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£10 Goldring Lenco GL75!

Gaius

Gaius

pfm Member
I picked this up at my local boot sale this morning for ten pounds along with some nice Krautrock.

http://s1013.photobucket.com/user/gaius1/slideshow/Lenco?sort=3

I think I'll have a go at restoring it and probably fit a modern arm...I've always been curious to learn what those who swear by idler drives are on about.

Any ideas welcome, where to start......

I was surprised how heavy and solid it feels, also the levers have a quality feel to them. At first glance it seems a decent bit of kit.
 
They are decent, a painless introduction to idlers.

I've serviced and changed the V blocks in the arm, but its still not great. If you can find a spare Ittok, it'd fit fairly easily.

Solid ply plinth will have you wondering what belts are for;-)
 
Hi I recently bought a near mint condition GL75 for £80, in original boxes. I have removed the original arm ready to fit a Jelco ST250 or a LINN BASIK LVX/Plus tonearm which will bring a big improvement in sound quality.These models are more or less drop in replacements but you might need to drill holes in the top for mounting with bolts.
The rega arms need to be mounted slightly lower apparently so not as easy to fit.
 
Looks like a nice tidy one that will clean up rather well. If you want to keep it stock (which is what I'd do as nice ones are getting rather rare) then you seem to be missing the rider weight and bias weight, but they crop up regularly on eBay.
 
The Rega's are the wrong geometry, they need a different hole altogether.

Linn arms will drop into the original collar with a little fiddle. Its another reason stacking platters has been adopted, it helps with the height problems .
 
You probably know already, but http://www.lencoheaven.net/ and, if you speak French, http://lenco.reference.xooit.fr/index.php are excellent resources.

You'll need the v-blocks, which are readily available, but apart from that, and a good clean and lubrication, you should be fine. The screws for fitting cartridges are pains to find, but lenco heaven has the link.

I'm with Tony, keep it original. There are some abominations out there in the name of suitable plinth design.
 
The best examples should be kept original in my opinion. Technical & General in east Sussex carry spares, including replacement V blocks, albeit at a price.

Mark, yours looks good and with a clean may be a candidate to keep original. I have one with a similar looking plinth, which is pretty tidy. I always keep the best condition examples stock and then mod the ones where the arm is beyond salvation or the chassis is pitted or untidy. Main issue you tend to find is that the chrome on the armtube goes flaky and the stub sags. Also check that the idler wheel is round - being a GL75 it should be a metal one with rubber rim.
 
Tony L said:
Looks like a nice tidy one that will clean up rather well. If you want to keep it stock (which is what I'd do as nice ones are getting rather rare) then you seem to be missing the rider weight and bias weight, but they crop up regularly on eBay.
Click to expand...

I have the weight in my trouser pocket, cheers Tony that could have ended up in the wash!

Thanks all for your comments, I'll certainly keep it original for a bit and see what it sounds like, might even be worth having just for my Elvis 78s and such like.
 
Build a layered plinth c£50 details on Lenco Heaven and stick a Linn arm on it which are the same geometry and you will have a decent deck.
 
I agree with Muzzer, putting a better arm on will make a huge improvement in sound quality but it's also a shame to move away from the original design. I think the stock arm is not that bad if in good condition and re-wired but its hard to do.
 
Nice one Mark. The GL75 was the first part of my idler journey away from the LP12! Like has been said - get those v blocks replaced (use Desmo on ebay).
I'd keep in stock form - my son uses mine, and its a wonderful looking and sounding deck. Best sat on a Target style wall shelf too.
Next stop a 401 hey!
Mark
 
Ahhhh Mark not saying you're a copycat but...😉 Look forward to what you do with yours- I'm in about 3 minds as to what I do with mine (new arm, plinth, keep original).
 
My goal was to keep it original. I changed the V blocks in the original arm, serviced the bearings with Joel's kit and added a new power cord with earthing the metal parts. Get rid of the springs, sorbothane and rdc cones work great instead.
Phono pre is a build in Naim prefix connected to Naim pre, Denon 103 as pickup.....wow, great fun!
 
Did you replace the springs with sorbothane or fix the bottom plate and use the sorbothane as feet?
 
rigid sorbothane blocs are located in the inner edges of the plinth, with these blocs the player sits on the bottom plate. the bottom plate itself connects to the rack by three rdc 2 cones.

in my experience the l75 sounds the better the more rigid the connection to the rack is.
 
Gaius said:
I picked this up at my local boot sale this morning for ten pounds along with some nice Krautrock.

http://s1013.photobucket.com/user/gaius1/slideshow/Lenco?sort=3

I think I'll have a go at restoring it and probably fit a modern arm...I've always been curious to learn what those who swear by idler drives are on about.

Any ideas welcome, where to start......

I was surprised how heavy and solid it feels, also the levers have a quality feel to them. At first glance it seems a decent bit of kit.
Click to expand...

Nice one, I was always a Thorens guy though I heard these decks in Discos in the early 70's, good sounds, moved on from the music apart from Santana.

Tell us about the Krautrock. ;)
 
The Mayware unipivot drops in nicely and is the right length, being Linn geometry. Mine sounds great. It may one day replace my 401. For my part I love the Inspire designs, I think they are great and I've no desire to keep them original. It's a recordplayer not a Picasso. I'd replace the nasty on-off switch with something better though, same with the speed control. Hap'orth of tar and all that.
 
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