Overhaul TT or buy new?

gus6464 · « **on:** 10 Nov 2015, 06:59 pm »

I have an old Rega Planar 2 with RB250 arm that works just fine but the plinth is in really bad shape as it's 20+ years old. I have been thinking about getting a new TT but with my budget of $600 I feel like it really wouldn't be an upgrade but instead a downgrade since the RB250 arm is the same as the RB300 except for the counterweight.

I found Michael Lim's website and his Rega upgrades and after communication with him I can get the following for ~$600.
http://lpturntables.blogspot.com/

Acrylic skeleton plinth
top and bottom braces
underslung counter-weight
aluminum sub platter
motor isolation base
dual pulley
3 adjustable feet

The new plinth would be same one from this thread but different color.
http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=79713

Is it safe to assume that with all these upgrades I would turn my Planar 2 into a whole different beast that would outperform a brand new RP1 and a stock RP3?

SteveRB · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Nov 2015, 12:53 am »

Never known the endless Rega upgrades to be earth shattering...

If the Planar 2 is working fine -- I say go with it. Save up for a real up-grade in a year...

GentleBender · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Nov 2015, 02:19 pm »

$600 won't buy you much in terms of new turntable. You would want to speak to owners of turntables Michael Lim has worked on to get an idea or you are rolling the dice. Would you be doing the work yourself?

rollo · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 Nov 2015, 02:33 pm »

Quote from: GentleBender on 23 Nov 2015, 02:19 pm

$600 won't buy you much in terms of new turntable. You would want to speak to owners of turntables Michael Lim has worked on to get an idea or you are rolling the dice. Would you be doing the work yourself?

Excellent advice. Money saved could be used for a new cart. or music.

charles

Wayner · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 Nov 2015, 02:41 pm »

I rebuilt a plinth for about $20 for my table. The platter assembly is from an AR-XA, but I have a REGA RB300 arm on it. Separate motor in its own housing brings the noise level to very low. It is a very quiet table. You could probably do this to yours too.

Wayner

ACHiPo · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 Nov 2015, 02:43 pm »

Cool 'table Wayne!

rollo · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Nov 2015, 03:00 pm »

Wayner that is really nice looking. Great job. I bet it sounds great as well. I'm impressed. I would buy that just for looks. Really got me with that TT oh my !!! "T"Bone" baby.
charles

Wayner · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 Nov 2015, 04:37 pm »

Thanks guys. It's also stuffed with about 5 pounds of platiclay on the inside........

I have very limited tools here, so most everything has to be made so I can cut it with my 20 year old chop saw, and a drill press. I also have a palm sander to clean the cuts up. This table is about 5 or 6 years old and has a Hurst motor in it.

neobop · « **Reply #8 on:** 24 Nov 2015, 04:34 am »

Nice design Wayner, really nice!

neo

Bob2 · « **Reply #9 on:** 24 Nov 2015, 02:21 pm »

What are you using for adjustable feet?
Nice tt!

Wayner · « **Reply #10 on:** 24 Nov 2015, 03:02 pm »

The feet themselves are a grommet I found at the hardware store. The stem is a screw. The cross piece has a "T" nut in it that the screw goes into and sets the height. The nut on top acts like a lock nut. The motor assembly has 4 small rubber feet, non-adjustable, so the 3 feet on the turntable body have to adjust to get the belt to ride the platter correctly.

There certainly isn't any magical design to it. If I had some better feet, I might use them, but in the mean time, this works even tho its not really "pretty" looking.

'ner

GentleBender · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 Nov 2015, 03:09 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 24 Nov 2015, 03:02 pm

The feet themselves are a grommet I found at the hardware store. The stem is a screw. The cross piece has a "T" nut in it that the screw goes into and sets the height. The nut on top acts like a lock nut. The motor assembly has 4 small rubber feet, non-adjustable, so the 3 feet on the turntable body have to adjust to get the belt to ride the platter correctly.

There certainly isn't any magical design to it. If I had some better feet, I might use them, but in the mean time, this works even tho its not really "pretty" looking.

'ner

It looks warm and industrial, I like it. Not one of those form over function setups.

Wayner · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 Nov 2015, 04:29 pm »

Here is another one made from composite decking material. This is extruded stuff made out of recycled plastic and what ever else they put in there. It truly is a "green" product as everything except the motor was recycled.

This one also has lots of plasticlay in the hollows of the composite decking material. You need lots of mass in the motor module as well to absorb vibrations from the motor, or it will be transmitted by the belt and mimic 60 cycle electrical hum, even tho it is by nature, purely mechanical hum.

'ner