Nude Turntable Project

Halcro, sorry to disappoint you with the non-nudity. :)

The Technics SL-1200mk2 motor's stator is directly soldered to the circuit board so it's almost impossible to separate the motor independent from electronics. The SL1200 is, to me, a rather cheaper incarnation of its older siblings, the SL-1300mk2, SL-1400mk2, Sl1500mk2, and the armless SL-150mk2, which all have a heavier balanced platter and detachable motor. Those models already improved on the SL-1200mk2 so I feel it's misguided to go overboard on modding the best selling DD table of all time. If people want to improve the SL1200, just get those models or the SL-M2. Hey, it's their money...

Back to the Monarch plinth; it is not possible to denude the SL1200 without destroying the electronics. They were constructed as one piece. By the way, that metal enclosure in one of the pictures is the housing for the power supply. But the Monarch is still a fine example of taking the bare motor out of its stock chassis/plinth and install onto a new plinth. I suppose someone can mount the raw motor & electronics on a platform with some screws and call it a nude project. :)

_______

OK Guys, so what about the TT-71 aka JVC QL-7/7A?
I have one sitting unused for a while with a cracked dustcover and a sagging tonearm counterweight which I bought for $35.00.
I know it is not a QL-8 or 10, but...

The TT-71 in the QL7 or QL-7A uses the same motor as the TT-81, except less sophisticated electronics. It's a good performer and I used to own several of them. I sold them all after comparing to other models with coreless motors such as QL-Y66F or QL-Y7, just not as smooth sounding but still very respectable and I much prefer that over any mid-priced Technics. The tonearm is underrated. Have fun with it, since you didn't pay much for it. Experiment away!

_______

Thanks, HiHo,
Your thoughts and this thread as a whole has really motivated me to revive this table.
I fixed the tonearm weight today and will solder a broken wire tonight.

Long Live Analog!

I have made the move to a fully nude TT with DIY arm-pod, from a semi-nude version and so am resurrecting this excellent thread.

Previously, I had my JVC TT-101 turntable supported on sorbothane feet - independent of the plinth, but still sitting in the plinth's cut-out. The tone-arms were mounted to the plinth, which therefore served as a large arm-board.

You can see my previous set-up here: http://s1106.photobucket.com/albums/h373/Garya1/Dual%20Tone-Arms%20Dec%202011/

Now I have eliminated the plinth completely and support the turntable on three brass points. The single tone-arm is mounted on a Micro-Seiki copper-alloy armboard which is in turn mounted to 1/2 of a 20lb dumbbell. Both the TT and the pod sit on separate parts of a large sheet of granite.

And here is what it looks like now: http://s1106.photobucket.com/albums/h373/Garya1/Nude%20Turntable%20and%20DIY%20Arm%20Pod/

In addition to cutting one end off the dumbbell (close to one end)I had to increase the diameter of the shaft to 1.17 inches from 1.13 inches to properly mount the MS AX-6g arm-board. This was done using 4 layers of aluminum tape (used for hvac ductwork). I also sanded the bottom (rubber coating) flat. All together the pod weighs about 15 pounds. I wanted a heavier dumbbell but the shaft diameter was too large for some and the base was rounded on others. The total cost of the arm-pod was $285 of which $250 was for the arm-board.

I used double stick tape to secure the pod and the TT to the granite to maintain geometry.

Sound-wise the noise-floor dropped noticeably which sharpened the leading edges of the notes and made it desirable to raise the volume while listening. My wife pro-claimed this to be a marked improvement (unusual for her). I find it to be far more revealing, which is good for good lp's and bad for mediocre ones.

I would highly encourage anyone interested in doing this to pursue it. An easy and rewarding change.