Best vintage DD turntables from the 70's and 80's?


Howdy folks-

We’ll I’ve got the vinyl bug for sure. 6 months ago, I bought my first TT, a nice Technics 1200 GR along with some killer vintage MM carts like Audio-Technica, Stanton and a few Grace. I love my GR! I love that little silver bastard A LOT as a matter of fact. A couple weeks ago, my second table arrived, a minty fresh Luxman PD-444 from Japan. This is a Micro Seiki built TT and was the "tits" in the mid 70’s. I can mount 2 arms on the Luxman. I’ve got a nice Victor 7045 arm coming soon along with a Victor X-1IIe MM cart which work quite well together.

I’d like to add another Vintage TT from the 70’s or 80’s and probably phase out the GR. I like the look of the old Pioneer, Denon and Victor tables. I’d like to get a vintage table that can be serviced if needed, something I can add a sweet vintage arm too. 3 arms are better than two!

I’d like to hear suggestions and comments on some fantastic, cool as crap, vintage turntables that you think should sit next to the Luxman.

Thanks again for your help!

Brent




128x128knollbrent
I have never been excited about automatic things near my records and cartridges, actually I can´t trust computers either : )
@glupson, the SL-Q2 has a different mechanism than the SL-1700mk2 to raise and return the tonearm at end of play. I have the factory service manuals for both, and I’ll look it up for you. Yours might just need some cleaning and new grease on those moving parts. 
@chakster  that AT Safety Raiser looks intriguing. It doesn’t say how it works, so I suppose you manually “set” or “load” the mechanism and when the tonearm bumps into the “antenna” it triggers the mechanism to release and lift the tonearm? That would be a must-have for me, if I ever purchase a manual turntable. 
I bought my Denon DP-60L in 1984, a direct drive, automatic turntable. It had a Grace F-9e and sounded fantactic. It still does. The only change is I have a Sound-Smith Ruby OCL replacement stylus in the Grace and higher quality ICs to the pre. It's not as good as my VPI Prime Signature with a Sound-Smith Helios, but quite listenable.
Rollin
chakster
Have you seen this AT Safety Raiser ? Brand new device from Audio-Technica for lazy guys: ...
Wow, everything old is new again. This looks like the exact same "Safety Raiser" that AT made back in the -70s. It is a spring-loaded device.