Turntable/Arm help needed

[IJ]

Having an ageing LP collection collecting dust, I decided to dig out the old turntable and see if I could get it working again.

It's a rather old Thorens TD126 Mk3 and last time I used it there were motor issues. Well after sitting untouched for the past so many years in cling film, the deck, after a bit of clean and a dab of WD40, actually ran and at the correct and stable speed.

The arm is a Mission 774 with 773 cartridge and that is where the problem lies. The counter weight on the rear of the arm has some sort of PU or other filling that appears to attach it to the arm, this seems to have deteriorated/degraded over the years and now is more fluid than plastic and the counter weight hangs well off centre and impossible to adjust with any accuracy. It has the consistency of chewing gum. Secondly the little counter weight at the side which is attached via a red thread has broken. A new MM cartridge would also be needed.

Are there any experts out there who know this arm and any suggestions on if and how to make a repair?

If not any suggestion of a good low cost arm/cartridge would be appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

No Idea about the arm, but a good new one could be the rb250 or 300/3001, they get really good reviews. I have the rb301 on my p3 and the deck sounds great. Hope they fit.

You could try a grado cartridge too. they sounded good when i demo'd them.

I'm not the expert though so others more knowledgable will hopefully help.

Although i think thorens is manufacturing again so maybe they could help.

 

[chebby]

Yes.

Get your local Rega dealer to order in an RB250 or RB300 arm (not RB251/RB301) and then contact these people...

http://www.soundsupports.com/Thorens125Rega.htm

... for the TD125/126 mounting plate. (They also have an ebay shop linked on their website and instructions and a contact email for questions.)

The arm should be around £130 - £140 for the RB250

 

[IJ]

Thanks for suggestions. The local Thorens dealer suggested the RB301 arm, at around £243 here. When i think about possible cost for the arm, arm mounting plate, fitting and service that it needs, it looks like it may be cheaper to get a new Rega Planar 3-24

Is that a backward step?

 

[chebby]

IJ:Is that a backward step?

Impossible to know without having the deck properly serviced by a trained Thorens specialist and fitted with a new arm/cart.

The TD 125/126 were 'transcriptor' turntables considered to be on a par with Garrard 301/401 and are supposed to be excellent but probably only if you have the time and bugdet to have the necessary work done.

These machine are almost 40 years old now.

It may be best to remove the arm and put the TT on ebay and put the money towards a modern deck like the P3-24 (for convenience) unless you want to invest in it as a project.

Depends how committed you are to restoring a classic.

 

[the record spot]

The 774 was a decent arm in its day and even graced - as an entry level option if memory serves - the Linn LP12 at one point. So it's no slouch, or wasn't anyway.

What's your budget? The Rega RB200/300 options are excellent VFM, offer a means to upgrade via internal rewiring or structural mods by Origin or Michell (to name but two) and give excellent sound quality as standard never mind with upgrades.

Cartridges, well, plenty of choice, but it might be worth having a look at the Vinyl Engine website to see what the guys on there recommend. There is an excellent forum and plenty of expertise on hand to help you out.

P3-24 will set you back about £500 minimum (t/t & cartridge) but it is a superb package for the money. Slightly more fiddlesome to upgrade the arm on the RB301 (different contruction to the RB300 forerunner) but don't let that put you off.

 

[Anonymous]

Can you post a picture of the arm showing the two components you mention? I'm just wondering if a repair is possible, that's all.

It's a fine turntable, but mounting plates, arm mounting and new arms never come cheaply. Might be worth ringing Origin Live in Southampton to see what they suggest.ÿ

 

[78finn]

you can get a second hand Rega Planar 3 with an RB300 arm for under 250 quid on Ebay.... save yourself some money.....

 

[John Duncan]

Or you could search a well-known auction site for "mission 774" and see if any of the spare parts listed on there are what you're looking for...

 

[Anonymous]

chebby:
Yes.

Get your local Rega dealer to order in an RB250 or RB300 arm (not RB251/RB301) and then contact these people...

http://www.soundsupports.com/Thorens125Rega.htm

... for the TD125/126 mounting plate. (They also have an ebay shop linked on their website and instructions and a contact email for questions.)

The arm should be around £130 - £140 for the RB250

Hi Chebby,

Is the 300 better than the 301?

Not that i'll want to change mine as i like how it sounds, but just wondernig.

Thanks,
Ed

 

[chebby]

fast eddie:

Is the 300 better than the 301?

Not that i'll want to change mine as i like how it sounds, but just wondernig.

Thanks,
Ed

No, not really.

Actually I assume the RB301 is a better arm than the RB300 because it is an evolution of the previous model.

I recommended the RB250/RB300 simply because after 26 years of production - with the same fitting - it is more likely the OP will be able to get hold of a compatible arm board. (The new RB251/RB301 arms have a completely different 3 point mounting now.)

 

[IJ]

Checking the net, i found these comments....."The only thing that bugs me a bit is the counterweight decoupling sorbothane. I believe it is loosing it's structure. It is a white sorbothane. I can easily remove the old and put in new black sorbothane if you desire at no extra charge" and "The Mission sorbothane in the counterweight cavity is slightly saggy but doesn't affect performance. I have seen posts that it is replaceable".

Well the Sorbothane in my counter weight is past saggy and more of a soft sticky chewing gum. I tried to upload a pic, but cant. You can easily see the white inner ring of the counterweight if you search for the 774 on the net.

Interesting that there sounds like a DIY repair may be possible, although at the moment i have no idea where to find a suitable piece of this material, i would think that another type of PU material would do the job.

In some ways it would be nice to restore this deck, but since most of my listening would be via CD, i am not sure if i want to spend too much cash on it yet, hence a ready to go modern deck becomes a simple option.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, had a look on Google which is why I posited the DIY option. Worth trying, it was a good arm.