Linn LP12 turntable

regardless what your deck will come with, the most important parts to have will be the following and this order:

- Karousel bearing

- At least a lingo PS

- Kore sub chassis 

That's appox $3,500 worth of upgrades.  See how upgrading a LP12 can escalate quickly.

@lewm you surprised me as with your technical bent thought you would understand the low frequency filter a well sorted spring system ( like the SOTA ) provides… and frankly many on the market today TT isolation bases… HRS to note my favorite. 

I am not going to get into the Rega low mass vs rest of TT world debate… i have audiophile / music loving friends quite happy with hot rodding various levels of Rega decks… with … aghast… after market upgrades.. but the RP-10 is an excellent deck… i must admit to giving away a P3/Moth/Signet TK9… hopefully to ?… who will put it on a Rega or Target WALL mount.

re the SOTA… we sold them from day one and had a spare demo table w a Dynavector Ruby that we would loan customers that had footfall issues w lesser ( spring suspension ) TT… Thorens, Linn, B&O, etc…

I don’t remember the SOTA every coming back… and yes it would take a light hammer whack…

re Rick in Colorado… a true analog lover who also sells speakers that are flat in room to 20 hz… so he is VERY aware of environmental isolation….

have fun

if you look in my system photos you will see most of the TT including a 60# Denon w a constrained layer plinth… live on springs..

ymmv always applies

At the bargain price you quote, I would get the LP12 without hesitation. Every single part on the LP12 is repairable, replaceable, or upgradeable. If it dates from the early 2000, then the plinth will be solid and have all the extra braces that were added from the original design. The bearing should be upgraded to the Karousel level, which also includes new inner platter and all the spring suspension parts. If the tonearm board is old, I’d replace that as well, to match whatever tonearm you put on. Now you will have a great TT to use. From this point on, upgrades to arm, cartridge, and power supply are up to your ears and wallet. As others mention, your phono-amp will play a huge part in the sound you elicit. As I have previously written about here, my own Covid-project was building my own LP12 plinth from solid walnut, and upgrading many parts (Karousel, Ekos) as I built it up (I got a jig to hold everything as I assembled it, and set it up myself--it’s not rocket science!). You will end up with a fantastic turntable that you will enjoy using indefinitely.

Thanks again everyone. Great information, particularly on upgrade costs and upgrade recommendations. The included upgrades named were provided by the salesman (actually the store manager), about midnight on Saturday by memory, probably over a glass of wine or two.
Will be able to get more information on Tuesday when they reopen and I can see it and perhaps from the TT owner. I do believe they will allow a trial. 
I looked at the various upgrades:

Trampoline - $317 included

Tone Arm? - Akito $2880  Arko $4550  Ekos $6324 which one was added?

Newer motors control board - not sure what this is… psu motor?

Karousal bearing? $1,130 I would think included, but will find out

Power supply? Lingo PS $2,200 Will find out  

Kore sub chassis? $1,395 Will find out. 

Will also find if is post 2010… probably not, but possible. 
If the recommended upgrades are included, I think this is a no brainer. If not and the price + upgrades gets in the P10 range, I will probably go that route. Thank you again. 

When you buy a LP12, you need to remember that you are essentially buying a modular and upgradeable system. The fact that the table was originally built in 2000, or even earlier, would not concern me. The main upgrade path for LP12’s is as follows…1) bearing, 2) subchassis, 3) and this can be swapped with 2 in my opinion, is the power supply, 4) tonearm and lastly 5) cartridge. Albeit, I have recently acquired a new corner braced plinth, which was a nice upgrade…and might slot in between 3 and 4. 
If you are hampered by a non-concrete floor that has any way of flexing, then I would suggest a wall mount platform, or if that is not possible, a very lightweight stand. The Trampoline 2 baseboard helps greatly in this manner, but it is not perfect if you have floor issues…or standing wave issues. 
As to set up…don’t do it yourself. Period. I know there are folk who were prior auto mechanics and the like who will disagree, but a great set up by a Linn LP12 specialist is well worth it. The old thinking that the table floats out of set up once dialed in correctly, is simply not true anymore.

Lastly , I would suggest getting exact particulars as to the specifics of the table you are considering. So far, it seems to be a good deal, but it should still have a good set up done on it regardless.