Anyone have a clue what could be used as an appropriate substitute for the Linn stuff- maybe something that is available in my garage, or somewhere close by? The fine folks at Linn don't seem to bother to respond to any queries I've made.

They must be in cahoots with the Rega people. I've read where a lot of people like Mobil 1, I would probably use Castrol 10w50 synthetic, as that's what I use in my compressors.

I put 90W hypoid lube in my Rega's, as I read that it was recommended. Had all sorts of wow. Thinned it down with a shot of Break Free, and everything's been fine. Thought about cleaning it all out and going with Mobil or Castrol, but it's been working for a couple of years, so why fix it?

Chas

This probably won't help you a whole helluva lot but Linn has a special oil for the bearing. I just had my LP-12 in the shop for some work and I asked what they used. The owner produced a bottle with a black-colored oil that he said was particularly nasty if you ever got it on your hands or clothes. Maybe it's loaded up with graphite? No dealers or service in your area? This fellow loves Linns and working on them (even insisted on carrying it to my car) and had very good things to say about the Basik as I made an inquiry about it.

The U.S HEADQUARTERS is right here in JAX, for crissake. Of course, they won't actually talk to you, other than to say contact the dealer. And the only local dealer is an open-by-appointment-only high-end custom home theater installation boutique which also won't answer emails or phone calls.

how 'bout this?

http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LG&Product_Code=LPGZBEAROIL

This might be the genuine article:

http://www.spinningdogrecords.com/lpsmboofoilb.html

Yep, it is.

The black stuff in the Linn factory oil is molybdenum disufide, a very good lubricant, but significant overkill in this type of application. I switched to Mobil SHC 624 in my Linn Axis about six months ago, works great. It's a full synthetic ISO32 weight gear/bearing oil, used in industrial gear drives that see loads that are thousands of times higher than any turntable bearing.

And so the Mobil isn't significant overkill..........

Yes, I'm sure the Mobil is serious overkill too, but I get it for free, so I can't beat the price. You could probably use 20 or 30 weight motor oil in these bearings without any problems.