[MaxCast]

Does anyone know of this deck?  What problems would I potentially be facing? 
What does manual pick up mean?

German manufacturer Thorens TD 166 MkII 33/45 manual pickup turntable with Grado needle cartridge, heavy aluminum platter under thick rubber mat; walnut grain cabinet & smoke plastic dust cover. This $700.00 instrument was state of the art when purchased ~25 years ago and is still in outstanding condition, having had no use in the last 15 years. Vinyl albums played on this sound as sharp and full as on any CD.

Buyers are asked to respond to the e-mail address with a first name and phone number. All calls will be returned promptly. Sale is on a first come, first served basis. Price is negotiable. Payment is due in full in cash when buyer takes possession.

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/ele/1334870221.html

[Scottdazzle]

This is the updated version of the TD 165 with a better tonearm.  I used to have a TD 165, a TD 160, and a TD 125.  The 166 you are looking at appears to be in great condition and probably is a steal at that price. 

There is a good chance you will need to buy a new belt which are readily available online, but some are better than others -  The ones I liked came from elexatelier.com.  You may need to adjust the suspension (there are three large adjustment knobs on the underside of the base) to make sure it's level and has good "bounce". Another place to check is vinylengine.com which has manuals and whatnot.  Chances are good that you'll want to use some better feet than the little rubbers that come with the table.  If you get really ambitious you can replace the flimsy pressed wood base with birch plywood.  I have done all of the above and I am not mechanically talented.

Manual pick up means it does not shut off at the end of the record.  You have to get up out of your listening chair, walk across the room and use the cueing lever (the horror!). 

If you are looking to get into vinyl with a minimal expenditure, this table is a great place to start.  I would buy it before anything new for under $500.  A few hours of tinkering and you'll be in vinyl heaven.  Go for it! 

Scott

[MaxCast]

Thanks for the info, Scott.     That's what I expected about the manual tonearm.   
I'll see if he replies to my email.

[doug s.]

Thanks for the info, Scott.     That's what I expected about the manual tonearm.   
I'll see if he replies to my email.

you can get one of these, or keep an eye peeled for the audio-technica or thorens iterations:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130326457317

but, it's kinda funny to pay more for the end-of-record lifter than the whole freaking turntable.   

doug s.

[Ron Stewart]

MaxCast,

In case you don't know about this site, you might want to check out http://www.theanalogdept.com/. It's a great source of information about Thorens (and some other turntables).

I own a TD166 II table myself, but I paid a lot more than $80 for it! I recently designed and built a new plinth for it. See http://home.hiwaay.net/~rgs/td166plinth/default.html if you're interested in seeing it.

Ron

[MaxCast]

Thanks for the help guys, but the table was sold in less than a day.