Fairchild 412/Shure SME

While rooting around in my garage this weekend, after being encouraged by members of this forum to look for some old audio gear that I recall having stored on a very high shelf many years ago, instead of finding what I was looking for I found a rather pleasant surprise in the form of my very first "good" turntable, a Fairchild 412 with a Shure SME 3009 (or maybe 3012) Series II tonearm with an installed Audio Technica cartridge, model unknown. The TT and arm were purchased in 1963. I don't know about the cartridge as I recall having switched brands a number of times while I was using this rig. I later bought a B&O Linear Tracking TT which I still use to this day and put the 412/SME in a box, where it apparently remained, even during a move from Southern to Northern CA, until yesterday. The short belt is present but the long one missing and amazingly enough, there is still oil in the well that supports the platter. The arm is intact as well, even to the small anti-skating weight and attached nylon line. I seem to recall having one of the light weight heads for it but will have to look around some more for that as I obviously stored it somewhere else.

I am attaching some pics for your enjoyment and comments. At this point I'm just going to clean it up a bit before I figure out what to do with it.

Both belts are readily availible for the Fairchild 412, I see yours is a 412-1b, I found a new old stock 412-1b about a year ago, after some work and work on a plynth it is now my main turntable, I am running a Pickering XSV-3000 in the SME, the plynth is 5/4 hickory.

Here are a some of shots of it.




Jim

Here is a link to my Fairchild 412

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=91890&highlight=fairchild

Tonearm


Headshell










John

Jim,

That's pretty amazing that your 412 has the same tone arm I installed on mine almost forty-five years ago. I'm curious about the device resting on top of the center of the disc. Is it a weight? There is a small round bubble level on mine that I must have installed since I don't see one on yours.

And yet another 412 while I was replying to your post. Looks like an earlier model even than mine.

Anyhow, it's great to know that there are some of these Fairchild's is still out there in everyday service.

Coastsider said:

Jim,

That's pretty amazing that your 412 has the same tone arm I installed on mine almost forty-five years ago. I'm curious about the device resting on top of the center of the disc. Is it a weight? There is a small round bubble level on mine that I must have installed since I don't see one on yours.

And yet another 412 while I was replying to your post. Looks like an earlier model even than mine.

Anyhow, it's great to know that there are some of these Fairchild's is still out there in everyday service.

Click to expand...

In the center is an old Mitchell clamp, it is aluminum, not heavy it clamps to the spindle to hold the record down. I really like my 412, I also have a 440 with an original Fairchild tonearm. I'll try to post some pics later.

I had the SME on a Walker turntable, when I got the Fairchild I knew they were a match.

The last Fairchild NOS 412-1b I watched on that aucttion site went for over $600.00, with no plynth or tonearm.



Jim