A dual TT question.
- Thread starter jntit
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The specs on the 1264 are slightly better and it has the ULM arm. The trouble is that arm is both good and bad. It tracks very well, but because of the cartridge mounting design it is limiting & the mounting plate of those is somewhat frail. If you use the adaptor for other cartridges you gain weight and lose some of the benefits.
Why don't you tune them up yourself? They are not all that hard to work on.
Why don't you tune them up yourself? They are not all that hard to work on.
jntit
Super Member
I've got the manuals, but I don't know if I have the skills needed bring it back to specs.
highwaychild
Well-Known Member
Personally, I don't like the ULM-Duals very well. The first series (i.e. 626, 731 and so on) had the sturdy and high-quality look&feel like allmost all pre-78-Duals. But the 1264 still has the steele-plate chassis and not too much plastic "under the hood".
Both are quite capable turntables, with the right pickup they can be very good.
But: Both can have issues with the pitch-control, the grease allmost is hardened on these tiny parts. The motor can be noisy, and the automatics can be bitchy.
I don't know if the 1264 is hard to find in USA; it was an exclusive export modell from Dual and is at least hard to optain here in Europe. And you have the halfinch-adapter. So you can put an excellent pick-up. Not to forget: it was the last record-changer from Dual (with the larger chassis-size) and with the adapter shurly worth keeping.
Both are quite capable turntables, with the right pickup they can be very good.
But: Both can have issues with the pitch-control, the grease allmost is hardened on these tiny parts. The motor can be noisy, and the automatics can be bitchy.
I don't know if the 1264 is hard to find in USA; it was an exclusive export modell from Dual and is at least hard to optain here in Europe. And you have the halfinch-adapter. So you can put an excellent pick-up. Not to forget: it was the last record-changer from Dual (with the larger chassis-size) and with the adapter shurly worth keeping.
highwaychild
Well-Known Member
Both are belt-driven, but the belt should be exactly as wide and of the same "hight" as the original, else the switching between the speeds (33/45) might be hampered.
The changer mechanics are not so hard to service, mostly it's only some old grease and the "Steuerpimpel".
And: If they work proper (i.e. without noise and the automatics work clean) you shouldn't fiddle around to much with the Duals. A drop oil here and there mostly does the trick...
illinoisteve
Super Member
The old lube issues will cause problems even with a new belt. The clean and relube, if areas are not missed, may solve the some or all of the "automatics" issues. The motor might need bearings cleaned and relubed, or the 'motor noise' might instead or also be made by something the motor turns anytime it is on. All these things are NORMAL maintenance for the idler-drives of the 1200 series.
If you really want a different type of Dual, you could check with one of the outfits that refurbishes them to find out what you could get for trading in both of these units on one of the Duals they've already refurbished.
wrbear
A man of many talents...a master of none...
I would attempt to restore them if I was you. The method I use is taking pictures all the way through the disassembly part by part. You can work areas at a time. You don't have to disassemble the whole thing at once. Also take a video of the table from the bottom that way you can see if there is an issue later. Replacement parts are minimal. Usually rubber/nylon parts that can be purchased online. As far as quality/better/trading of the tables. At this point they are paid for, enjoy them while you have them.
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illinoisteve
Super Member
Motor bearing cleaning does require disassembly, I doubt most of the other cleaning of old lube will necessarily require much disassembly. I don't know about those models, but some Dual parts are not easily replaceable. Some threads here at AK warn about such issues. The forum search tool is our friend.
highwaychild
Well-Known Member
Personally I have owned two 1246, and both made not much trouble.
To disassamble the motor you have to loosen a few screws, and the mechanics where a peace of cake, compared to some other TTs I've serviced.
As with all belt-driven Duals with pitch-control: have a look at the expanding shaft. If there is old, hardened grease it's much fun to clean it (as with my 601...:thumbsdn
Dunno why Dual chose this tricky way to do this "feature" that today no one really needs any more.
To disassamble the motor you have to loosen a few screws, and the mechanics where a peace of cake, compared to some other TTs I've serviced.
As with all belt-driven Duals with pitch-control: have a look at the expanding shaft. If there is old, hardened grease it's much fun to clean it (as with my 601...:thumbsdn
Dunno why Dual chose this tricky way to do this "feature" that today no one really needs any more.
lini
just me...
Stefan: I think you should add something like "and synchronous AC motor" after the "with pitch-control" to make it a correct statement.
Well, and to be honest I'd rather regard the Variopulley a pretty smart solution for adding a pitch-control feature to a comparatively simple drive-design with synchronous AC motor, especially back then, when mechanics were still cheaper than electronics (at least at mass-market production volumes...).
So to me the question would rather be, why Dual still deemed a pitch-control such an important feature at that time, that they only offered one of their "classic" belt-drive models without in form of the 502. Because to me the number of people playing along their piano (or whatever complicated to tune instrument else) to the music from record always seemed rather negligible...
Greetings from Munich!
Manfred / lini
Well, and to be honest I'd rather regard the Variopulley a pretty smart solution for adding a pitch-control feature to a comparatively simple drive-design with synchronous AC motor, especially back then, when mechanics were still cheaper than electronics (at least at mass-market production volumes...).
So to me the question would rather be, why Dual still deemed a pitch-control such an important feature at that time, that they only offered one of their "classic" belt-drive models without in form of the 502. Because to me the number of people playing along their piano (or whatever complicated to tune instrument else) to the music from record always seemed rather negligible...
Greetings from Munich!
Manfred / lini
If a recording is off pitch, it's a distortion of the original musical intent. Equalization is altered as well. There are many reasons for proper pitch besides playing along with an instrument.
