Linn LP12......That good??

Agree, but it’s not difficult to see how and why the "bass guitar" designation came about. First of all, the electric bass gained prominence at first, and mostly, in ensembles in which the electric guitar was already in use. It is shaped like a guitar and is played horizontally like a guitar; and, importantly, it has frets like a guitar which the acoustic bass does not. Obviously, its musical function is that of simply BASS; but, not hard to understand why it was referred to as bass guitar and some still do. Like you say, it’s mostly a matter of semantics and, to a degree, musicians’ pride and respect for their "axe" (applicable to any instrument); and ensuing "lingo". For me this falls in the camp of something like the use of "sax" instead of "saxophone". C’mon, man, it’s a saxophone not a "sax"....yuk!

daveyf,

Fair point. But experience is everything. Mine was not good.

I knew after a month or two of using it that the Grace arm was the weak link in my system. I told my dealer this and he agreed. But the price of a new Linn arm and cartridge -- I wouldn’t buy anything else -- was prohibitive. My hobby dollars have to be spent wisely. Even you would have to agree that "fixing up" a thirty year old turntable is fraught with a limited return on investment. Fortunately, when I sold the system as separate entities, I broke even.

If someone gave me a brand spanking new Linn, with all the SOTA bells and whistles it could accommodate, I bet I’d be singing a different tune. Alas, that was not the case...

(P.S., and, it was single speed only, which precluded me from listening to my high-end 45 RPM LPs (and my youthful 45s as well...)

@bdp24 - perhaps you are correct as a matter of terminology, but it becomes like ordering non-decaffeinated coffee- an acoustic bass to distinguish it from the far more common electric bass in rock or blues? Yeah, I get it, but the instruments sound different, and I guess I'm just expressing my preference for the double bass, given the tone, etc. Ditto on the B-3. Ain't nothing like it. 

audiovideonirvana, I don’t doubt that your 80’s Linn didn’t sound that great....due to the weakness of the arm. Question is how much influence people have when they go on a public forum...and post opinions that the whole line of tables is just no good based on their highly "limited" experience. I see so many posters on this and other forums who jump to conclusion based on their " limited experience" with the LP12. None of these guys have ever heard a top level LP12, or have ever heard one that is correctly set-up and/or are comparing an old model ( many times from the 80’s--occasionally from the 90’s!--if they have heard the table at all!) to something that now floats their boat. Problem is that what now floats their boat is usually a table that cannot hold a candle to a top line Klimax LP12!
BTW, how many other tables can you say this about...after "thirty years" the option of "fixing up" ( whatever that means to you) is an option for the table. Try saying that with a thirty year old VPI!! You cannot even update most VPI’s to the current level after a few months, LOL. Oh, I forgot, they have a new version out now, leaving the old model to collect dust!
The one thing I do agree with you on is when you say..." If someone gave me a brand new Linn, with all the SOTA bells and whistles it could accommodate, I bet I’d be singing a different tune"!!!! You bet you would buster!!!

We are our experiences. That's all I can say.

However, if someone on this marvelous forum wants to gift me a new, fully tricked out LP12, I'll be happy to publicly eat my words... :-)