LP12 Troubles

[vinydobby]

Hello. I have finally finished a total revamp of my system which now includes Tannoy Arden speakers, Radford STA amp, Audiolab 8000C pre, Linn Selekt renderer, Stax SR L700 headphones. To my ancient ears it sounds wonderful but the cherry on the cake was to be the return of my ill LP12. I have purchased most of my new equipment from a single dealer who is Linn approved. Several months ago the LP12 just stopped working. I took it to the dealer who said the power supply board was fried and the motor was dead. I paid £623 to get the LP12 repaired and serviced which the dealer said he did personally. Yesterday the dealer came over to return mended LP12 and do the room optimisation for the Linn Selekt. When he came to set up the LP12 I had to point out that the turntable needed levelling and had to find a spirit level – it needed considerable adjustment. Next problem was that the turntable took an age to get to speed and the dealer said that he had forgotten to actually replace the motor so would have to come back. We got the turntable up to speed and although Moondance sounded good, there was no real volume even with the pre turned fully up. I had no problems with my previous Naim NAC62/NAP90 setup but dealer said this was due to a different phono setup on the Naim (?). The LP12 currently has an Akito arm with a Corus Blue cartridge and the dealer has said that a Goldring 1042 would work well. Because my brain is a moving magnet with one magnet missing, I did not really take any of this up with the dealer yesterday but I am now feeling really unsettled and stuck. What I would like advice on is whether I should just accept the suggestion and buy a new cartridge or whether there are other avenues to explore. I am not very technically minded so am in the hands of people who are. I am not sure I have much confidence left with my dealer but as I said before, I feel stuck. Many thanks

[ReggieB]

Sorry if this is a "sucking eggs" suggestion but: First thing I'd check is that the phono lead from the turntable is actually connected into phono in and not another input of your pre-amp (eg. CD or Aux).

[Beobloke]

As above - first check the LP12 is plugged into the right input. You shouldn’t need a new cartridge unless something monumentally catastrophic has happened to it but I’ve never known this to happen!

[WESTLOWER]

Apologies, I may have misinterpreted this...
Did you say you paid £623 for a service and new power board and motor, then the dealer after struggling to get the deck to speed, admitted he 'forgot' to replace the motor?

obviously this does not sound right!

[Firebottle]

PM sent.

[Paul-H]

Sounds like you need to finds a new dealer and get your money back from the man in the big hat and chaps who is clearly not up to the job of repairing your LP12

Paul

[Lawrence001]

+1, did you pay by card? Also I wonder if a call to Linn to discuss how they approve their dealers is on the cards (once this is sorted, no point in winding him up further yet).

[vinydobby]

Many thanks for comments. I assumed the dealer knew which were the correct connections but now more worried! I am a bit stuck given my turntable is with the dealer so I suppose I am committed to a new cartridge. I will ask for the old one back plus the old motor. He said he could not give me the old power supply board back as it was dangerous so he binned it. When this is sorted I will follow up the contact with Linn. Thanks

[hifi_dave]

Not all Linn dealers are turntable specialists. Some are up to date with the latest electronics but have no clue about the LP playing side of things.

The old Valhalla board had a couple of things which were very common faults. As Linn stockists we used to have a bag of parts to replace on the PCB - a 10 minute job when you knew how. Maybe that is why the board wasn't returned to you ?

As to motors, I have never seen a faulty one - noisy yes, but running slow or not at all, I have not experienced. In this case you were informed that the motor was 'dead', so how come it worked, albeit slowly, when the turntable was returned from repair without a new motor ?

Isn't the Corus Blue a Goldring in drag ?

[scotty38]

I’d have to agree with folk as it sounds like you’ve not paid for much more than a tickle of your own parts plus now a new cartridge on top due to him not plugging it in correctly. With the new cartridge and using the phono input I am guessing you’ll get a knowing “there you go......”.

Unfortunately......

[Lawrence001]

Can I suggest a helpful member on here phones the dealer up on behalf of the OP, with him having told the dealer first that his freind is calling who understands these things better, and work out exactly what he's getting for his money?

[Pigmy Pony]

You shouldn’t need a new motor either - or at least it is very unlikely. Presumably you had a Linn Valhalla power supply and these are known to fail given time. However, they aren’t difficult, or particularly expensive to repair. Another popular choice is to replace it with a Hercules which also gives 45rpm.

