Yamaha GT 2000 Turntable

Compared to most of the other top of the line vintage Japanese direct-drive turntables, the GT2000 is readily available in Tokyo, every time I have been there and touring the audio salons.  (Our son lives in Tokyo, so I am there once every couple of years, going again in October.) Whereas, for example, I have never seen (in person) a Pioneer Exclusive P3 or even a Technics SP10 Mk3 for sale in a store over there.  This may only be a reflection of the possibility that the GT2000 was a bit less expensive than the others, and therefore more units may have been sold. Hifido has the GT2000 very often on-line, too.  For reasons unknown to me, it seems to have become more sought after in recent years, which has led to a rise in prices on the used market.  Raul, if you like it so much, can you enlighten me on the features that make it so desirable vs the many other contenders? Thanks. I do know it has a nice over-sized platter.

I went to the URL provided by Theophile.  The guys on Audiokarma seem to have been in general agreement that owning one of these vintage beasts is risky, in terms of their non-repairability if something breaks.  I have to say that I disagree with this point of view.  First of all, the smart thing to do is to replace all the electrolytic capacitors immediately upon purchase, if this has not been done already. Most of the failures result directly or indirectly from leaky electrolytics.  And replacing the lytics is cheap insurance.  After that, all the transistors used in "those days" are either still available or there is a modern superior substitute.   Replacing a bad IC can be a problem, in theory, but I have been able to find supposedly NLA ICs for both my Denon DP80 and my Victor TT101 (which actually did not need a new IC), by searching on-line, and they were very cheap. In addition, the ultra-rare chip for a Technics SP10 has been re-created using discrete SMD parts by a NYC-based engineer, and his pseudo-IC works better than the original.  This same gentleman was also able to troubleshoot my TT101. So, if you want a GT2000, don't hesitate to purchase one for fear of a problem of this sort.  Of course, you should do your homework on the provenance of the one you finally do select to purchase.

Dear @lewm : I think you dit not read yet the whole link I posted to the OP, please read it. There you can find out a precise answer to your question where you can see that in some specs, like w&f, beats not only every single Technics but even the P3 by Pionner.

Additional to that it comes with very good tonearm. Here you can see it:

http://www.hifido.co.jp/KW/G/P0/A10/E/0-10/S0/C12-64851-46165-00/

Can any one ask for a better TT that this Yamaha?, now just imagine this GT 2000 with today up grades not only at electronic level ( as you mentioned. ) but on: plinth, platform and the like.

Years ago, in other thread, I posted that this and the DP-100 by Denon were the TTs TO GO .  Anyway, the Yamaha is other example of the greatness of vintage japanese DD TTs.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Raul, I generally would pay no attention to specifications published by a manufacturer, although I would assume that actual units perform "close enough" to the published specs.  But I would never use such information to make a fine distinction between the GT2000 and another great turntable, like the P3.  In addition, you say the GT2000 has a "very good" tonearm. It probably does, but what does that term mean, exactly? We do know that the tonearm on the P3 was made by M-S for Pioneer, and it is widely regarded as a very good tonearm, too.  I've seen the P3 tonearm for sale separately for as much as $7,000 (which is kind of ridiculous, I admit, since you can buy a complete P3 for less money). So, I would ask for some hard facts, like what is the platter mass, what kind of motor does it use and how much torque does it generate when needed?  How is the plinth made and with what materials that we might think are good for dampening? Etc.  Having said all that, I did do some reading on Vintage Knob, and I saw that the GT2000X (the upscale version of the GT2000) uses a coreless motor.  This is a big plus in my own frame of reference.  The X version also has a very massive bearing assembly and an 18kg platter(!), which is spectacular for direct-drive, the most massive platter I know about among vintage DD turntables.  In fact, now I want a GT2000X. I will look for one in Tokyo. I'm convinced.

The GT 2000 is relatively(the key word here) inexpensive compared to the other Uber Direct Drive TTs solely due to their plentiful supply on the second-hand market. Yamaha sold many of these turntables in Japan, the only market in which they were sold when new.
As only the Japanese can do, it was a co-operative effort designed by Yamaha in conjunction with Micro Seiki using a motor and motor control electronics from the Japan Victor engineer who designed the motor and motor control electronics for the TT-81. That same engineer has stated in a Japanese blog that he prefers the GT 2000.
It is quite a revelation to hear. Whether through luck, a synergistic combination of design elements or a stroke of genius, it sounds superb.
The basic GT 2000 was intended as a starter module to which the owner could add individual optional elements which would bring the basic module up to what the designers envisaged as the best Direct Drive they could present. The key elements that could be added were an outboard power supply, a 38 pound platter, a suspension cradle and a vacuum platter mat ala Audio Technica. The 'fully loaded' GT 2000 with all those elements would weigh over 120 pounds. None of that would matter one bit if the basic unit didn't excel.
Fortunately, it doesn't excel. It exceeds.
This is one of the great vintage turntables. This is why it sold shitloads in Japan. The country which, at the time, had plentiful access to TT101s, L-07Ds, SP 10 MkIIIs. None of which sold as well in Japan. They weren't giving them away, so: What did the Japanese know that we are still to understand? It was word of mouth testimony that made this turntable the sales success that it was.
Remember, that the GT 2000 was released at the height of the Western media's rabid aversion to Direct Drives and the release year of 1982 coincided with the introduction of CD. The GT 2000 based on that should have tanked. Fortunately people have ears as well as eyes. Obviously Japanese ears liked what they heard. Very, very much liked what they heard, it would appear.
I have found that, as excellent as the GT 2000 is, it benefits mightily from being isolated. I live in a brick house with a concrete slab floor. The rack which only supports the turntable is welded steel with a stone top that weighs over 85Kg. Nothing flimsy there. The difference between isolation and without is night and day(when it is optimised). Some interpret my advocation of isolation for the GT 2000 as an indication that the GT 2000 has a serious flaw. I've already said that the basic unit without isolation is superb sounding. When isolated it rearranges one's sensibility of what can be achieved from vinyl playback. I personally think that all excellent non-suspended turntables require isolation. Under all circumstances.
But I digress. Do I think that the GT 2000 is the best top of the line Japanese Direct Drive? Well I've not heard the contenders. However the contenders are all superb. So in most cases it will come down to 
how they are used.The GT would be up there with the better ones.
Mostly due to my praise of the unit there is a small group of individuals who post at AudioKarma that have bitten the bullet and taken the plunge. They all had very good turntables previously and none of them have been disappointed with the 2000. Aside from them, the testimony is from the Japanese alone.
I don't expect this thread to generate any interest due to the fact that the only person greatly discussing this turntable is myself. That's not a big enough sample size for most folks. That's not a problem. I'll enjoy owning one whether the whole world knows about it or no-one knows about it.
Don't fall for the lie that the GT 750 is as good as the GT 2000. Only defrauded chumps fall for that one. The 750 was released on the back of the success of the 2000, at a lower price point(due to its being styled similarly to the 2000 but nowhere near as well designed, engineered or optioned) and despite being half the price of the GT 2000, failed to reach anywhere near the sales figures of the more expensive 2000s types. More than likely word of mouth again getting around that, despite the lower price of the 750, one was better off saving their money and waiting to buy the more expensive 2000. The 750 isn't bad. One isn't a chump for buying the GT 750, but some will try and tell you that it is as good as a 2000. Don't be chumped by them.