I think I just got a killer deal!!

[Figit090]

I was at a yard sale, and not knowing JACK about record players except how to turn one on...

I bought a Pioneer PL-L800 Turntable and it's practically BRAND NEW. still had the shipping screws holding down the turntable...and the little tone arm stabilizer plate underneath. it looks like its been used, but very VERY lightly. aside from some light scuffs on the lid and some funny stuff on the play button, it's new and the lady even had the box, with the original Japan/US shipping label.

I set about reading the owners manual (YEAH its still with it), calibrated the tone arm as the manual stated, and set up a Ventures record for the first try (once testing my calibration quickly on a peter pan LP)...it sounds GREAT!

Then I looked at the stylus, a Shure V-15 Type IV, did a quick google/ebay search...

From what i've gathered, I have a pretty good stylus and I'm super happy with its features, like the little static electricity/dust brush up front to lay down a clean playing area for the stylus tip.

wahooooo!!!! I never thought i'd go retro analog like this but i'm already likin' it!

What does everyone think? I don't know much about this stuff. The info and stylus manual on Shure's site was awesome though i'm learning lots.

I set the counterbalance on my tone arm to 1.5oz so according to shure's owners manual i have 1oz pressure on the stylus tip. (brush puts .5oz pressure to record rather than stylus,offsetting it a bit)

PICS

[bobsticks]

Congrats on the deal! That unit looks like it's in great condition.

[Mr Peabody]

I'm not familiar with that particular model. I had a Pioneer PL-51 running for about 20 years. Some time after I upgraded I sold it and as far as I know it's still going. At one point it quit running back in the 80's. I bought one of those new quartz lock direct drive tables from Technics. I took the cart from the Pioneer and placed on it. The sound was such I returned the Technics and had the Pioneer fixed.

[Figit090]

Congrats on the deal! That unit looks like it's in great condition.

Thanks! It seems to be the pioneer head/stylus that appears to be the stocker is in a bag but sadly he stylus is broken... hopefully it wasn't really worth using anyway. maybe, but whatever. looked kinda basic to me.

I'm not familiar with that particular model. I had a Pioneer PL-51 running for about 20 years. Some time after I upgraded I sold it and as far as I know it's still going. At one point it quit running back in the 80's. I bought one of those new quartz lock direct drive tables from Technics. I took the cart from the Pioneer and placed on it. The sound was such I returned the Technics and had the Pioneer fixed.

Awesome! What's with this quartz lock anyway? does it sense the frequencies in the output and use that to slow down the motor as the tone arm gets toward the center of the record? or am I way off...

I dont really know how belt driven models work either....heh.

I really like this table, it lets me scroll left and right to select a track without touching the tonearm.

[Mr Peabody]

I'm not sure how Quartz Lock exactly works, it keeps the speed correct using a servo control.

The ole PL-51 was a manual TT, Direct Drive. Is yours a belt drive? It seems in mass market brands Direct Drive was said to be better but higher end TT's use Belt Drive. There's probably good and bad in both.