough to put a decent cartridge on!
he has written on the box though,lots of love mario x :)
also theres the letter H on the green on/off switch,i wonder what that means?
walpurgis
05-05-2017, 21:18
also theres the letter H on the green on/off switch,i wonder what that means?
That's the 'Hiroshima' setting. Press it and everything goes into self destruct mode. BOOM! :eek:
rubber duck
05-05-2017, 22:27
First thing tomorrow morning i'll be bunging the alphason on it! :)
I'm surprised you haven't just plugged it in to play it. I suspect that the front-end damping may level the playing field for tonearms somewhat. You could also try another cartridge to begin with.
What a great find!
Don't dismiss the damping paddle - without it, the Rock is an ok turntable, but it's the fluid damping that really makes it something special.
What a great find!
Don't dismiss the damping paddle - without it, the Rock is an ok turntable, but it's the fluid damping that really makes it something special.
well this this morning i put the alphason on the rock and set it up,pushed the on button and sat back to listen.
the bass is very well defined and overall appeared to be as good as my pioneer tt......that is until i added some damping fluid! my god that has transformed it,i didnt hold out much hope using the flud as on the 774 tonearm i had i made the 2m black sound dull but this is a different story here.
there's a comment ive read on the net from someone who said its the closest thing he's heard to a master tape,well i can believe that,it just sounds so real,cymbals for instance are amazingly life like.
i also today phoned townsend audio and spoke to a lady who had worked there a long time and actually remembers the guy mario,she couldn't believe it had been in the loft for 30 yrs and seemed more happy about it than me lol.
i couldn't be happier at the moment,must stop buying now for a while and concentrate on buying vinyl!
https://s26.postimg.org/owc8wlyyx/IMG_1456_1.jpg
Don't get bargains like that here.
im beginning to think there some kinda divine intervention going on here grant! first the signifers just down the road,then the 66's selling,i had another pioneer tt lined up as spares for mine coming from canada but i pulled out at the last minute,i just had a gut feeling,and then the rock turns up on gumtree for the same money.
walpurgis
06-05-2017, 15:56
If you bung the 774 on the Rock, you can fluid damp it at the cartridge and arm pivot. Twice the fun! :)
nice thought but i got shot of it geoff,it just didnt compete with the alphason. :(
im beginning to think there some kinda divine intervention going on here grant! first the signifers just down the road,then the 66's selling,i had another pioneer tt lined up as spares for mine coming from canada but i pulled out at the last minute,i just had a gut feeling,and then the rock turns up on gumtree for the same money.
Yup, someone up there likes you :) not me though :D
another interesting thing is the original fluid has a colour and viscosity very like stp (the stuff in the can) geoff!
walpurgis
06-05-2017, 17:30
another interesting thing is the original fluid has a colour and viscosity very like stp (the stuff in the can) geoff!
STP is what I use in the 774!
i know,thats why i mentioned you :doh:
julesd68
06-05-2017, 17:48
What a superb buy - the condition looks amazing. I was so close to buying one of these back in the day.
Were they supplied with any particular tonearms originally? I can't remember ...
...
i couldn't be happier at the moment,must stop buying now for a while and concentrate on buying vinyl!
https://s26.postimg.org/owc8wlyyx/IMG_1456_1.jpg
Yes, we can see that.. It surely sounds even better with an album on it, right? ;)
Seriously though, a great find! Congrats!
I had a similar fortune a couple of years back, as i bought a brand new boxed Thorens TD-318 Mk III with a "fault", sitting in the loft of one of my then customers! The fault was as simple as adjusting the sprung chassis and was fine!
http://www.ollars.net/hififorum/thorens6.jpg
Here with a 2M Blue as i didnt want to crack open the OM20 which was included.
Anyway, great find and hope you'll enjoy it!
Cheers /Mike
Neglecting my core philosophical stance, and giving in to my aesthetic feelings, that looks like a wonderful combination, well made parts, succinct and solid, I'd love it.
i wonder could you say what your core philosophical stance is?
Haselsh1
07-05-2017, 08:15
I had one of those back in 2005. It is not the original Rock but the MkII version. Mine was fitted with an Alphason HR100S MCS tonearm but I can't remember the cartridge. I have some kind of memory that it may have been an Ortofon Kontrapunkt.
