Advice and recommendations needed for a turntable rig...

I agree with the go slow crowd.  Just because you have 3.5K in the budget doesn’t mean that you need to spend it.  Vinyl can be a PITA and once you have had the novelty of playing your new collection you might find yourself not going there.

  I wouldn’t bother with an included phono stage, as that is usually a major sonic compromise.  I would get solid entry level.  Get a decent moving magnet cartridge on a decent belt table.  My CA mm only phono stage was good value at around $200.  I prefer a Direct Drive table but you seem to lead in the other direction, but you should be able to score a decent weighty-belt drive with good mm cartridge for about $1K, especially if you go used.  That should be a high level performance.  If after a decent trial you want to upgrade if you stay with mm cartridge then the phono amp can still be used.

  If you break the cantilever on a mc cartridge trying to clean or change the cartridge, it’s a problem.  With an mm cartridge you probably just need to replace the stylus.  Just saying 

Great reviews on the music hall stealth direct drive turntable...$1699. Paired with music hall's own a3 tube preamp with alps blue velvet volume control...$999.

Something to consider in your budget is a record cleaning system, especially since you’re getting your friend’s records…condolences and sorry to hear but cool that you get to have them. One of the least expensive ways to clean your LPs is a SpinClean…there are others. And a record brush, something light weight (carbon fiber, etc) that won’t drag down the platter’s speed.

I tried to post a link, but Audiogon’s security denied it.

Given the inheritance, and memories of your friend, you will ’stick with it’ as I wondered about earlier.

The 1200 ....Technics are highly respected, come with removable headshell, good luck figuring out their many variations/naming

What I personally do not like is their appearance. I started a conversation about Wood Surrounds for these, which changes the appearance enough for me to consider one.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/wood-surround-for-audio-technica-at120-technics-1200-and-technics-1210?highlight=technics%2Bwood

A hint of the AR look (especially if you got a black one, if you do not restore the AR. I would keep the AR, which allows a future restoration.

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There’s a used Luxman PD-151 for sale on US AM

for approx. $2,300.  I’ve had one for 2 years and couldn’t be happier 

Then get yourself a trans impedence phono stage and you got a killer combo

Those tables in the second generation are $5600 new

Table speed is kept byProportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) 

Really  great table and the trans impedence phono stage 

will keep you from having to fiddle with  cartridge loading

Also a good Technics SL 1200 would be a good choice for a table with excellent speed control   Once you have this set up the you can budget some funds for vibration control

Good luck

Willy -T