Taica silicone mushrooms for LP12

[Jazzer]

I bought 3 bushes.
Pushed out the brass centre ferrule easily and separated the two mushroom halves.
The half that you actually use is the part that does look like a mushroom.
The other half I just kept in a drawer.
Mine have been in use for several weeks now and I can find no drawbacks, just a much nicer deck to use.
Recommended….

I just saw Seyles diagram. That’s not how I fitted mine.
Mine has very little give but still provides soem isolation from knocks.
Seyles method looks more correct but I think I will leave mine as it is.

 

[seyles]

I just saw Seyles diagram. That’s not how I fitted mine.
Mine has very little give but still provides soem isolation from knocks.
Seyles method looks more correct but I think I will leave mine as it is.

I did ask that exact question and had the other option drawn up:

I was advised to go with the other method.
One thing I did notice when putting them in was that when you take the platters off (in my case to put the base on) the sub-chassis can move around (the mushrooms can even come loose); with the springs, they had enough power to push the sub-chassis up to the top plate so there's no movement.
I don't have a jig to set up, so it's an issue for me, might not be if you can screw the base on with the deck level.
With the above set up, the second half on the top could help hold the mushrooms in the sub-chassis...

I might give it a go.

 

[Jazzer]

I did ask that exact question and had the other option drawn up:

I was advised to go with the other method.
One thing I did notice when putting them in was that when you take the platters off (in my case to put the base on) the sub-chassis can move around (the mushrooms can even come loose); with the springs, they had enough power to push the sub-chassis up to the top plate so there's no movement.
I don't have a jig to set up, so it's an issue for me, might not be if you can screw the base on with the deck level.
With the above set up, the second half on the top could help hold the mushrooms in the sub-chassis...

I might give it a go.

I have no base on mine now so I was able to level it without disturbing it.
Removing the platter might be a problem, as you say but i was very pleased with the way that it all fitted and how easy it was to level the subchassis and arm board within its slot.
It looks and feels great and thankfully, still sounds great too.

 

[Jazzer]

I did ask that exact question and had the other option drawn up:

I was advised to go with the other method.
One thing I did notice when putting them in was that when you take the platters off (in my case to put the base on) the sub-chassis can move around (the mushrooms can even come loose); with the springs, they had enough power to push the sub-chassis up to the top plate so there's no movement.
I don't have a jig to set up, so it's an issue for me, might not be if you can screw the base on with the deck level.
With the above set up, the second half on the top could help hold the mushrooms in the sub-chassis...

I might give it a go.

I just lifted the platter and ran the turntable with only the sub platter fitted.
This is an unexpected bonus for me as it allows me to quickly check The belt position without the outer platter on.
Of course to check it properly I would fire it upside down but i am still pleased with this additional user friendly feature. lol

 

[windhoek]

Oh, so two options when it comes to the bushes? Which is best?

Either way, those diagrams are excellent!

 

[Jazzer]

The diagrams are excellent….

I don’t know which is the best way to fit them but I only used the ‘mushroom’ half of the silicone and discarded the other circular piece.
They fit nicely through the subchassis holes and the shoulders of the silicone support the subchassis very nicely.
As shown in the second diagram, but without the upper part.
This seemed logical at the time but it seems that Seyles was advised otherwise.
I will leave things as they are though for the following reasons:

Setting the level was a doddle and removing the outer platter now makes virtually no difference to the set height once you have levelled the arm board etc.
As I said, this enables running of the motor with just the inner platter in place, for checks.
A further plus point for me was being able to tap with my knuckles all the way around the plinth, top plate and coffee table support without causing a record to skip.
There would have been at least some skipping with the original springs, but bear in mind that I never could get a decent bounce out of the thing.

Lastly, I can hear very little difference in sound apart from a slight increase in clarity with vocals etc.
My main reason for doing the mod in the first place was to make the deck nicer to use for my clumsy old hands, which it most certainly is.

 

[Fergus]

My main reason for doing the mod in the first place was to make the deck nicer to use for my clumsy old hands, which it most certainly is.

That’s why I’m considering it.

 

[windhoek]

Seeing the two diagrams together shows the different arrangements nicely - one has the 'apron' beneath and the other above:

I'm still not sure which option is more suitable for my deck, which doesn't have a baseboard fitted, but I imagine it'll all make sense once I collect the bushes on Wednesday and when it comes to installation time. I don't have a jig so I might need to take my deck over to Mr Pig's as he's got a jig and the LP12 know-how.

 

[Jazzer]

Seeing the two diagrams together shows the different arrangements nicely - one has the 'apron' beneath and the other above:

I'm still not sure which option is more suitable for my deck, which doesn't have a baseboard fitted, but I imagine it'll all make sense once I collect the bushes on Wednesday and when it comes to installation time. I don't have a jig so I might need to take my deck over to Mr Pig's as he's got a jig and the LP12 know-how.

My installation is like the lower one but minus the top half of the silicone bush.
I don’t intend to change it.

 

[sktn77a]

OK -north American ignorance -what does RS stand for ? Have a really old LP-12 that I intend to return to service and would like to try the Taica mushrooms out.

US equivalent would be Mouser Electronics.

https://www.mouser.com/c/?q=taica

 

[MartinC]

Mouser has them in USA, with new stock arriving end of June 2024.

FYI Digikey has them in stock at the moment.

 

[windhoek]

I'm hoping to pick up the bushes I ordered on Monday later today and although I don't have a jig, I'd like to have a go at installing the bushes myself. However, short of an oil change I have no experience to speak of when it comes to doing any kind of work under the bonnet, as it were. Assuming I can find a way to prop up the deck to allow access, what's the procedure?

