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Lenco L70 project

Here's the L70 after removing a thick layer of dust:-

L70%20small.JPG


Someone has butchered the arm mount hole to fit the GL75 arm, but other than that it looks pretty nice. Not bad for £5.50 - it even came with a cartridge (FF15E).
 
It looks great, hugely better than the eBay pic. It's fitted with the desirable late 70s 'five hole' idler too, an item that frequently eBays for 20-30 quid on it's own! A nice catch.

Tony.
 
I can't see a date on it anywhere but the S/N is 17372 and the label says GL59. It's was just covered in dust, so I've only wiped it with a damp cloth. I suppose it's a bit of a shame about the arm hole, but it probably doesn't make a lot of difference since it was going to get a new arm anyway. Motor and platter bearings feel OK although the motor pulley spindle looks slightly rusty. I will find a plug for it tomorrow.

Now off to scour the LL forum to find out what a five hole idler is ...
 
I can't see a date on it anywhere but the S/N is 17372 and the label says GL59. It's was just covered in dust, so I've only wiped it with a damp cloth. I suppose it's a bit of a shame about the arm hole, but it probably doesn't make a lot of difference since it was going to get a new arm anyway. Motor and platter bearings feel OK although the motor pulley spindle looks slightly rusty. I will find a plug for it tomorrow.

Now off to scour the LL forum to find out what a five hole idler is ...


The GL59 and L70 are effectively identical. By it's colour and small badge one can tell it's an early one, they went to the L75 dark grey colour in about 1964-65. If you wanted to attempt restoration there is actually an L70 arm on eBay at the moment. The serial numbers of mine are 42822 and 47117, but they are both European spec Lencos, they are not Goldring badged (one came from France, the other Amsterdam) so I suspect the serial numbers are not connected. They were born August and June 1963.

It would have originally come with a dreadful hard plastic idler wheel with an even worse plastic tyre - these rumble like a freight train. Someone has obviously given your deck a comprehensive service in the 70s, it's just a shame they made a mistake with the arm.

If you find you are missing anything on the chassis I can probably find it for you as I have the corpse of a rather tatty late L70 that I landed just to get the bakelite headshell! I've sold a fair bit of it as parts, but still have the top plate and all levers etc left.

Tony.
 
Yes I saw that arm, but it's a £25 start (inc p&p) and someone has already bid on it. Anyway I think as the hole has been re-cut, it's probably best to tidy it up and fit something with slightly more potential.

I think it's actually complete, except for a couple of mounting studs and the associated plastic and spring mounts. I assume these are generally fitted in the bin anyway. Of the two (GL75) arms that came with the two decks, I might just get one serviceable one - but the L59/70 one has the drilled headshell which apparently is sought-after. So if I bung it on ebay, I might even get the cost of the deck back!

It's a beautifully simple design with a nice solid feel about the controls and the way it works, and I know these can sound really good because I heard Vic's GL75 in a Slatedeck plinth.

The GL75 (£7.50 from the same seller) is also quite nice. It's missing the motor transit bolts, and it has a slight paint scuffing on the left-hand edge (which you can feel rather than see), but it also has a five hole idler. I am not normally this lucky ...
 
So what are you doing with your many Lencos now you are going all Garrard Tony?

One L70 is fully employed in system two (Marantz PM7200 / Klipsch Hereseys). It’s as the picture earlier in the thread except it is now sporting the nice light grey resprayed platter. I use it to check records for the shop if I don’t know the music and need to write a description. I’m definitely keeping both L70s, though what happens to the other I’m not sure as yet – I’m sure I’ll eventually get round to commissioning a good plinth. Either way I’m happy to be sitting on two nice examples of what I consider to be Lenco’s best deck.

I’ve also got a GL75 that I plan to split on eBay quite soon – it is worth more in parts as it has a 5 hole idler and the more desirable ‘holey’ headshell. The final thing I’ve got is a spare very tatty L70 top plate (i.e. a third) which I’ll hang onto as I can send it off to whoever I get to build a plinth without having to put a nice one at risk.

Tony.
 
Inspired by Tony and the Lenco perv forum I have ebayed a GL75.

Hoping to end up somewhere like this:

20gb5ub.jpg


See this thread for how Steve on the Lenco forum put his together.

Expect anguished posting in the DIY forum soon.
 
I suppose that's one way to get around the VTA issues.

There are some fabulous projects on the LL forum - I especially liked the guy who DIYed his plinth in the fire escape stairwell on the 15th floor of his HK apartment building.
 
The HK guy's determination is amazing, I wish I had an 8th of it. Amazingly well finished deck regardless, let alone for a first attempt. I really like the Lenco-Lovers forum, it has a great attitude.

Tony.
 
My GL75 is now sitting on 3 playdough pots on my desk with a Pickering cart from Tony (thanks!) in the headshell wired precariously through some unsoldered RCAs into a phono stage. Spinning 'Blue Train' and sounding awesome!
 
Looks good to me. Just about my level of woodworking skill, though I'd probably not bother with the countersinking. :D
 
It looks like a very nice and tidy GL75 indeed. Have you given the main-bearing and motor a strip down, clean and re-lube yet? Lots of excellent advice over at Lenco-Lovers - these are really easy decks to service.

Tony.
 
I'm going to have to get my GL75 out and get some bearing blocks -

I bought a cheap Pickering XV15 TE (Vickers flog 'em for around £20 on eBay) which is rather microphonic (blu-tac anyone?) sadly, although it has the raw, get up and go of the Stanton 500EE I used to love...
 
I haven't meddled with the bearing or motor yet. The previous owner said he had oiled the bearing and replaced the V blocks in the arm. It seems to run quietly and smoothly enough. The guy I ebayed it from was top notch - packed very carefully with extra oil and spare V blocks from Technical and General and a printed out copy of the manual.

It is in such good cosmetic nick that I don't think I can justify repainting/meddling with it. It seems quite cool to have it in original condition with the original arm. As Tony pointed out to me the Pickering V15 he supplied me with could have been bought new with it and seems a really good match, more than good enough for the time being. It certainly sounds great for a setup that predates me by a couple of years ;-)

Next step is a more serious plinth. I'm thinking that if I get some birch ply layers cut to size at B&Q I should be capable of the jigsaw bodgery to cut out the necessary holes and then glue them together.

I think the deck is going to stay in the second system (currently macbook->dac->Trends t-amp->Aurousal A1). I am going to need an amp with more than one input and preferably a decent phono stage. Small and cute (Nait?) or vintage 70s receiver?
 
I'm going to have to get my GL75 out and get some bearing blocks -

If you need some v-blocks I have an unused set of the 3rd party hard plastic type I'd sell. I bought them for a project that never worked out. They are allegedly a big upgrade over the rubber even if it's not perished.

Tony.
 


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