DOH - I now own another Lenco L75...

[Dowser]

So, somewhat unwisely given I have no space to store another one, I recently bought another L75 (my second, plus the stock mint L70 I have...plus the LP12, ST8 and TD124...). This one has been modified with a new mounting position for a Rega RB301 arm, the old holes have been filled nicely and the whole thing sprayed in red, with a white stock (sprung base board) Lenco plinth.

No idea why I bought it - it was cheap because the ad was poorly worded and I just couldn't see it sold so cheaply

However, after realising the error of my ways, I am going to flip it as quickly as possible. But questions I have;

- Is it worth more if I service bearing & motor first? I don't think they have been done, but it runs silently.
- Do I sell as is, either with or without the Rega arm, or re-open the original arm mount hole ready for a Linn geometry arm (in the back of my mind, I was going to mount a spare LVX I have)?

Pictures below - anyone interested in buying it, please let me know. I'm only after getting my money back, so would accept an offer of £240 with the Rega RB301 arm plus postage (and import duties - which I learned after selling a CD3.5 to UK recently are 23%?! Or, we take a chance and list it as a gift with "no commercial value" - it has the original box and packing, so will be ok to ship safely I think [I have spare motor lock screws which I'll fit, and platter is packed at bottom of stock packing stuff already]).

I leave it here for a day or so, then post similar on LH I think.

Thanks! Richard

Metal idler

Bearing/spindle - not serviced as far as I can tell, but spins better than other 2 Lenco's I have when I first bought them;

Serial #

Scratch on front of white plinth - pretty sure it would tcut/polish out

Rega RB301/3 arm mount - 221mm pivot to spindle

Paint job

Using poor light to show how good the filling of original arm mount hole is - you do not see anything in natural daylight

Underside showing how it was filled

More underside (note rubber grommets the top plate mounts to)

An original Lenco box and packing (with original sales receipt inside), I think a large part of why I stupidly bought it in the first place

 

[Nic Robinson]

Quite like the red. When I was buying and selling these I always lubed the motor and bearing...but just for my own satisfaction really. I'm sure it made no difference to what I got for it.

Do put it up at LH. There might be someone looking for that arm position.

 

[Dowser]

Thanks - think I’m going to properly service it (bearing clean & re-oil, Motor clean, oil, adjust and idler strip, clean & re-lube), then clean plinth and remount RB301. Then i’ll Sell it (after listening first - my other 75 has an AS-212 on it, interested to compare).

 

[Dowser]

Holy crow - so I serviced it, main bearng was clean but with limited oil in it (there's a service receipt in the box for a "full service" in 1982 - CHF 35.- ). recleaned and new oil, same for 5 hole idler and main deck maounting point, same for motor. All put back together with the Rega RB301 and some unknown Rega MM cartridge I have (R100 or RB100 - all plastic, non-removable stylus, "made in england" and "rega" printed underneath? No idea!).

I tried earthing chaissis via phono earth first - too much hum, so whacked a 3 wire means lead on it and earthed the chassis to mains - sorted.

This thing has no right to sound as good as it does - what is this damned Rega MM cartriadge?!

VTA not right (delrin spacers on order), but doesn't seem to matter;

What is this Rega cartridge? Just thorwn on so far, twisted to Baerwald but not actually measurered for accuracy yet Amazed how good it sounds straight into my Croft MM stage!

 

[Tony L]

Dunno what that is, but it certainly isn’t an R100! The R100 had a gold body, black removable stylus and was very good as I recall. One of those 80s carts that were I’m pretty sure sourced from Supex, Fidelity Research or someone similar (it looks quite similar to the FR101). It was so much easier to buy nice MM carts back then!

 

[Dowser]

All I can say is that, for an MM, it is stunning! Saw somewhere on t’internet that suggested Goldring, bloody brilliant is all I can say! I bought it for chf 1.- with a bent cantilever, I simply bent it back straight - it is the best MM I’ve heard, slight sibbilance at high frequency compared to, say, a Linn ASAKA, but bloody hell, it has no right to sound this good!

 

[bob]

Hi Richard
is the Lenco still for sale?

 

[Dowser]

Yes, but now I’ve spent a few hours servicing it it’s at £260 - I’m also waiting for cartridge spacers to get VTA right with the current Rega cartridge I mounted, so it depends if you want with or without cartridge ?

Note also that I am in Swissieland, so postage and import duties are on top. I have the original box, plus some spare motor locking screws (I’d need you to send me back to me please after delivery) to make it safe for shipping.

Richard

 

[bob]

Hi Richard,

can you give me a price for the turntable as pictured plus postage to Durham UK

is there still a way to do this in private away from public view, ie private message?

Ronnie

 

[Dowser]

Private conversation started Ronnie Note, not mentioned above, I used car polish on the plinth and the scratch in the original photos is much better now - still noticeable up close as a dent in the wood only.

Richard