Jonathan Ribee
Unavailable at present
Excellent news fox-san. And it's rather pretty to boot.
Have you performed the Coltrane test?
Have you performed the Coltrane test?
Restoring a Thorens TD124 Mk II SME3009 Shure V15 Type III
- Thread starter Fox
- Start date
Jonathan Ribee
Unavailable at present
Setting Son
Karma, ne?
Fox,
Mind me asking what was done to the Urushi and how much it cost?
Ta
Mind me asking what was done to the Urushi and how much it cost?
Ta
Setting Son
Karma, ne?
That is one...um......arousing needle. Enjoy.
Thanks for the info Fox.
Thanks for the info Fox.
Setting Son
Karma, ne?
Tony L
Administrator
Just a little thread update and some accompanying pics - I've landed a very tidy period correct pre-Improved 3009 Series II for my TD-124/II:
And in situ on the deck with the same Pickering XV-15 / 625E:
I'm very happy with this deck, I just love the almost Henry Moore sculptural aesthetics of the thing and it sounds real nice too, though I now clearly have too many SME arms for a normal person (M2-10 on the 301, 3009 Series II on the TD-124 and two S2 Improved sitting around doing nothing). Time to think about hoofing out an S2 Imp...
Tony.
And in situ on the deck with the same Pickering XV-15 / 625E:
I'm very happy with this deck, I just love the almost Henry Moore sculptural aesthetics of the thing and it sounds real nice too, though I now clearly have too many SME arms for a normal person (M2-10 on the 301, 3009 Series II on the TD-124 and two S2 Improved sitting around doing nothing). Time to think about hoofing out an S2 Imp...
Tony.
johnfromnorwich
even my wife noticed the dif..
Christ! Have you seen the prices people are asking for these on ebay now? It's like the 301/401 all over.
Tony L
Administrator
I think TD-124s have always been worth a little more, certainly in the UK. It was initially a dearer deck than the 301 / 401 by about 25%, though I guess some of that was import / shipping from Switzerland. They also seem far thinner on the ground here than Garrards. The thing I don't understand at all is why the TD-124/II is so much more common here than the Mk I, the II was only in production from 1966-68 whereas the Mk I was available for a decade or so prior to that. I've seen very few Mk Is go through eBay, though they do turn up in the USA.
Tony.
johnfromnorwich
even my wife noticed the dif..
Sure, but I can't help thinking that £2500 is quite a lot of cash for a 40 year old TT and arm.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Thorens-TD124..._HomeAudioHiFi_Turntables?hash=item2a03b2ce0f
How much of this is 'long term item value' and how much is opportunistic, transient inflation? Similar trends have pushed Travis Bean guitars and basses in the realms of collector-only buyers*.
* I the case of the latter, EGC has filled the void with some absolutely stunning modern equivalents. How high would prices need to go to make a 21st Century idler viable?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Thorens-TD124..._HomeAudioHiFi_Turntables?hash=item2a03b2ce0f
How much of this is 'long term item value' and how much is opportunistic, transient inflation? Similar trends have pushed Travis Bean guitars and basses in the realms of collector-only buyers*.
* I the case of the latter, EGC has filled the void with some absolutely stunning modern equivalents. How high would prices need to go to make a 21st Century idler viable?
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Tony L
Administrator
I'd say that was high, and certainly no one has hit the buy it now button yet. It looks like a very nice clean 124/II and a very nice 3012, typically around £900 a piece in these pound-devalued times, though a 124/II in similar condition did make £1400 a few months ago. I'd be surprised it went at £2.5k unless the UK pound drops a lot further (the main reason prices seem s high IMO - these decks go out to Japan etc). A true piece of crap MkI went for £495 a while back which is just insane - that one looks like a real ringer, what's not missing, scratched or broken is just wrong (e.g. it has a MkII alloy platter)!
Tony.
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
I have a mk2 that I used for about 3 years with a Syrinx PU2 Gold arm and Linn Karma (Supex) cartridge. I have now replaced it with a Roksan TMS/SME5/Transfiguration. The Roksan combo sounds better but not by much and I am convinced that the TD124/Syrinx PU2 combination is a 'Marriage Made In Heaven'!
I stupidly junked the "frying pan" top platter in favour of an acrylic one and now I can't find it, so if anyone has one as a spare please let me know. (The acrylic was a big upgrade though, in terms of sound).
I have been watching the prices on Fleabay and they are through the roof right now. But I haven't sold mine yet which tells you how highly I regard the TD124. This post was really to say how good I think the Syrinx PU2 is with the TD124 as it is not a tonearm that is mentioned often but really should be IMO. It is a bugger to set up though!
Barry
I stupidly junked the "frying pan" top platter in favour of an acrylic one and now I can't find it, so if anyone has one as a spare please let me know. (The acrylic was a big upgrade though, in terms of sound).