It is not the original Rock but the MkII version. Mine was fitted with an Alphason HR100S MCS tonearm.
im listening to that combo now,stunning!
reflecting on this tt leaves me wondering how the hell linn argued their way out of the lp12 being better,this tt is so much better than the same year lp12.
i wasn't into hifi then so anyone that was what happened,was it the usual linn marketing bollocks ?
My stance on vinyl is, that as more of an objectivist, it is such an inherently flawed medium that digital beats it on many counts; distortion, DR, noise, repeatability, lack of required care, variability of physical product, maintenance, wear, larger physical space consumption, and probably others.
It is never the less from an iconically beautiful artefact endowed age.
But I am not saying that digital is, or always sound better, but the problem with this is that we were probably all imprinted with vinyl as a new and much higher fi medium in our youth, and have its legacy.
Imprinting has a major effect on our life choices, more than we realise, and also to a greater extent than we think, so we are probably all habituated to the flaws in vinyl.
Shaun's combo sounds like an ideal one for me.
ah i see you point,for me,ive just upgraded to a better cd player and i could feel myself leaving vinyl behind,like you the hassle of setting up a cartridge and all the other variants that go with it compared to just bunging on a cd player seems a no brainer. but there's something about listening to vinyl that a cd just cant do,i dont know what it is but theres seems to be a magical moment when you get the cartrdge dialled in and sit back and listen,its a wonderful moment!
Pete The Cat
07-05-2017, 11:29
I bought a beaten-up Rock II a couple of years back (without the Excalibur or Merlin) and following remedial work she's been a dream, with and without the trough, replacing my Pioneer PL-71 in my main system. It surprises me how little they sell for. Aside from the sonic characteristics mentioned by others they're nicely petite compared to the size of modern superdecks.
Pete
the loaf
11-05-2017, 09:39
A superb buy in stunning condition . I recall back in the day visiting a Brighton dealer who stocked audio by design / audio innovations stuff ie rock, voyd , systemdeck , AI , snells etc. On at least one occasion
an AB dem between a voyd / helius arm ( the then cheapest arm they had at the time) was outperformed - to my ears - by a rock / excalibur unit despite the dealers maintaining the voyd set up was better. The rock
sounded more in control and musical to my ears at the time.
anthonyTD
11-05-2017, 11:30
Thats absolutely fantastic,
You are indeed a very lucky man. :)
I Still have an original Cranfield Rock, with the Excalibur arm, and I wouldnt part with it.
A...
Arkless Electronics
11-05-2017, 12:41
The best sound I've ever heard from vinyl has been from these... and on more than one occasion.
The cartridge is Elite as well BTW. There was a pre and power amp available as well and the pre had rather odd styling IIRC. It stood upright but was only a few inches wide and had a sloped wedge rear panel.
anthonyTD
11-05-2017, 13:15
Hi Jez,
I agree,
When I aquired mine, it stil had its original MC Cartridge, fitted, called the Grail!:)
The best sound I've ever heard from vinyl has been from these... and on more than one occasion.
The cartridge is Elite as well BTW. There was a pre and power amp available as well and the pre had rather odd styling IIRC. It stood upright but was only a few inches wide and had a sloped wedge rear panel.
Thats absolutely fantastic,
You are indeed a very lucky man. :)
I Still have an original Cranfield Rock, with the Excalibur arm, and I wouldnt part with it.
A...
id love to see some pics please :)
anthonyTD
11-05-2017, 15:56
Hi Jamie,
No worries, I'l take a few when I get chance, and post them here.:)
A...
id love to see some pics please :)
Nice find, Jamie! :thumbsup:
First thing tomorrow morning i'll be bunging the alphason on it! :)
Don't be too hasty, mate. I'd listen to it first with the Mission, as it's a good arm (don't underestimate it), then pop the Alphason on it later. That way you'll know exactly how both arms sound, and which one compliments the turntable best, not to mention the cartridge used... ;)
Anyway, enjoy! :cool:
Marco.
whoops to late mate,i sold it :rolleyes:
i have to say though the alphason is doing sterling service.
Lol - not to worry... Hey, you sold that quick!
Marco.
yes,almost within minutes of listing it,i always thought it was a cheapo arm as it was used by many turntables as a basic arm,ie acoustic research and mission etc,the LC in mission lc stands for low cost.
yes,almost within minutes of listing it,i always thought it was a cheapo arm as it was used by many turntables as a basic arm,ie acoustic research and mission etc,the LC in mission lc stands for low cost.
