Upgrade Linn LP 12 or buy new table


I would like to get back into vinyl after an approx. 17 year absence. I have a Linn LP 12 that I bought in 1983 which I used for 15 years and then put into storage. I never got rid of my vinyl. So my question is : Do I upgrade my LP 12 to the tune of three to four thousand dollars or do I spend the same amount on a new turntable and sell the LP 12?  Everyone's two cents worth would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks
hal253
Dear Hal, I think these last few guys have put you on a sensible track.  Since your last reference point for what vinyl sounds like is your LP12, it makes most sense to spend a few hundred bucks just to bring your LP12 back to life, with no upgrades at first.  This probably would include a new belt and cleaning and re-lubricating the bearing, at a minimum.  Find an experienced Linn tech to do these things. Combined with the Ittok tonearm and your Goldring cartridge, you may like what you hear, but keep in mind that the choice of tonearm and cartridge have a huge, probably the major, effect on what you'll hear.  Spend a month or two or three listening to that rig, and then you will have a better idea where to go from there.  I am not personally familiar with the Jolida phono stage, but that too may be a limiting factor.  It may be that spending $3K to $4K, as you propose, on just a new turntable or on Linn upgrades makes no sense if you change nothing else in the reproduction chain.  But you should be the judge of that, not any of us.  

If I were you, I would take lewn suggestion.  I have recently heard a Linn.  They are great tables.  
If you decide to keep the Linn, make sure you have someone who knows what he/she is doing to set it up.  They can sound good or not depending on the setup.  Be VERY careful driving it back home...it can go out of adjustment in the move.
Thanks for the advice.  I was wondering if anyone in the group has an opinion/experience with the SOTA line of turntables. They are made in the USA and appear to be a similar in design to the Linn.      
Thanks

I agree with BRF/lewm to get it tuned up first and listen for a while. It's a nice table.

You might also want to consider the Kore subchassis upgrade right up front. That's about $1,200. Just did that on my 15 year old LP12 and the difference is extreme. It tightened the sound up, better detail, cleaner and more extended bass (no idea why/how the bass got more extended but it did.) Like a new table IMO.

I'm using an Akiva cart, the first generation of Ekos arm and first gen Lingo power supply.

Enjoy!