LP12 Set up in Cambridgeshire / Northamptonshire

[Weeman1973]

Does anyone have any recommendations for anyone I could use to set up my LP12 in either Cambridgeshire or Northamptonshire?

I've changed tonearms, armboard and cartridge recently and it isn't bouncing as well as it used to so I'm trying to get someone that knows what they are doing (ie not me!!) to get it to where it needs to be.

I've asked my local Linn dealer but they are 'strongly advising' I have their proper service including oil and belt change (which I've already done myself) as well as new springs and grommets etc which will be in the region of £250 + which is more than I wish to spend.

If anyone can point me in the right direction of someone that can set the suspension correctly, I'm happy doing everything else (in fact have already done so).

Thanks in advance.

[guy]

May be talking out of place here, but would"DSJR" be willing? Forum member, based in Felixstowe - may be worth a PM.

[Opti-cal]

A tad more distance-wise but I can thoroughly recommend Cymbiosis. https://www.cymbiosis.com/

Peter is an absolute gent and no one knows more about LP12's. An interesting guy to chat to also as he's not just deeply into hifi.

Book an appointment for service/setup and go and enjoy watching the man work in a comfortable environment with coffee, knowledgeable people and all the LP12's in various guises you could shake a tonearm at.

You also get to hear some Kudos Titan 808's . . . .

[hifi_dave]

DSJR is very capable of setting up an LP12 without the BS.

Alternatively, i regularly set up and service LP12s for a fraction of the 'official Linn' cost.

[Made in 1968]

What i do not get about Dealers & such setting up the deck being such a delicate instrument is when you put it back in your car to bring it home its not really as it was when it left the shop is it? Well if its getting knocked out while just playing records im sure its gonna get re knocked out in the car! Home set up only i say & why you cant do it yourself is beyond me. There is no Mistique you know..

Amazing how al the other Suspended Deck don't need a set up Regime

[Opti-cal]

What i do not get about Dealers & such setting up the deck being such a delicate instrument is when you put it back in your car to bring it home its not really as it was when it left the shop is it? Well if its getting knocked out while just playing records im sure its gonna get re knocked out in the car! Home set up only i say & why you cant do it yourself is beyond me. There is no Mistique you know..

Amazing how al the other Suspended Deck don't need a set up Regime

Having had it done - getting springs set 100% correctly/aligning plinth/selecting grommets etc is very important and having witnessed people do it I would say unless you have a lot of parts, a jig and all the right tools you will not achieve the same result at home. You could maybe get close but if you want it to be spot on I doubt it would be satisfactory in comparison.

For transport the deck is semi-dismantled and the platter removed along with being carefully packed in a correct sized box with padding so there is no stress on the deck during transportation. This bit is down to you obviously, but is important if you're serious about getting it home in the same state.

Another absolutely crucial part of the LP12 setup (and this is completely unique to the LP12) is the tension from the tonearm cable. It forms part of the suspension so getting the bend and tension correct affects the entire setup.

With other TT's I agree you don't have to pay dealers to do it or indeed accept their prices but once you have closely inspected the workings and theory of how the LP12 is actually put together, tiny adjustments and professional setup do add up to make a profound difference.

I am reasonably handy at setting up TT's but it was a night and day difference after my setup. I literally could not believe it.

I think my setup was actually south of £200 as I recall. That is a good 3 hours labour plus new (hand selected) springs and grommets along with a new Linn belt and correct oil service on the platter spindle. Also straightening of the plinth (it was miles out even though it looked straight to the eye) on a proper rig and tonearm setup.

I've probably missed out a couple of other things which were done too.

After all that the deck had perfect "pistonic" bounce and is completely silent but most importantly it sounded like a completely different deck. I wasn't exactly disappointed with how it sounded before but I had no idea just how good it could be.

I'm glad I took the plunge anyway.

[Made in 1968]

Yeh right

[AJSki2fly]

Yeh right

Now, Now

[hifi_dave]

Setting up an LP12 is just sense, care and a little knack. There is no magic or fairy dust involved though some like to pretend it's only done properly by a handful of Gurus, with the right to charge a fortune to do the job.

Having said that, I've seen numerous, very poorly set up and sometimes butchered LP12s and many of those done by 'official Linn' dealers.

[Opti-cal]

Just giving my recent experience on a positive visit is all....

Just to add, I paid close attention to how to go about setting it up. Much more than watching any video or asking someone who didn't do it professionally.

That was part of the cost of the service and I certainly will be using methods obtained to help me in the future.

Additionally the belt is 30 quid or more sometimes plus the springs are 40 odd, plus the use of a professional jig.... That all adds up.

All I know is I've got a deck that sounds significantly better than it did before, plus I had a great morning and learned a lot.

Not really bothered if the guy's a "guru" or not, he made it sound it's best and explained why each tweak was important.

If people would rather DIY I'm a big advocate of that too.