I have been watching the prices on Fleabay and they are through the roof right now. But I haven't sold mine yet which tells you how highly I regard the TD124. This post was really to say how good I think the Syrinx PU2 is with the TD124 as it is not a tonearm that is mentioned often but really should be IMO. It is a bugger to set up though!
Barry
I have 2 virtually identical 124 II with 3012 II arms.
Here’s one of them with a V15 III that i need to source a stylus for:
http://picasaweb.google.com/drsm282/NewFolder#
As u can see theres lots of work to do and I have just begun to get parts and am getting plinths made.
I must declare that I much prefer the look of the 124 with a 9 “ arm
Tony’s is absolutely gorgeous compact in that Stereolab plinth but that’s quite expensive and theres shipping to Malaysia to consider for 2!! So I am getting plinths made here.
Nice to know Barrymid, thanks, that the PU2 is a great partner.
Why is it so fiddly to set up?
Personally I like the look of the Jelco 750 on the 124.
The glass platter from Planar 2 fits nicely on the 124 instead of the 'frying pan'
Can i expect it to sound better too? oops silly question
btw i know someone with a spare 124 'frying pan'.
Here’s one of them with a V15 III that i need to source a stylus for:
http://picasaweb.google.com/drsm282/NewFolder#
As u can see theres lots of work to do and I have just begun to get parts and am getting plinths made.
I must declare that I much prefer the look of the 124 with a 9 “ arm
Tony’s is absolutely gorgeous compact in that Stereolab plinth but that’s quite expensive and theres shipping to Malaysia to consider for 2!! So I am getting plinths made here.
Nice to know Barrymid, thanks, that the PU2 is a great partner.
Why is it so fiddly to set up?
Personally I like the look of the Jelco 750 on the 124.
The glass platter from Planar 2 fits nicely on the 124 instead of the 'frying pan'
Can i expect it to sound better too? oops silly question
btw i know someone with a spare 124 'frying pan'.
Tony L
Administrator
That looks like a really nice 124 / 3012 - I'd just give it a polish, a bit of oil where needed and plonk it in a plinth with something a little more in keeping to the arm like a DL-103 or even better an SPU. I'd not be in any rush to fart about with glass platters etc, Thorens knew what they were doing when they designed the 124, it's a really nice deck as is. The top platter and clutch mechanism is actually a real pleasure to use, especially if you have any 7" or 10" records - it makes getting them off the platter simple.
In fact ergonomically / usage-wise I don't think the 124 has ever been bettered: stoppable top-platter, pop-up dinked 45 adapter, quickly and easily removable arm board (makes swapping arms a 5 minute job), built-in bubble level, levelling thumb-wheels accessible from above etc etc. It's as near perfect a design for a record player as I've ever seen.
Tony.
In fact ergonomically / usage-wise I don't think the 124 has ever been bettered: stoppable top-platter, pop-up dinked 45 adapter, quickly and easily removable arm board (makes swapping arms a 5 minute job), built-in bubble level, levelling thumb-wheels accessible from above etc etc. It's as near perfect a design for a record player as I've ever seen.
Tony.
awl
pfm Member
Have to say I'm in total agreement with Tony's post above. highcut28, I think the 3012 arm looks superb on the 124/II & I'd love to try one on my 124, which recently moved home from Tony's to mine.
I figure it's about time to give an update on my 124 and have put some photos online to tell the story:
http://www.anglepd.co.uk/TD124/web1/index.html
I've been building a plinth from sheets of birch ply and although far from done, it's now taking shape and resplendent in its primer finish. I've also dismantled the motor, re-lubed and replaced with a spare set of grommets which Tony kindly supplied. Two interesting things came to light while dismantling: firstly a signature and date of 1961 on the underside of the stepped-pulley and secondly the discovery that the bearing has one continuous sintered bronze bushing which runs the length of the bearing, rather than the usual two. Being one of the earlier 124s I know that this deck originally had nylon bushings, but expected to find these replaced with 2 bronze ones.
This is a long-term project for me and the current weather has brought a halt to the painting process, but I'm hugely impressed with both the design and engineering quality of this turntable.
Andrew
I figure it's about time to give an update on my 124 and have put some photos online to tell the story:
http://www.anglepd.co.uk/TD124/web1/index.html
I've been building a plinth from sheets of birch ply and although far from done, it's now taking shape and resplendent in its primer finish. I've also dismantled the motor, re-lubed and replaced with a spare set of grommets which Tony kindly supplied. Two interesting things came to light while dismantling: firstly a signature and date of 1961 on the underside of the stepped-pulley and secondly the discovery that the bearing has one continuous sintered bronze bushing which runs the length of the bearing, rather than the usual two. Being one of the earlier 124s I know that this deck originally had nylon bushings, but expected to find these replaced with 2 bronze ones.
This is a long-term project for me and the current weather has brought a halt to the painting process, but I'm hugely impressed with both the design and engineering quality of this turntable.
Andrew