Just thought I would share w/anyone interested a couple of pic's of my Thorens TD150 MKII AB makeover. Not the best pictures, but I do take lousey pictures as a rule. Just a couple more small additions I need to make and I will be totally done. I owe AK as a whole a word of thanks for the information and guidance I needed to get this to it's final stage. Now on to the next TT project. I wonder what the TD165 would look like in a corian plinth :scratch2:


Modifications:

Solid wood plinth and armboard
Rega RB300 TA with new Shure M97xE
VTA kit
Removed speed and cueing switches (33 1/3 only)
Tecnoweight (on order)
Damping of chasis, sub-chasis and motor (also plinth later on)
New aluminum face
1 inch Isospikes
3/4 inch Birch plywood bottom (to be installed tonite)
Power and Audio connections in backside of plinth

Looks good hows it sounding and how do you like the Shure Cartridge?

Zebra,
Great work.
Perhaps you should try and have it posted at http://www.theanalogdept.com/.
Jorge

HWF1 Looks good hows it sounding and how do you like the Shure Cartridge? To be honest I don't know what I should be hearing. But, I can tell you that it is head & shoulders over the stock TD150. As well as it should be considering the Rega TA. To these old ears it sounds pretty dang nice. I think I will play with the VTA, per some info I got here @ AK and a couple other places, and see if I can find a zero line to base adjustments on. For the time being I will just let it get settled in sort of speak. I've spent a lot of time on this TT and I think I will just take a small break before I do any further additions or subtractions (other than replacing the counterweight). I think I will @ some point in time slip the ADC XLM cart in just to get a sampling of it on this arm.
Later!

hifi_nut Zebra,
Great work.
Perhaps you should try and have it posted at http://www.theanalogdept.com/.
Jorge

Thanks Jorge, I don't know if we are ready for the big time yet :D. But you did make me think about The Analog Department. And along with AK I owe those guy's a lot of praise. Their site guided me through a lot of "How do I do That" "Where Does This Go" type situations during the TT project. Do you or anyone else know who I could contact to send my Thank You's to? It's probably on the site but I couldn't see it.
Later!

Very nice. :thmbsp:

I believe the guy running The Analog Department is Steve Clarke.
Much of the input regarding mods and tweaking and rebuilding is from Rolf Kelch.

Jorge

That looks great. That's funny, I haven't play Grand Funk... well, probably ever! And I just put a Grand Funk album on tonight for a listen.

I say go for a TD160 for your next project :music:

I believe the guy running The Analog Department is Steve Clarke.
Much of the input regarding mods and tweaking and rebuilding is from Rolf Kelch.

Jorge
Thanks for the info Jorge. I contacted Steve via e-mail and payed my thanks to him and his site.

I think the idea of a Corian plinth on a TD-160 is an interesting idea. My only question would be the thickness of the Corian. The TD-160 is a suspended TT and the suspension is based on a relatively thin sheet metal plinth. Or am I completely off base here?

drspiff I think the idea of a Corian plinth on a TD-160 is an interesting idea. My only question would be the thickness of the Corian. The TD-160 is a suspended TT and the suspension is based on a relatively thin sheet metal plinth. Or am I completely off base here? The thickness of the material being used for the plinth does not impede the suspension action. You just need to keep the same inside diameter as that of the original plinth. The chasis just sits on a recessed rim that is approximately 3/16 of an inch from the top of the plinth. Then of course the subchasis (suspension portion) attaches to the main chasis. I hope I understood your question correctly.
Later!

:drool: That looks great, this must be the one we were discussing the other day, BTW the cork is working out great :thmbsp:

Tis the same one DD. It is well settled in now. Just decided to go with the ADC cart instead of the Shure.

I will definetly have to give the cork thing a try on one of the next little projects. :yes:

It looks mighty nice!! Great work.

Thanks Holst, it is a labor of love. One I wish I could afford to do every day.

How do you like that ADC so far?

The ADC just seems like a fit for the 150. The Shure 97 is no slouch by any means. The ADC just fits my ears a lot better w/the 150/Rega combo.

I'd really like to A/B some other carts.. But there is plenty of time for that.

And the Shure has found a nice home on the TD165 for now. :yes:

Any of these Thorens that are overtaking your storage areas, feel free to send over I will give them a fine home!

could you or someone provide me/us with the precise dimensions and hole location for an armboard for the RB300 and the TD150?

Mitch