Albert Porters after market panzerholz plinths

sorry one other point the shindo plinth for the garrard is from cherry wood which i think was chosen more for its significance to japanese customers rather than some intrinsic quality of the wood. i looked up the density of cherry and it sits in the middle along with a whole lot of other woods however the effort they put into the laquer finish may actually be what gives their plinth the wonderful tone that some people claim (i can't claim anything as i haven't heard it).

also some arms like the dobbins plinth are at the back and i'm actually unsure if they are attached or not.

i've owned three Dobbins plinth'd tt's; an SP-10 Mk2, SP-10 Mk3, and a Garrard 301. all these have dual armboards that swing (for overhang adjustment and arm length flexibility) but are extremely firmly attached. i know Steve has experimented with many many approaches to the whole arm board/plinth interface question and having this be very solid is a high priority. OTOH not over dampning it is also very significant if the sound is to be lively, which all his plinths certainly are.

i've not personally spent time with a tt where the arm board is not solidly connected to the plinth; so i cannot say for sure whether it's a valid approach. but my guess is that while it might work; it is unlikely to be optimal.

thanks mike for that info i was just guessing (and by the look of my posts spelling badly) re the dobbins. its nice to know that someone has experimented with arm boards attached or not. when you are doing it as a project it really is a once off and you want to learn from others. also i have to consider aesthetics as this particular garrard is going into the lounge WAF has to be high.

just spent an interesting hour or two with the cabinet maker who is going to do my garrard plinth. we have sort of decided on a solid mahogany plinth he has a cnc machine so we may do it out of two solid blocks (the drill bit is a restriction on how deep you can make the cut outs) or alternatively glue several layers as per most peoples projects. the finish may include some veneer (also mahogany) work and will be either piano laquer or french polish. should look good and improve with age. also hoping some of that tone from the mahogany rubs off (i've been reading a lot of guitar sites lately).

the arm is going to be a ortofon AS 309 S (just ordered it). cartridge london super gold (the ref is just too much at this stage). footers will be stillpoints as per albert porters technics although costs may mean i do cheap copy until i can afford them. also have to decide on phono cable - all of this is going into leben phono stage.

really enjoyed this project its more fun than just buying the finished product. next up will be my thorens 125.

I've received a lot of email inquires since this post began so I'll answer here for everyone to read.

Porter Plinth has evolved into exclusively a dual arm design, different than images featured at Soundfountain

All Porterhouse plinths are made from layers of Bass wood, Panzerholz, aircraft aluminum and have the iron block and brass rod to support the original Technics design chassis.

Panzerholz compromises the majority of these from base model to level three. Level three gets real lumber (not veneer) one inch thick in places. Real Ebony lumber has been the choice for the few we've delivered. Other lumber such as Rosewood, Wenge, Walnut, Cherry, Maple (or customer choice) for anything available in the market.

Image of the new dual arm plinth are on my system thread here at Audiogon and I will add to my PorterHouse Audio web site as soon as I capture images in my studio that do justice to its appearance.

This is not a money making deal, I do this because I love it. So far we're managing (at max speed) about two or three a year. Hardly a mass produced item.