The Keith Monks Record Cleaner – Only The Best For Your Vinyl

by Nick Seiflow

The Keith Monks 'Archivist Duo' Record Cleaner

The Keith Monks ‘Archivist Duo’ – Broadcast-Archive Standard Precision Record Cleaner

We’re delighted to be able to offer our customers the finest record cleaning service available.

For all records, 33s, 45s and 78s (which require their own special treatment) the Keith Monks Omni Cleaner uses the tried-and-true washing and vacuuming process which has made the name Keith Monks the choice for museums and broadcasters across the world. Continue reading

The Technics SL 10 Turntable Part 2: Under the Covers–Adults Only…

Under the Covers of the Technics SL 10 Turntable….

by Nick Seiflow

The beautifully easy-to-operate Technics SL10 is anything but simple under the smooth lines of its aluminum skin.

What follows is not a manual for disassembly and maintenance, but more of a tribute to the Golden Age of turntable design.

Such a table as the SL-10 could never be made again. Sad, but based on the economies of scale whomsoever tried to build and market such a machine would quickly find themselves selling pencils on the street corner. To design this table from scratch alone would involve massive amounts of R&D. let alone actually  making and marketing it.

Technics SL 10 Turntable - A view of the armassembly before the work begins... The problem - broken thread, no arm movement, no music. The dust looks worse than it really is.... mant screws to remove, and some wiggling to remove the record clamp, and work can begin!

Technics SL 10 Turntable – A view of the arm assembly before the work begins… The problem – broken thread, no arm movement, no music. The dust looks worse than it really is…. many screws to remove, and some wiggling to remove the record clamp, and work can begin!

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Thorens TD150 Turntable Review – The Most Underrated for 50 Years?

by Nick Seiflow

1965 Thorens TD150 Turntable with 1959 Quad ESL 57

1965 Thorens TD150 Turntable with 1959 Quad ESL 57 Speaker – Yes, your grandfather had it this good!

When Thorens and Garrard were duking it out in the early 60s you had your choice: in the German/Swiss corner was that marvel of precision engineering, the workhorse of radio stations ands recording studios, the TD124. One of the most beautifully built idler drive tables ever conceived, and just so German; no one else would have added a belt to an idler drive (situated between the the idler wheel and the motor, and whose sole purpose was to isolate the platter from the really rather minor vibrations of the motor). The 124 has a permanent seat at the adult turntable table; used prices reflect its coveted status, reaching into the $1000s for a rebuilt example. Continue reading

Zen and the Turntable….

Better Than Nothing?

by Nick Seiflow

Unity 1 TT w Grace Arm w Audio Technica 95E Cartridge

Unity 1 Turntable with Grace Tonearm and Audio Technica 95E Cartridge – Created by the Gnomes of Zontar?

Here at the TT Shop we spend most of our time listening to music (how we suffer…) through a variety of turntables, and of course the trusty ol’ Quad 57s. I for one can think of few better ways to spend my days. Actually that’s a lie. There are no better ways.

Some of the tables we listen to are expensive, even works of mechanical art, and some are finds that materialize in the occasional dumpster. With a little attention even the dumpster tables can do a remarkable thing – and that is make music.

It gets me thinking. What’s better – nothing, Continue reading

Transcriptors Skeleton Turntable Review – Perhaps the Most Beautiful?

by Nick Seiflow

Transcriptors Skeleton Turntable with Vestigial Tonearm

Transcriptors Skeleton Turntable with Vestigial Tonearm

Perhaps the most beautiful turntable ever designed, the Transcriptors Skeleton, circa 1973, still arouses the same astonishment today that it did some forty years ago. Designed by the late genius, David Gammon (and apparently initially sketched on the back of a cigarette packet) the Skeleton  is a true beauty.

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Turntable Anti-skating: Are you protecting your vinyl?

What is anti-skating?

by Nick Seiflow

Most of our beloved ‘tables have an pivoting arm on the top right side; this holds the cartridge, and in the cartridge is the needle or stylus.

When a record is spinning and the needle drops into the groove the needle actually would prefer to hurtle right into the centre of the record and stay there. Obviously the groove helps to keep things in place, but that little needle is somewhat determined…..

Turntable Drives : Which drive maintains the correct speed?

by Nick Seiflow

In the wonderful world of record players there are three main ways to spin our vinyl – ah, the joy! And there are some very strong opinions out there as to which is the best way to get these black frisbees turning at the right speed; direct drive, belt drive, and idler drive. Which of these turntable drives is best? Answer; they all are, if properly made. Continue reading

Why Vinyl?

by Nick Seiflow

Elac Miracord 50H Turntable with Shure Cartridge

A Vintage Vinyl Player – The Elac Miracord 50H Turntable

Why Vinyl? It’s the question every listener asks. It’s the question that we three at The Turntable Shop discussed endlessly – and our answers ended up with us opening our store. We felt that we should share the joy with everyone.

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