I bought many turntables in the past. Some were not even for sale and were given to me and when money was offered, it was not accepted.
There's also a bit of an irresistible compulsion to re-build and renew turntables turning up here looking a bit worse for wear.
Some of the turntables sold over the years were a few 301's, a 401, a Michell Syncro and a Dunlop Systemdek 'Transcription' turntable.
I once 'bought' a 301 in literally 'as new' condition for R5, together with its hardcover handbook. Its owner wouldn't take money and asked me to give the R5 to his gardener. I still have it - the one fitted into the blue acrylic plinth.
The next purchase was two 301's for R150 each - a bit rough but perfectly useable.
Then I bought a Micro Seiki BL-51 found under a trolley jack in a bloke's car boot - paid R350 for it and still have it. Its Micro CF-1 carbon fibre arm undamaged and fortunately, its stuffed lid protected the platter. After a lid remade in blue acrylic, it looks and works like new.
Getting a bit out of sync here
I also bought a Rega Planar MK3 with an Acos Lustre arm from Cash Converters for R850.- This turntable had a party trick - I made a separate belt pulley for it to play 78's. I sold this one but kept the Lustre arm which I adapted to take EMT headshells and also had to re-configure the arm wires.
Then, it became 301 time again. Flea Market Milnerton on a hot as hell day a few summers ago. I saw a green and gold painted plank standing upright in the dust with something cream mounted on it. It was a 301 grease bearing, quite dirty but nothing broken and the bloke wanted R20 for it, together with a Linn arm on the plank.
I paid him R30 and a Coke for him and his missus.
The same day, still at the flea market, I met a friend/seller further down and during a chat, he mentioned he had a Micro direct drive MR-711 turntable which he may sell. He also told me that he made a few changes to the deck's connecting wires to suit his amp.
A few days later, we made the deal which cost me the R1K. The seller's 'changes' was not nice - he ripped-out the deck's din connector for its armwire, lost some feet and lid hinges but I bought it anyway.
After many weeks of meticulous work, I reinstated the din connector, made exact replicas of the two-part hinges, had a new lid made, a new cover plate for its controls and gave it a spray job in French Racing Blue.
I still have it.
The last grease bearing 301 was also a 'present', together with 350 perfect condition records. The former owner called me to ask if I could check out his turntable. From his description, I could make out that it was a 301.
So I said "OK" and a few days later, the old guy brought a dusty 301 here mounted on a sprung plank and the whole lot inside a wooden box.
The plank had an arm as well, together with a 12" Ortofon arm and a cheap mm needle which had no stylus.
So while my wife chatted to the old guy over cookies and tea, I tidied-up his 301, scimmed the glazed idler wheel and did a bearing rinse and relube.
Later, we found a new AT cartridge for him and I played him a disc or two.
I didn't charge him anything as the look on his face when he heard his 301 for the first time in years, was reward enough for me.
I never forgot the Ortofon arm though...
More than a year passed and one Sunday while we were out, there was a call from the old guy on my answering machine " I'm done with copying my records to CD for my son in London. I'm going to dump the player. If you want it, come through and pick it up. The records are also yours, if you want them".
So I went a few days later. After some to'ing and fro'ing and refusing my money, he eventually agreed to take R500 and promptly gave the money to his maid. This 301 I also still have.
I forgot about the B&O 4002's...I still have one I bought 25 years ago and recently, I repaired a cartridge for someone who paid me with another 4002, but that's another story. While writing this, I also forgot about some utterly forgetable Lenco L-75's which I wasted time on (polishing a turd is a better way to put it) and got rid of them as fast as I could. Sorry Lenco owners but this is my opinion FWIW.
So, if you're not asleep yet, the present 'in use' lineup is 2x301's in daily use, together with the BL-51 and the MR-711. And one 301 grease bearing in reserve...
skollie
There's also a bit of an irresistible compulsion to re-build and renew turntables turning up here looking a bit worse for wear.
Some of the turntables sold over the years were a few 301's, a 401, a Michell Syncro and a Dunlop Systemdek 'Transcription' turntable.
I once 'bought' a 301 in literally 'as new' condition for R5, together with its hardcover handbook. Its owner wouldn't take money and asked me to give the R5 to his gardener. I still have it - the one fitted into the blue acrylic plinth.
The next purchase was two 301's for R150 each - a bit rough but perfectly useable.
Then I bought a Micro Seiki BL-51 found under a trolley jack in a bloke's car boot - paid R350 for it and still have it. Its Micro CF-1 carbon fibre arm undamaged and fortunately, its stuffed lid protected the platter. After a lid remade in blue acrylic, it looks and works like new.
Getting a bit out of sync here
I also bought a Rega Planar MK3 with an Acos Lustre arm from Cash Converters for R850.- This turntable had a party trick - I made a separate belt pulley for it to play 78's. I sold this one but kept the Lustre arm which I adapted to take EMT headshells and also had to re-configure the arm wires.Then, it became 301 time again. Flea Market Milnerton on a hot as hell day a few summers ago. I saw a green and gold painted plank standing upright in the dust with something cream mounted on it. It was a 301 grease bearing, quite dirty but nothing broken and the bloke wanted R20 for it, together with a Linn arm on the plank.
I paid him R30 and a Coke for him and his missus.
The same day, still at the flea market, I met a friend/seller further down and during a chat, he mentioned he had a Micro direct drive MR-711 turntable which he may sell. He also told me that he made a few changes to the deck's connecting wires to suit his amp.
A few days later, we made the deal which cost me the R1K. The seller's 'changes' was not nice - he ripped-out the deck's din connector for its armwire, lost some feet and lid hinges but I bought it anyway.
After many weeks of meticulous work, I reinstated the din connector, made exact replicas of the two-part hinges, had a new lid made, a new cover plate for its controls and gave it a spray job in French Racing Blue.
I still have it.
The last grease bearing 301 was also a 'present', together with 350 perfect condition records. The former owner called me to ask if I could check out his turntable. From his description, I could make out that it was a 301.
So I said "OK" and a few days later, the old guy brought a dusty 301 here mounted on a sprung plank and the whole lot inside a wooden box.
The plank had an arm as well, together with a 12" Ortofon arm and a cheap mm needle which had no stylus.
So while my wife chatted to the old guy over cookies and tea, I tidied-up his 301, scimmed the glazed idler wheel and did a bearing rinse and relube.
Later, we found a new AT cartridge for him and I played him a disc or two.
I didn't charge him anything as the look on his face when he heard his 301 for the first time in years, was reward enough for me.
I never forgot the Ortofon arm though...
More than a year passed and one Sunday while we were out, there was a call from the old guy on my answering machine " I'm done with copying my records to CD for my son in London. I'm going to dump the player. If you want it, come through and pick it up. The records are also yours, if you want them".
So I went a few days later. After some to'ing and fro'ing and refusing my money, he eventually agreed to take R500 and promptly gave the money to his maid. This 301 I also still have.
I forgot about the B&O 4002's...I still have one I bought 25 years ago and recently, I repaired a cartridge for someone who paid me with another 4002, but that's another story. While writing this, I also forgot about some utterly forgetable Lenco L-75's which I wasted time on (polishing a turd is a better way to put it) and got rid of them as fast as I could. Sorry Lenco owners but this is my opinion FWIW.
So, if you're not asleep yet, the present 'in use' lineup is 2x301's in daily use, together with the BL-51 and the MR-711. And one 301 grease bearing in reserve...
skollie