Valhalla packed up on my eight year old LP12, and Linn supplied a replacement FOC, even though I'd bought the deck secondhand. And the dealer fitted it for £40. Ok this was late 80's and prices do go up, but this just sounds wrong.

[Mike_500]

Erm, that sounds absolutely awful. I am mid-system-upgrade right now. Some bits back (if you have an old analogue system, search if yours can be re-capped. Meridian 500 owners are fortunate with 2 ex-Meridian employees running service organisations) and some bits still away including my 1987 Linn Sondek LP12. The first thing I did was email Linn - most helpful. Customer Support, Linn Products Limited, Tel: +44 (0) 141 303 5003, Fax: +44 (0) 141 644 4262 www.linn.co.uk helpline@linn.co.uk

I emailed the dealers and contacted my closest, Audio T, great response. Good feedback on them in the Linn Sondek LP12 Facebook group confirmed that and it's now with them for the upgrades suggested by Linn and some more stuff. It doesn't sound to me that your dealer cares or is competent or is a proper Linn dealer. If they claim to be, enlist the aid of Linn - your description is of unacceptable service/standards. HTH.

[guy]

Sounds dodgy - my Valhalla burnt out, I left it in a cupboard for over ten years then sold it on eBay last year for just over £50 (still in non working condition).

Sorry to hear of you difficulties, but also, "forgetting" to fit new motor sounds slapdash to say the least - how is suspension, bouncing nicely? Removing Valhalla and ultimately the motor will require a reset. Does price include new belt?

[vinydobby]

Hello again Many thanks again for your comments. I think I am stuck until I get the LP12 back. Lawrence made the suggestion that someone who knows about these issues might agree to talk to the dealer about what is being done. I am beginning to suspect that the power supply was never changed! I would obviously talk to the dealer first to explain. Is there anyone who would like to do this for me!!?? In return I will name one of our brook faeries after you and also make you an amazing pen (fountain, rollerball or ballpoint) (when new lathe arrives in two weeks) Thanks again.

[Shovel_Knight]

Are you a pen maker? That's amazing, I'm a huge fan of fountain pens and constantly scour YouTube in search of pen-making videos... There is a very good documentary about Japanese pan makers. I was amazed to see that they can cut perfect threads using manual instruments!

Sorry for going off topic.

[Paul-H]

I have been watch those videos as well, sadly though another craft dieing out.

Paul

[Ducatiist]

Wow this all sound very suspect.
I have just built an LP12 from scratch (using parts I have bought second hand and some new consumable parts).
Having researched prices and how to build the turntable (Cymbiosis has an excellent 'how to' guide and supply many Linn parts).
A new motor is about £180, new springs and grommets are about £16 a set, new belt £50, replacement power supply depends on what you go for, but I re-capped/upgraded bridge rectifier etc on my Valhalla for about £16. The turntable is now playing better than I have ever heard an LP12 in my system. Speed is spot on and my bitsa Lp12 turntable is far better than the one I bought many years ago as a fully serviced/running deck.
I was always a bit frightened to touch my old LP12 due to the mystery that surrounds the set-up, even though the sound was never anything special.
Having done one from scratch I realise it just takes a bit of patience.
I followed Peter Swains set-up guide and there really isn't too much to the set up of a fairly simple LP12 (mine is an afro fluted plinth, Valhalla, premotech motor, Linn Basik arm and pre-circus bearing).
I'd not be happy with the service provided by the "Linn authorised" dealer!
If you're near Cymbiosis headquarters I'd ask Peter to take a look at it.
I'd demand all the old parts returned or refuse to pay for the new ones (especially when he "forgot" to change the motor!!!).
Sounds like very poor service to me.

[hifi_dave]

There is no magic or mystique in setting up an LP12, it's straightforward if you are handy. Having said that, I have seen many dire set ups over my years and some have been done (very badly) by Linn dealers.

Once you have done a few, it's quite easy and I don't see how some of the prices for set up can be justified. I usually charge £60 for set up and service + any parts and that is sufficient.

[Jac Hawk]

As many before have said the dealer is taking the piss, if he didn't have the skill set he should have been up front with you and said so, also if he had it in his workshop surely he must have tested it before returning it to you, so that all you would have needed to do is get it level, my advice find a better dealer or befriend a local enthusiast who knows what he's doing.