Nottingham Analogue.

[Mullardman]

I'm having a conversation elsewhere about the late Tom Fletcher and Nottm Analogue. Both I and my correspondent knew Tom slightly and had visited his premises. I had picked up that sometime before Tom's death, there was some sort of change of ownership of his company, but I don't know the detail. The person I'm speaking to is also curious about this.
Does anyone know what happened?

 

[Tony L]

IIRC there is quite a story, though I can’t recall the precise details. It is worth noting that NAS wasn’t Tom’s last company, that was Fletcher Audio.

 

[YNWOAN]

Basically, Tom believed he was about to die and so divested himself of NA - but then he didn't die quite as imminently as he expected and needed to make some money to live and then it all gets quite untidy as when he did die it left a number of people claiming that they were the only true ones who could claim his design heritage.

 

[pocketkitchen]

He left NA, when he became terminally ill and his prognosis turned out better than expected, as YNWOAN says. IIRC he tried to become involved in NA again and they wouldn't have him back and so he formed Fletcher Audio, which were nice decks. I think Tim at Divine Audio bought the designs eventually having been the distributor and then the Analogue Works decks were born from there.

 

[hifi_dave]

Tom sold Nottingham Analogue to the people who worked there, before he died.

Unfortunately, he then went on to develop the unsuccessful Fletcher Audio as his "legacy", as he put it.

 

[YNWOAN]

He also, as Fletcher Audio, had personal (and professional) dealings with a couple of his European distributors and now they also claim to be carrying the true torch...

 

[Elephantears]

The Fletcher Audio decks are wonderful and I can't imagine wanting more than my Omega Point 5. It was Tom's final swan song and he created something very simple and elegant, integrating wood with a high mass metal platter. The interviews he gave about his design philosophy are very engaging; he has this zen ability to make things seem both extravagantly mystical and completely practical at the same time.

It is a little disorientating how many companies are imitating his final designs, but it's good that the DNA is replicating.

 

[YNWOAN]

Nothing wrong with it but the FA decks he did really aren’t very different to that which he did with NA (unsurprisingly).

 

[hifi_dave]

Very similar designs but the fit n finish is far better on the Notts.

 

[Elephantears]

Not at all. The fit and finish is superb with the Fletcher Audio decks. I love Nottingham Analogue decks too, but to me the Fletcher decks look better. Tom changed his materials and the woods look superb on the Omega Points.

 

[GT]

He also, as Fletcher Audio, had personal (and professional) dealings with a couple of his European distributors and now they also claim to be carrying the true torch...

Indeed, and the guy (Peter Mezek) from Slovenia can probably claim to be carrying on his torch. His company is called Pear Audio Analogue.

For the record, Tom wanted to engineer his new Fletcher Audio designs at the NA factory in Underwood, but the management there stopped him as it would interfere with the production of NA turntables. Tom then bought new machines (lathe, milling machine etc, etc) and housed them in the outbuildings of his new barn conversion, which was about 5 miles down the road from the original factory. He created the new Fletcher Audio designs from there.

 

[GT]

It is a little disorientating how many companies are imitating his final designs, but it's good that the DNA is replicating.

It's the same with Franks Schröder's tonearms. Just look at how many companies have copied parts of his designs. In fact, one British company almost replicated his top tonearm until they were told in no uncertain terms they would be taken to court, as there were current EU patents on his designs.

 

[YNWOAN]

Indeed, they still use his headshell design though (as do may others).