advertisement


my next TT project - which way?

cubastreet

cubastreet

Espresso Fiend
I posted this in the DIY section but didn't get much response, so I'll see if there's more interest here...

I'm keen for a new turntable project.
I have a 12" grace J shaped arm for it.

In the white corner, we have a Perpeutum Ebner deck from the 60s I think - the PE34 HIFI. It's made in Germany, and the design is similar to my dream deck the TD124.

It has a big (17 watt I think) shaded pole motor hanging on springs, a fat drive belt and then an idler wheel. The main bearing is similar in design to the thorens but the small ball is part of the spindle and the bearing is made for grease (IE not sealed at the bottom).

The platter is one of the highest quality I've come across, but only 10" or so in diameter.

The tonearm appears to be a mix of beer can and plastic milk bottle - it certainly looks like the weak link of the table.

here's a sample, but mine's all white:
c4e01jpgtn4.jpg


In the red corner, a mid 70s Pioneer DD - the PL-530

PL530h.jpg


It has a nice looking, big motor, and the control circuit is pre-quartz and is all discrete so repairable. I'm using it now as my dual 1229's auto mechanism packed in when I got a bit carried away oiling the main bearing. It sounds OK but not amazing. Not nearly as good as the 1229 in a decent plinth. The motor and arm are sort of suspended so I suspect that mounting them directly on a decent plinth will improve things a lot.

The electrolytics in the psu are over 30 years old now too, so it's probably not working at it's peak.

So which do you reckon is the most interesting/has the most potential, and why?
 
For me, the Perpetuum-Ebner is crying out to be used as a dedicated 78 rpm deck, when the 10-inch platter wouldn't be a problem, although maybe this is of no interest to you. I'd be reluctant to cut it up, though. The Pioneer is a good-looking deck, and evokes its period nicely, but maybe the arm it has is as good as the rest of it.
 
Can't answer your question but have a Pioneer PL-71 deck that I have refurb'd speed switch / pots / caps on PCB and motorboard.
For me it is the Acos arm and PL-71 mat that are the killer components.
I used them first on a modded SL-1210 (perfered it over the Pioneer and now use them on a slate plinthed SP-10 with gun metal armboard.
The sound is top drawer.
The arm is visually a bit different to the one in your pic - don't know how similar or different they are though.

You could try grafting the Pioneer arm on but it would look a bit odd perhaps.

I have a 12" arm project on the go - having a SS tube cut and bent right now and plan to use abec7 or 9 minature ball bearings as bearings in DIY base / yoke. The SP-10 deck / bed is needed a 12" arm to get the proportions right.
 
The PE would be perfect as a 78 deck, alas I have no 78s.

I googled the pl71 and found your thread on AOS Steve.

Don't know how my arm compares to yours but it tracks my DL-110 perfectly which is more than I can say for the superlight arm on my dual 1229.

It needs a recap, the speed tends to wander. The sound is getting better with use, I'm really enjoying it, although it still lacks the bass slam of the idler deck.

The plinth appears to be the weakest part of the deck - it's chipboard with (peeling) vinyl veneer. After a clean, oil and recap this looks to be the obvious next step. The motor control board is outside the motor on mine which should make it easy for me.

The 530 was apparently one of pioneer's best decks of the time but they were just starting to bring out quartz decks which were 'better'.
 
I suppose strictly speaking the Grace would be more period correct on the Pioneer ... the PE sounds a much more interesting deck though - idler/belt hybrids being somewhat rarer than jap DDs.

Regarding 78s, once you have a deck capable of playing them and an arm with a detachable headshell to fit a suitable cartridge, they are actually worth playing around with. I had a very enjoyable afternoon yesterday in the company of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five - late 30s and late 40s reissues of stuff recorded in about 1926 - the sound quality is actually surprisingly good and the performances astonishingly so - without a doubt shellac is the way to hear this sort of thing ... if you want to hear this sort of thing of course :) .
 
my dual 1229 does 78s and I have several headshells but just no 78s.
I'm into most music except most jazz, but don't see 78s around much anymore. Used to see boxes of them go for $1 at auctions, or even getting passed in because nobody wanted them.

Anyway, I've decided on a Jap DD, but not the pioneer. I've just ordered one of these:
ps-2250g6qd.jpg


Minus the arm. It's a Sony PS-2250 - their first direct drive designed to compete with the original Technics SP10. I think it will be a nice match for the grace arm.

I might put the PE aside for future playing as I think it's pretty cool.
 
I gotta say I had a bit of an epiphany with this turntable the other night.

When I bouthgt the grace, the wires were broken, and the headshell locking ring was a bit f*%$ed so it wouldn't hold the headshell in tight. I took out the screw and went to pull out the socket. it wouldn't budge. I tried twisting it, pulling it, I destroyed the end with pliers - zip.

In a final act of desperation I dismantled the arm and heated the tube on the gas hob. It's a bingo! the loctite melted and the socket pulled right out.

I then sacrificed a cheap japanese DD I had lying around, taking the headshell socket and also the wiring which was luckily long enough for the 12" arm.

I felt bad drilling the nice looking plinth, but I mounted the arm in the corner.

The sound ... really exciting. It doesn't have the slam of the dual idler deck as I remember it, but almost everything else is much better. more texture, the music is very involving. I put on Dusty in Memphis and just melted into my chair.

The plinth, while being better than almost every other original plinth I've seen, is still pretty crap and I know that once I build a decent one it'll take the tt to another level.

I miss the auto function of the dual, especially at the end of the record. I'll also have to rig up some sort of tonearm lift for my girlfriend or she'll never use it.

The piano key controls are excellent. They have a good feel and they're quick and easy to use.

Apparently sales were very poor when compared to the technics sp10 which is probably due to styling. The sony looks like it took it's styling cued from garrard while the technics looks very modern in comparison:
technics_sp-10_01.jpg


I prefer the sony, but I can see why it might not have sold well at the time.

I think this one's a keeper
 
I went into a hifi shop called Hino Audio in Tokyo, looking to get a replacement headshell locking collar, and walked out with a Denon DA-305 tonearm.
It looks great with the sony deck and sounds pretty good too.

I also bought a new set of caps for the PSU which I'll replace on a rainy day. Today.

After that I'll build a solid plinth.
 
Yes so do I and I have the Sony PUA 236 arm that went with it - as my intended 78rpm'r but I use it for auditioning cartridges too
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top