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My dumb Debut Carbon re-paint project


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11 hours ago, RSand said:

Thank you both.

I added some damping to the stamped steel sub chassis, not sure if it had any real effect? However, the TT does sound better than it did, not sure if that's because of the more rigid plinth, damping,  that it got a good service, all of this or its all in my head?

 

"I still think you need to explore the bouncy side of the turntable question a bit more"

Can you expand on this?

 

"Now do you fancy making another plinth?"

I would but it took the best part of 2 months and cost £100 just in parts, that varnish alone was £30!

The solid plinth will be the biggest gain, the original AR one really was very poor.  The same is true of the plinths used on things like Lenco's, Garrard 301/401's and to some extent the later Thorens Tables.

 

The bouncy thing could well be taste thing. I've been lucky enough to have owned many many nice tables including a couple of earlier Nottingham's and a few other notable non suspended tables like Garrard 301/401's, Gyrodec and Oracle but I much prefer sprung sub chassis tables, my table of choice for years has been a Pink Triangle PT1 but I also currently have a Manticore Mantra and a MRM Source and have had a few of the other notable sprung tables like the Voyd and Voyd Valdi and of course Thorens, AR's and Aristons, there is a whole world of sprung tables for you to explore all of which to my ears sound better than the un sprung tables, you could even try an LP12 but that's only if you want to spend way too much on your turntable. 

 

On your plinth it was only a tongue in cheek comment and I should really have a go myself but still that's a very very nice job.

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6 hours ago, RSand said:

Thanks allenh, I have a Nottingham Analogue AceSpace with heavy kit and AceAnna arm fed by a Benz Ruby II. The NAS is better in so many areas yet this humble AR TT really has something about its presentation, so much so I'm tempted to swap the NAS for another bouncy deck (something I never expected).

If you want a cheap entry into it you can look out a Systemdek iix900, they're a little easier to modify than the AR as arm boards are easier to make for them, they can still be had for not a lot of money and there are a few off the shelf worthwhile upgrades like an acrylic platter and acrylic base board about for them

The biggest wins by far though for either your AR or any other basic sprung deck involve the motor and it's control (so either a decent electronic PSU for the original AC motor or a DC motor and control board) and the arm and a cheap upgrade here is a rewire with Cardas cable.

 

In your shoes I would  rewire the arm with Cardas and add a Pink Triangle PT T00 or similar PSU to that superb looking AR of yours and you'd be amazed on how many giants it would slay.

 

As you say there is something about the presentation with a sprung table that grabs you and you either like it or you don't, it's what Linn have been trading on for years whilst removing people from a lot of money and you can trace that lineage all the way back through the Ariston RD11 and Thorens TD150 back to your AR's Grandad the AR XA which is what pretty much every 3 point suspended turntable has been based on ever since.

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  • 7 months later...
13 hours ago, yanquiuxo said:

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So what's next?

 

Just to give you a bit of inspiration I've sold turntables to a few of the guys at work recently and the upgrade bug has caught hard with two of them (the third bought the nicest table and doesn't really need to).

Ones a Trio (Kenwood) KD-1033 and the guy has had the top plate painted metallic burgundy by the car body shop over the road and is re making the plinth in ash I think

The other is remaking the Revolver Rebel I sold him. That's getting a new top plate made out of thick black acrylic and he's making a plinth out of maple for it, when They're finally done I'll post some pictures.

They both gave me a bit of inspiration to do a bit more to the direct drive suspended sub-chassis deck I made so I'm making a big thick acrylic platter for that.

 

Keep us posted with updates.

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38438662866_8824dcd20e_c.jpg

 

So I decided to do a very simple veneer job, it's come out very nice so far. I've put this project off for long enough and I don't want to make it any more complicated than it needs to be or do something that's completely out of my wheelhouse or skill set while still learning something new (I've never worked with veneer before)

 

I was thinking of staining the table a very basic espresso or walnut color that would look nice, but then the more I thought about it I thought why make this look like a table that could have come out of the factory since there's a billion walnut turntables out there, including my main table I use now, so I'm going to stain it a cool mix of blue and green and give it some type of fade effect between the two colors and just have it be a truly unique looking table. Should be finishing it up the next couple days (veneer is set 100%, sanding is done and edges are good) and once it's all done I'll post a lot of pictures of the process and finished product.

 

It's not the most elaborate or complex job; I'm not cutting a new plinth out of wood or 3D printing a new base out of acrylic... but it's a fun project and a million times better looking than the fucking Beatles table, man.

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Well I love it, which is why I made it that way! :) It reminds me of a fucked up ugly fence or tool shed or something that’s been outside too long. 

 

I still appreciate everyone’s opinion though, even if you aren’t into it! I’m going to keep using it as my secondary table. Going to probably end up throwing a different cartridge on there though (still not a fan of the ortofon), I’m using my AT440mla for now. 

 

Thanks everyone for playing along. This thing sat next to my kitchen table for 6 months and then took me 2 days to finish :D

Edited by yanquiuxo
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