I mean, do I have to remove the outer platter and the belt? And do I replace one spring with a bush one at a time? Or do I take all three springs off first and then replace all three at once? And is there a best order in which to replace the springs?

Sorry it's a lot of questions, I imagine it'll be more straightforward and intuitive once I've got the underside of the deck in view.

 

[Jazzer]

I'm hoping to pick up the bushes I ordered on Monday later today and although I don't have a jig, I'd like to have a go at installing the bushes myself. However, short of an oil change I have no experience to speak of when it comes to doing any kind of work under the bonnet, as it were. Assuming I can find a way to prop up the deck to allow access, what's the procedure?

I mean, do I have to remove the outer platter and the belt? And do I replace one spring with a bush one at a time? Or do I take all three springs off first and then replace all three at once? And is there a best order in which to replace the springs?

Sorry it's a lot of questions, I imagine it'll be more straightforward and intuitive once I've got the underside of the deck in view.

Speaking for myself only, I have an old target style rack that I use with a top shelf with a large cut out to give me access.
I believe it can also be done by carefully propping up the deck on blocks but I haven’t tried it. Be careful if you do….

I always remove the outer platter to help protect the bearing from stress.

I did mine one spring at a time.
Remove spring and grommets etc, push the mushroom over the threaded hanging bolt and pass the spigot through the subchassis hole.
I then fitted the old Linn steel washer and a knurled nut to make it easy to adjust.
See Seyles photo For how it should look, although he used both halves of the mushroom and I only used the bottom half with the spigot.

I adjusted each one to approximately level the sub platter and finalised the level once all three had been fiitted.
I doubt if it took 15 mins all together and levelling was very easy.
My arm board looks perfectly centred and level with the plinth.

Good luck.

 

[windhoek]

Speaking for myself only, I have an old target style rack that I use with a top shelf with a large cut out to give me access.
I believe it can also be done by carefully propping up the deck on blocks but I haven’t tried it. Be careful if you do….

I always remove the outer platter to help protect the bearing from stress.

I did mine one spring at a time.
Remove spring and grommets etc, push the mushroom over the threaded hanging bolt and pass the spigot through the subchassis hole.
I then fitted the old Linn steel washer and a knurled nut to make it easy to adjust.
See Seyles photo For how it should look, although he used both halves of the mushroom and I only used the bottom half with the spigot.

I adjusted each one to approximately level the sub platter and finalised the level once all three had been fiitted.
I doubt if it took 15 mins all together and levelling was very easy.
My arm board looks perfectly centred and level with the plinth.

Good luck.

Brilliant!

I've actually got a mana sound table here and although the frame is too wide and too deep, the cross-brace bars with the threaded holes just might be in the right place to allow me to use that as safe platform to carry out the work. I'll try it out as my first choice. If the bars aren't close enough together then a DIY solution it is.

 

[Jazzer]

Brilliant!

I've actually got a mana sound table here and although the frame is too wide and too deep, the cross-brace bars with the threaded holes just might be in the right place to allow me to use that as safe platform to carry out the work. I'll try it out as my first choice. If the bars aren't close enough together then a DIY solution it is.

You should be able to modify the frame in some way if it doesnt quite fit.
Maybe a couple of wooden slats or something just to support part of it?
My cut out shelf doesnt give as much access as a Linn jig but it’s fine for what I do.

It wiil be interesting to hear what you think.
I can’t say that mine sounds much different really but is so much nicer to use and of course paranoia over the bounce etc is a thing of the past.

 

[seyles]

I fitted mine with the deck upside down on a flat surface, both platters and arm off.
Did all 3 at the same time, tightened them fully up so the sub-chassis wouldn’t move, flipped the lot over and roughly levelled the arm board.
Then re-oiled the bearing and replaced the inner and outer plater and the arm.
Then did final levelling.

I was changing the sub-chassis, bearing and arm board at the same time, so the extra steps had to be done anyway.

 

[Isobarik]

Whenever I've worked on my LP12, I've used my Black and Decker Workmate to gain access to the underside of the LP12. Works a treat!

 

[windhoek]

Whenever I've worked on my LP12, I've used my Black and Decker Workmate to gain access to the underside of the LP12. Works a treat!

Oh, I've got a folding workbench as well. I think it's a B&Q branded one but it should do the same job. Well I now have at least one safe method of getting the deck up in the air to allow access, brilliant!

 

[Chris]

I’d have thought that in the lower drawing, the smaller, removable part is not doing anything or maybe I’m influenced by the insoles which also have the nicefit ledge. In memory of JohnR let’s call the top drawing the Ruggles method ( both pieces in use). We could have a ballot after a few months of experienced opinions have formed.

 

[Jazzer]

I’d have thought that in the lower drawing, the smaller, removable part is not doing anything or maybe I’m influenced by the insoles which also have the nicefit ledge. In memory of JohnR let’s call the top drawing the Ruggles method ( both pieces in use). We could have a ballot after a few months of experienced opinions have formed.

I fitted mine by instinct In lieu of instructions.
If i had fitted both parts, as in diagram one, I would expect there to have been more of a silicon layer between the subchassis and the top plate bolt.

The way I fitted mine gives a nice silicone sleeve through the subchassis and still sounds good enough for me.
I don’t really mind which is right, tbh, I’m not that anal about it all.
i cant hear one’s side of a felt mat or direction of belt differences so I’m content to leave things as they are and still call it a good result For the handling alone.

Others may have different views or results.