How to properly ship a Pioneer PL-L1000 & its close cousins
Hi Everyone,
I created these instructions for shipping a Pioneer PL-L1000, PL-L1000A, PL-L5, Phase Linear 8000, 8000A, etc. The following is written in a way I would communicate to someone sending me a PL-L1000. Feel free to copy, add, modify, and use this any way you want.
Please print this out and check off the following points as they are accomplished. I highly recommend you read this one time first and then implement the packing procedures when reading it the second time. DO NOT allow a shipping store to do this for you. They do not understand what it takes to pack a turntable properly, especially one like this. Please make sure that you personally oversee that this turntable is packed this way with each and every point checked off. I sincerely ask your understanding and cooperation with this.
Remove the black rubber mat.
(PL-L1000) Remove the three small screws that hold the large aluminum platter to the motor spindle. Remove the platter, and re-thread the screws back into the motor spindle. (PL-L1000A) The PL-L1000A has three screw holes, but they are not used . Simply pull the platter upward from the two finger lift holes while applying pressure with your thumb on the center spindle as is common to most platters.
Wrap the platter and mat to at least a 1" thickness with bubble wrap and tape securely.
If there is a cartridge mounted on the headshell, make sure you lower the stylus guard and that it is locked in place so it cannot flip up to the unprotected position. If you do not have a stylus guard, you should consider removing the headshell and placing it properly into a plastic bottle (a prescription medicine bottle works well). To save space here, I won't go into the obvious details of how to conscientiously perform the above tasks so that the stylus is properly protected from damage.
Unscrew the tonearm's counterweight, bubble wrap, and tape it.
Move the tonearm arm rest lock bar over the arm to secure it.
Securely tie down the tonearm to the arm rest with a bread bag tie (preferable) or a small tie wrap.
Tighten gently (with a flat blade screw driver) the large 3/4” diameter shiny (knurled periphery) tonearm height slotted locking screw that faces to the outside of the turntable. Please do not over-tighten, just snug it up.
Slide the tonearm all the way to the outside of the turntable and push the small black tonearm lock rod (it's about 1/4” in diameter) down to hold the arm to the outside. Gently attempt to push the tonearm to the inside to verify that the lock rod is not broken. If it locks the arm firmly to the outside you can proceed gently with the next steps with at least some confidence that the arm will not violently slide around. This movement during packing preparation is what needs to be avoided. If the arm is not securely held and there are broken pieces from the lock rod, please put those pieces in small plastic bag and include with the turntable and proceed cautiously with the following steps.
Note: This is only a weak lightweight plastic lock rod and cannot be relied on to hold the arm for shipment or even rough handling during packing, and unfortunately, it is common for these lock rods to break.
Purchase from your local hardware store, four (two minimum) 4mm-0.7mm X 16mm long (4mm is the diameter and 0.7mm is the thread pitch in millimeters) metric screws and flat washers to use as transit screws for the tonearm. Also purchase three 5mm X 60mm long screws for the chassis transit screws. Any head style and material is fine. I would call the store first so you don't waste a trip. These screws and flat washers should be no more than $4.00 total. Don't use anything longer than 17mm or shorter than 13mm for the tonearm transit screws and don't use anything shorter than 55mm for the chassis transit screws. NOTE: It is not mandatory to use transit screws for the chassis, but it is ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY to use transit screws for the tonearm.
Gently flip the turntable onto the side where gravity holds the tonearm to the outside and carefully thread the 4mm screws with flat washers into the bottom of the tonearm through the four holes in the bottom base without cross-threading them. Do not force anything. They should go in smoothly.
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT FORCIBLY TIGHTEN THESE SCREWS DOWN WITH A SCREW DRIVER. YOU RISK BENDING THE IRREPLACEABLE GUIDE BARS IF YOU DO!! Just run them in softly by hand or by holding only the shaft (not the handle) of the screw driver. They should be run in so that the underside of the screw heads are JUST FLUSH to the bottom of the main base and no more. These thread into the tonearm when the tonearm is all the way to the outside and prevent the tonearm from moving during shipment. I am here to tell you, if the tonearm moves on a PL-L1000 during shipment; it is toast! I highly recommend using four screws, but if for some reason you only use two, please position them so they are diagonally across from each other.
Pull the tonearm lock rod up to disengage it so that there is no chance of this delicate plastic part breaking in shipment.
Insert the three 5mm chassis transit screws now if you have them.
Place foam blocks (of equal thickness to the dustcover) underneath the dustcover to give the dust cover added strength in the event of something ugly happening during shipment. It is not advised to use polystyrene foam as it sheds foam debris. It is far better to use polyethylene foam to prevent shedding. If you must use polystyrene (the common snow white styrofoam), you will have to wrap it with Saran wrap or place the blocks in plastic bags.
Wrap the whole turntable in at least a 3" thickness of bubble wrap and tape securely. If you don't use bubble wrap for some reason, please make sure you place the turntable into a plastic bag to prevent packing material from getting into the internals and use a generous amount of packing material.
Place the bubble wrapped platter and counterweight into the bottom of the box you will use for shipping.
Place the turntable over the bubble wrapped platter right side up in the box. NOTE: Never place the platter above the turntable as it WILL destroy everything!!! Always place it below the turntable.
Tape the box (you did use a very generously sized box, right?) VERY THOROUGHLY and mark with arrows on all sides of the box the "Up Side" and mark fragile everywhere.
This MUST be packed this way or the turntable WILL be damaged and I don't want that. Turntables (especially this one) are easily damaged during shipping.
I appreciate your understanding the importance of this. Please let me know when you get all these points accomplished. If you have any questions at all, please ask.