It's a bit more capable that you probably thought, although no doubt not up to the Alphason, which is arguably one of the finest vintage arms ever made.
Marco.
Haselsh1
12-05-2017, 08:50
I remember the original Cranfield Rock turntable back around 1982 at a friends hi-fi business but sadly it was just too expensive at the time so I bought a Logic DM101 MkI. I used for years an Alphason HR100S MCS tonearm though. A long time later I reinvented my vinyl system and installed the HR100 on a Rock MkII only to be seriously disappointed with it selling it on via ebay. I think my personal favourite was and still is the Alphason Sonata. Why, oh why...?
Posted on his behalf:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/d3RYrM.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/924/2J7wyB.jpg
Quality! :cool:
Marco.
anthonyTD
12-05-2017, 12:22
Thanks Marco,
Never did get the hang of putting up picks here!:doh:
I forgot to mention; before I aquired this one, I had a version of the same deck, but with the mision arm fitted, and I have to say that the combination worked very well too.
A...
VesaLato
12-05-2017, 12:51
I have been wandering about that tonearm guide on Townsend tt:s, what it is there for?
Thanks Marco,
Never did get the hang of putting up picks here!:doh:
I forgot to mention; before I aquired this one, I had a version of the same deck, but with the mision arm fitted, and I have to say that the combination worked very well too.
A...
No worries, mate. You're welcome :)
I'll teach you one day! :D
Marco.
I have been wandering about that tonearm guide on Townsend tt:s, what it is there for?
It is a trough filled with a gloopy silicone fluid which acts to hold the cartridge rock solid while the stylus/cantilever vibrates in the groove - but it doesn't impede the movement of the tonearm tracking the spiral groove of the record...
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anthonyTD
12-05-2017, 14:48
:)
It is a trough filled with a gloopy silicone fluid which acts to hold the cartridge rock solid while the stylus/cantilever vibrates in the groove - but it doesn't impede the movement of the tonearm tracking the spiral groove of the record...
Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk
You know how people (not here, of course!) put 'NOS' in their adverts, even if it's just old junk? Well that, Jamie, looks like proper, genuine NOS to me. Excellent turntable!
it certainly has very little hours on it :)
farflungstar
12-05-2017, 17:17
You sold the Rock! Damn.
VesaLato
13-05-2017, 03:05
It is a trough filled with a gloopy silicone fluid which acts to hold the cartridge rock solid while the stylus/cantilever vibrates in the groove - but it doesn't impede the movement of the tonearm tracking the spiral groove of the record...
Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk
Thanks for explaining.
Thanks for explaining.
[emoji6]
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shane asked for a vid of the rock in action,thought id post it on here as well :)
https://youtu.be/PYCH8TmoHtY
Bigman80
21-05-2017, 19:19
Well that certainly sounds imposing!!! Not sure I like the look of the trough? But I could live with it 😂😂
All jokes aside, that looks the nuts and im sure it sounds even better.
Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
farflungstar
21-05-2017, 19:21
Perhaps the stand out quality of the rock according to reviewers is it's substantial and rock solid bass performance which was said to outperform any other deck. What do you think?
I intend to try and pick up a rock after summer as a back up to my DD SP10. Any thoughts would be useful....
the bass is certainly good,but the real magic is when you use the damping trough,it just brings out more detail imo
Well that certainly sounds imposing!!! Not sure I like the look of the trough? But I could live with it ����
All jokes aside, that looks the nuts and im sure it sounds even better.
Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
it could be a hollowed out dog turd for all i care mate,that trough is where the magic is lol
Bigman80
21-05-2017, 19:31
it could be a hollowed out dog turd for all i care mate,that trough is where the magic is lol
Lol fair do's pal. It does look lovely. Im intrigued by it. Shame you're not nearer, id love a listen. PS. You had/have a Nakamichi phono stage dont you?
Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
yes mate,call me if you need any info,its easier than typing :)
oh i forgot to say the other good thing i like is the record is clamped down firmly directly onto the platter,no which mats best dilemmas,and also no static problems too.
Bigman80
21-05-2017, 20:18
yes mate,call me if you need any info,its easier than typing :)
Will do, thanks mate.
Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
I miss my Avalon / HR100S combo - a great sounding little turntable that absolutely destroyed the Linn Axis that it was compared to back in the 80s. I've still never heard a turntable that was so good at minimising scratch and other surface noise - the damping of the head shell made good vinyl very, very quiet. The inverted main bearing design was poor, and subject to wear. You could reface the thrust surface though, which I did a couple of times
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ive just found some info on resurfacing the bearing,thankfully mine is flat as a pancake.
https://s26.postimg.org/ymy3685zd/post-109729-0-50905100-1430710608.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/snac2kl6x/post-109729-0-44041900-1430710610.jpg
VesaLato
30-07-2017, 10:27
So, how is towsend holding up it's place?
Bigman80
30-07-2017, 10:43
lol did i send you that link to STP?
So, how is towsend holding up it's place?
its still being used for my vinyl playback so the pioneer is under the table looking sorry for itself.
i do wonder what id have to spend to get a considerably better sonic upgrade.
i would however like to hear a spacedeck some day.
lol did i send you that link to STP?
i dont think so mate,im sorted in that department now though,ive got 500g of 12,500 cs silicone fluid which would last about 20 yrs lol
Bigman80
30-07-2017, 10:56
its still being used for my vinyl playback so the pioneer is under the table looking sorry for itself.
i do wonder what id have to spend to get a considerably better sonic upgrade.
i would however like to hear a spacedeck some day.
i dont think so mate,im sorted in that department now though,ive got 500g of 12,500 cs silicone fluid which would last about 20 yrs lolSorry, mate. I completely forgot. Glad you're sorted!
Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
well you all know me and tonearm boards,if there's one to be made i cant help myself! :D
so with that in mind ive had this itch to make one for my rock 2.
here's the standard one,made from metal plate,can it be bettered?
i mean we wouldn't dream of using metal plate for a tonearm board due to resonance would we??
https://s26.postimg.org/n3f0592o9/IMG_1656[1].jpg
im using ebony for the new one as i have a piece spare.
https://s26.postimg.org/ig8y3hfbd/IMG_1658[1].jpg
i wanted to keep the ebonies thickness rather than go thin like the steel plate so i had to rebate the back to give it the appearance of the original plate.
https://s26.postimg.org/wk07y4x55/IMG_1660[1].jpg
and bingo here we have a new mounting board :)
https://s26.postimg.org/5ng8ptebt/IMG_1659[1].jpg
i have applied 2 coats of sanding sealer which will need to dry over night.
i'll fit it tomorrow and hopefully my hard work will pay off,if not well it looks better than the steel plate at least.:)
VesaLato
09-09-2017, 17:12
Nice wood work!
Bigman80
09-09-2017, 19:51
That's very good Jamie. I'm impressed.
Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
thanks oliver,im an ex cabinet maker so it was no biggy.
Bigman80
09-09-2017, 20:45
thanks oliver,im an ex cabinet maker so it was no biggy.Fair enough but it's a standard above anything I'd manage lol.
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speedracer
02-10-2017, 18:49
Hi Jamie, a great turntable & a great find, congrats.
Can I ask about the armboard you made for it, I am sure I have seen it for sale somewhere so I assume it didn't provide any benefits over the standard one?
update,
i picked up a heed obit power supply to try,i wonder what if any improvements it will make?
montesquieu
11-12-2017, 21:32
Great idea nicely executed! I did wonder about use of steel plate when I had a Rock but never took the notion anywhere.
[Edit - just realised the plate is old news - any comments on it Jamie?]
ive just found some info on resurfacing the bearing,thankfully mine is flat as a pancake.
https://s26.postimg.org/ymy3685zd/post-109729-0-50905100-1430710608.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/snac2kl6x/post-109729-0-44041900-1430710610.jpg
I recognise that writing... it's mine.
Still have my Rock II purchased in 1986, still has the RB250 fitted, but the DL110 is long gone. I am in no hurry to sell mine at all.
speedracer
11-12-2017, 22:21
I recognise that writing... it's mine.
Still have my Rock II purchased in 1986, still has the RB250 fitted, but the DL110 is long gone. I am in no hurry to sell mine at all.
I have just purchased a new arm for my Rock, an ARB twin pivot job, & made an armboard from a piece of acrylic I had laying around. It sounds much better than the Rega RB300 that was on it when I bought it, but for a proper comparison I am taking it over to Non-Smoking Mans tomorrow to see how it fairs against his Cranfield Rock. Tried this a few weeks ago when the Rega arm was on & it was not as good as the Cran Rock by a fair amount, so will see how it fairs tomorrow.
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