What is your recommendation on upgrading a Linn LP

Moonglum.....what in the world were you listening to. My VPI is as quiet as a CD (though much better sound). Something is very wrong here.....

Dear SG,
I can appreciate your confusion. It's good to hear your VPI is working properly ;^)
I'm certain many VPI owners would echo your sentiments.

To make matters worse in this example it used all the standard gadgets (clamp, periphery ring etc) intended to advance its performance so it looked like a million dollars but sounded like $1.

As a rule I would tend to blame the LPs themselves, but if this is the true explanation they must be the worst examples of new vinyl on the planet.
The thought did occur to me that the periphery ring might have been acting as a circumferential "lightning rod" for static but the noise was persistent from beginning to end of each side.
I dismissed that explanation but I admit I've never heard anything like it...

There are many good tables these days, and Linn is just one of the favors available.

That said, do enjoy my Linn unite a bit. Whether the OP want to update a Linn is determined by how committed the OP is and whether the OP wants to spend $

My Linn is not a top spec Linn any longer but it does music well-
Here's my set up- LP12 w/Cirkus, Lingo, Trampolin, Ekos II, Arliv B and Kore

If I were starting from scratch I would look at a VPI Prime and if I had more $ to spend, an SME

I suspect it wasn't grounded properly. I've noticed excessive static with my tnt that manifests as surface noise if not grounded properly.

Replace the Linn with a VPI Prime / 3D atm. Nothing can be done to a Linn that will make it sound nearly as good as a modern design. VPI Prime with the 3D arm is probably one of hte better bang for the buck table / arm combos today.