maplenoll apollo---any agon experience

still trying to get the pics of the table and negotiate price. I am very excited about the possibility and you know i will have to show off if I get it. The seller is in illinois and having problems sending me some pics. I will have to make the trip up there because maplenoll tables are hard to ship. I do not want to have to rebuild like i did with my current table. By the way, been busy at work so have not finished my design for the airbearing arm. Still planning on getting it going but just moving slow as usual.

Must be the same dealer that posted a thread over in Vinyl Asylum as a means of advertising it.

yep! sounds like you have dealt with him before

O: Inlight of the facts pointed out by piedpiper ("nonexistant" tonearm & critical VTA issues) perhaps you should ask the seller the condition of the rubber vaccum platter hold-down. From what I understand , that vaccum hold-down is important since small warp-type issues with LPs may have an affect on playback.

FYI: I can verify the following: Bob Dilger had been speaking of the development of the Apollo as early as 1989. The first first offical news release was in 1991. He remarked at the time " it (Apollo) is the culmination of more than 10 years engineering and field experience incorperating Maplenoll's air bearing principals " .

Following L.Walker's 7-12 month association with Maplenoll in early 1990's , The Apollo's price jumped to 6-7K and later to maybe as high as $12,000+ but I haven't viewed any reciepts with that retail price tag . Early Apollo's were to retail between 3-4K.

Its my understanding the air bearings are identical to the entire maplenoll line but I have not examined them. The exceptions to the existing Maplenoll line are in decending order: The plinth , 110 LB. of internally damped plinth constructed of high density acrylic with a 50 LB.lead plate laminate; 70 LB.(stock) record platter w/ record vaccum hold-down; air bearing linear tracking tonearm mounted on an independent, isolated sub-chassis constructed of 3/4" lead plate; a headshell , 2" tonearm and counterweight machined out of a single metal rod and VTA on the fly .

The Apollo was powered by a Maplenoll 40 PSI pump. Other platters were available as option for the early Apollo machines. Changing the height of the platter may mean upgrades to arm manifolds: I do not currenty know of a source for apollo parts. Wish you all the Best.

FYI: I came across a early review of maplenoll products. Without mentioning the Apollo directly, the reviewer cautioned that tangental tracking arms shorter than 7" have engineering issues particularity tracking less-than-perfect LPs. Another article by a audio designer did mention vaccum-holds on air bearing tables. The AD strongly cautioned the additional vaccum noise coupled with residue from the quite pump does/could dirty-up the highs and lows of the AB table. I suppose these are other considerations when buying a Apollo cold.