Avoid expensive mistakes – talk to us first. The deck has been around for 50 years now and has evolved endlessly in that time. There are so many variations and options to consider, it is therefore very difficult for the uninitiated to establish what options will yield the best performance. I can help you make sure that you get the right LP12 from the start.
For most people, their first LP12 will be a vintage LP12. They have been around since 1973, had their hay day during the 80’s and very few were produced after the early 90’s, and so this means that you are likely to be looking at an electronic appliance that is 30-50 years old, as your first deck.
A deck can look okay in photographs, but in my experience, about 90% of the turntables that I buy look and behave like a 40 year old deck. That is to say, they are likely to be very grimy, the components on the central circuit board (power supply) are likely to be tired and failing, the springs will have lost their bounce and the arm and cartridge are unlikely to be set up right. Add to that : hinges that don’t hold the lid, scratched or cracked lids, worn bearings and a myriad of other minor faults that can be evident and frankly, it is highly unlikely that you will buy a decent LP12 unless you buy it direct from a respected Linn dealer – or ourselves.
Every turntable that I take in is routinely stripped to its bare components. Anything that the condition of can be improved, such as : plinths, lids, hinges, springs, grommits, top plates, platters, motors, circuit boards, subchassis’ and cross braces will be replaced or refurbished. Only then is the deck rebuilt to the factory specification – left to settle – before being put through its final set up, aligning the arm and the cartridge for optimum performance.
Obviously, this attention to detail comes at a price, but in general not much more than buying a poor deck and then having to have it repaired – with the disappointment and angst that that can cause, as well as time and inconvenience.
I fully warrant my turntables for 12 months (apart from arms and cartridges) and up to now, I’ve never had a major fault reported.