ROK Belt Drive Turntable (modified) (local CO and WY best)

[pjanda1]

I just copied this long description of an ad I put on craigslist. I figured I may as well post it here, as I've found local buyers before. As is, this thing would cost a fortune to ship, due to the 80 lb isolation platform alone. If you really want it, I could pack the table up without too much hassle. This TT is great fun, I just don't have time for it. Pics will follow, but they are on the computer my wife took to work.

See lengthy description below, but here are the prices:

ROK Turntable (N-33H), custom plinth, empire arm, Shure cartridge, iso-platform, shelf and speed strobe: $250
Phono pre (battery powered, with switchable moving coil stepups and dual SLA charger): $150
DL103 Cartridge (low hours): $100
A couple hundred vinyl LPs/records (mostly classical, but jazz, rock and pop too): $50 for the lot

I won't sell anything unless it is with the turntable or the turntable is sold. If you take it all, I'll knock $50 off. I have much, much more invested in this system than I'm asking, not including time!

The turntable is based on a vintage Rek-O-Kut belt (now thread) drive. The giant Papst motor (same German made brand as Empire) provides idler torque (think Garrard/Lenco/Thorens) but belt drive quiet. The bearing is a huge grooved unit and I replaced the steel ball with a silicon nitride sub. I constructed the 3” plinth/base from laminated birch ply and finished it in natural tung oil. It sits on big brass cones. The motor is rigidly mounted (unlike the stock implementation) to about 8 lbs of iron, which contacts the platform via vinyl footers. The power supply is housed in a separate chassis and can be disconnected from the motor pod. I have the original steel plinth should you ever want to recreate to stock TT.

The empire arm is in great shape with dead smooth bearings. Its mass is the perfect match for the Denon 103 Moving Coil Cartridge (very low hours). Many folks are trying very low compliance 103’s with low mass arms (rega, etc) and getting suboptimal results! The Denon was really built for arms like the Empire.

I built the Hagerman Bugle preamp myself with the recommended parts. It is housed in a steel (well shielded) box with two well-oversized sealed lead acid batteries (dual mono power supplies!) and the SUTs (themselves large, heavy, shielded vintage mic preamp transformers that provide just the right amount of gain for the 103). The preamp has switchable inputs so you can swap in MM cartridges. I sourced a military surplus SLA charger that can charge both batteries at once in about an hour. Once charged, they last a very long time. I have jacks and switches to alternate between charging and playing.

All of this rests on a roughly 80 lb “pure magic” cheery veneer isolation platform (they are out of business, but this alone used to sell for $300). The platform sits on a shelf that is an old TV stand modified to be more rigid and have a level-able 3-point connection to the platform. It is also the perfect size to hold a few records.

I also built a very compact LED based strobe to check the turntables speed (you can adjust where the thread rides on the capstan to change the speed). The stock ROK platter matt has strobe lines. (The DIY matt I’m including does not, of course).

I built a DIY version of George Merrill’s highly reviewed G.E.M. Dandy record cleaning system. I did correspond with George about it and I purchased his fluid. My version of the system uses a portable dishwasher coupler to attach to your sink. I also have some brand new clean sleeves and fancy stylus cleaner.

Finally, I have a bunch of records, probably more than a couple hundred. I have some jazz and rock and many, many excellent classical titles. They vary greatly in condition. I bought many for a quarter, some for $20.

This turnkey setup is the result of years of experimentation and fabrication. For a few reasons, I need to part with my vinyl rig. As it is designed to work as a system, I’d like to sell it together.

I live about an hour and a half NE of Cheyenne, but I doubt there are any buyers out here! If you want to hear and see the system running, you’ll need to come see it. If you are committed to buying it, I am willing to deliver it along the Front Range. I travel to Fort Collins frequently, (after awhile in the NE panhandle, 2 1/2 hours seems like a short drive), which is why I listed it here. Please email me with questions or for more pics . You can also call me at 308 - six seven too - five eight three sicks (cell).

Paul

[jrenkin]

Can you post some pictures? or email me, renkinj@msn.com

[pjanda1]

Here is a quick one. I have more, and I could take some too. But, I'm hurrying out of town for a marathon this weekend. I should be able to get you more early next week. It'll depend a bit on how walking is going.

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers

[pjanda1]

Frog not included.

[jrenkin]

The first thing I thought of was if the frog was included...

Good luck with the marathon! You are a better man than I.
I will be off to negotiate with the wife about possibly buying a turntable...

[pjanda1]

The gear is sold. I've still got most of the albums.

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers