“New” Linn Basik LVX and custom armboard, Empire

My arm board on my Technics SL-1100 is guess-timating 3/16" thick (formed edges make it appear 3/8" thick).

The arm board is the "board to mount the arm on".

The thickness of Bill's arm board coincides with the need for his arm to clear the platter, and for proper VTA (vertical tracking angle).

If you put one that thick on your table, you'd:

1) raise the arm much too high, causing the arm to not be parallel with the platter, thus keeping your VTA way off for proper tracking of your cart and eminent ruination of your records, as well as poor sound

2) weight the Thorens suspension at the arm board, causing need for adjustment at best, or causing imbalance to throw off the suspension equilibrium and wreaking havoc with your table's performance.


I believe the Empire is a fixed board- I do not believe at the time that Empire or any table was using suspension (but that's not certain).

Thanks you for the explanation kind sir,I'm learning here in baby steps but I'm learning.:D
 
That arm board looks like it was meant to be there from the get go. Very nice looking, it just seems to go with the flow.

Thank you! It sort of does “go with the flow”.

That looks real sharp!

Thanks.

Looks great Bill!!!
I use an Empire 208 w/a Clearaudio arm....Great sounding table. Yours looks fantastic; enjoy.

Thanks cableguy, I’d love to se a pic of yours?

Hey Bill,

how about a shot of the whole table to get the full effect?

Looks nice indeed.

Thanks Deli, I’ll post one in just a minute.

The Thorens TD160 I just bought has the same arm on it.
Looks like he did a nice job on the armboard.

Thank you very much y2keglide! I think your table/arm combo is very nice as well! I've always wanted a Thorens my self.:thmbsp:
 
Excellent!

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Here it is!

Well...that's just beautiful. I wouldn't have thought that arm would look as good as it does on an Empire, as they're so different, but that arm-board really helps bring the two together. Nice work. I hope it sounds as good as it looks...I can't imagine that it doesn't.
 
Well, ain't that the edge of wetness!
Very nice!

Thanks Deli, but what does the “edge of wetness” actually mean?

Well...that's just beautiful. I wouldn't have thought that arm would look as good as it does on an Empire, as they're so different, but that arm-board really helps bring the two together. Nice work. I hope it sounds as good as it looks...I can't imagine that it doesn't.

Thanks John! I wondered whether they might “clash” too, I think we pulled it off with that armboard though! :yes:
 
"The Edge of Wetness" was a racy titled, fictional soap opera on the Johnny Carson show.


You know, I'm but a mere few years older than you but I'm feeling a bit dated. :)


That Empire is something else! I think that arm is spiffy as all get-out on it.

I imagine the synergy is excellent despite the differences in age of the arm and deck.
 
"The Edge of Wetness" was a racy titled, fictional soap opera on the Johnny Carson show.


You know, I'm but a mere few years older than you but I'm feeling a bit dated. :)


That Empire is something else! I think that arm is spiffy as all get-out on it.

I imagine the synergy is excellent despite the differences in age of the arm and deck.

If by synergy you mean "eargasmic, angelic choirs of music", perfectly imaged, emanating from my Empire/Linn/Ortofon combo and listened to through my Grado headphones, then yes, I'd say it has synergy! :D
 
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If by synergy you mean "eargasmic, angelic choirs of music" perfectly imaged and emanating form my Empire/Linn combo played through my Grado head phones, then yes, I'd say it has synergy! :D

I have a Linn Axis that has a Basik Plus arm on it (the one I'm about to cannibalize) that sounded ok...the arm really get a lot of info out of the grooves. But I was never happy with the 'drive' of the music, it had a lack of momentum, which is why I fell in love with the Empire the first time I heard mine. I can imagine that that arm (which I think is underrated) with a big, high-torgue driven heavy platter under it just sings. I bet that's some toe-tapping sweetness you have there.
 
I have a Linn Axis that has a Basik Plus arm on it (the one I'm about to cannibalize) that sounded ok...the arm really get a lot of info out of the grooves. But I was never happy with the 'drive' of the music, it had a lack of momentum, which is why I fell in love with the Empire the first time I heard mine. I can imagine that that arm (which I think is underrated) with a big, high-torque driven heavy platter under it just sings. I bet that's some toe-tapping sweetness you have there.

John, since you already have the arm, why not give it a quick try on your Empire? Id love to hear your impressions on the mating of the two! :yes:
 
John, since you already have the arm, why not give it a quick try on your Empire? Id love to hear your impressions on the mating of the two! :yes:

I doubt the geometry would line up, given that you need an armboard for yours, or was that just for VTA? I also like the stock arm. My only complaint about the stock arm is that it really kind of limits my cartridge choice. The one thing I know I'm going to do to the Empire soon is deaden the plinth and deck with some dynamat, which I already bought for that purpose. I also need to pick up some motor grommets.

I did print out the mounting template for the Basik arm and placed it on my Lenco. I'd have to move the mounting hole, which means drilling into the nice, prestine deck. Still not sure I want to do that. L-70s are not the most common Lenco, and I still may try to salvage the original arm on it (it's bearings are shot) but then again, maybe not. I'm not looking for any of these to be my main table, so I try to restore to stock condition. but...but...so many excuses that are made harder to defend when I see a nice modern arm on a classy vintage turntable like you have here.
 
I did have to file out the stock tonearm plinth hole about 1/4" for the larger diameter Linn shaft and also file a wee bit to meet the Linn arms geometry, so I understand why you wouldn't want to do that to an original Empire.:yes:
 
I did have to file out the stock tonearm plinth hole about 1/4" for the larger diameter Linn shaft and also file a wee bit to meet the Linn arms geometry, so I understand why you wouldn't want to do that to an original Empire.:yes:

The Lenco is much less of a looker than my Empire...it may have to get some surgery. We'll see..I have a lot of projects on the table, and not time to do them, and I've never modified a table before..but there's always a first time for everything.
 
Hey John, check that template again on the other corners of your Empire. No reason you shouldn't have two arms mounted on that thing! :thmbsp:

And Bill... "eargasmic?!" :)
 
As others have said, it really looks like the board came with the table. :yes:

Your friend's dad could go into business selling arm boards! :)

Scott
 
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