Dual 1229 and 12xx Dust Cover, Hinge/No Hinge?

[mcleavy]

I picked up a derelict Dual 1229Q and I'm confused about the dust cover arrangement. The dust cover is deeper in the rear than the front. This extension in the rear (which is missing a chunk) sits in a groove along the rear of the wooden base, presumably to align the cover on the base.

The fit seems "unDualish" to me because the groove is wider than it needs to be and fairly shallow which allows the cover to squirm on the base. This has resulted in noticeable wear to the base, especially on the ends of the groove and side panels where the dust cover makes contact before it settles in the groove. Is this the way it's supposed to work? The whole arrangement just seems clunky.

This leads to another question. Is there an optional hinge accessory for this dust cover and base combination? I have seen references to hinged covers and would expect a turntable of the 1229Q's caliber to have one. I have also seen numerous 1229's on eBay with breaks in the cover's rear extension similar to mine. I presume this is from people trying to rotate the cover rather than lift it off. So, does a hinged cover require a completely different base and cover or what? Very confusing to me...

And finally, if someone out there really knows their Duals, can you supply Dual model numbers for a 1229 base and dust cover(s) (DC-9 cover?) and what Dual turntables share similar base/cover combinations? I have watched eBay for some time and compared various models on the Dual Reference Web site, but my database of knowledge is growing painfully slowly on this topic.

Thanks!

 

[bohhey]

The US importer of Duals was United Audio. They supplied the wood bases and dustcovers. Later Duals came from the factory with the base and dust cover. Those were hinged.

They way you described the operation is the correct way that it operates. When new, there were four little felt pads on the top edge at the four corners to "soften the blow".

Cracks and breaks are common in 35 year old plexiglas.

If I remember correctly, the wood base is the WB-9, and the Scandanavian styled base is the WB-9X. They both take the DC-9 dustcover.