Help identifying this 50s Thorens TT?

[Cornelius57]

I procured this from a collectors garage, and I'm interested in seeing if it's worth anything. The motor is an E53N, and doesn't seem to function.
But the thing I'm more interested in is the tonearm. No markings on it as far as I can tell. Could someone help me identify it?

 

[Montycat]

I have no idea but I like it!

 

[Nashou66]

Maybe an early EMT arm?

nashou

 

[Ilikevinyl]

Never seen that Thorens model before. NICE!

 

[AudioFeline]

It looks like an early Thorens that a friend has. Is this the one with the gear-drive?
Interesting looking tonearm. Is it a mono cart, with the facility to play 16" disks?

 

[maxhifi]

It looks like an early Thorens that a friend has. Is this the one with the gear-drive?
Interesting looking tonearm. Is it a mono cart, with the facility to play 16" disks?

That's the gear drive Thorens motor unit from the early 50s. My understanding is that the rumble level makes it unsuitable for use with a stereo pickup, but due to rarity alone it's got to have some real collector's value. I wonder how that arm works with no counterbalance weight! I don't see a provision for a spring either, it almost makes me wonder if something is missing. The cartridge does look vaguely EMT as mentioned above, but I think someone who knows their stuff better than I do will notice this thread and confirm.

 

[stratokaster]

Thorens E53PA

 

[orthophonic]

I believe the spring is in the business end of the tonearm.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

The tonearm and cartridge are a Pierre Clement, by the way. Expensive French professional arm and cartridge.

 

[AudioFeline]

Can you share any more info on the Pierre Clement arm/cart?

 

[tnsilver]

The model is on the ID plate. It's a 1954 3 speed Thorens DD. The turntable was sold w/o tonearm and the one in the pictures isn't stock. It's one of 3 or 4 models by Thorens with the E51 and E53 motors. Thorens had DD motors since 1929 but hadn't used them much before. They weren't the stator or rotor doubling as a platter design that we know today. These were hyped up shaded pole induction motors with an internal transmission and they were noisy by modern standards. The slight resemblance to the Garrard 301 isn't a coincidence. This was the Thorens response in 1954 to the new 301 flagship, but it soon became clear Thorens couldn't compete. Their DD motor was just too noisy. According to some sources this is what spawned the development of the TD-124 hybrid belt/idler drive system that appeared just a few short years later. IMO the DD trauma scarred Thorens for long. I can't recall them trying it again for over 3 decades later.

The E53 Motor:

 

[Hifiler]

The tonearm and cartridge are a Pierre Clement, by the way. Expensive French professional arm and cartridge.

Bumping this thread, because I think I may have finally identified that interesting tonearm.

Although it does somewhat resemble a Pierre Clement, I think it is much more similar to two arms I came across in a recently expired eBay listing, which were produced in the 1950s by a company in London, EMG Expert Gramophone.

A brief search yielded virtually nothing about these arms. I wish I would have come across the listing when it was live.

Here is a link to the finished listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254502357991

And a couple screenshots:

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Bumping this thread, because I think I may have finally identified that interesting tonearm.

Although it does somewhat resemble a Pierre Clement, I think it is much more similar to two arms I came across in a recently expired eBay listing, which were produced in the 1950s by a company in London, EMG Expert Gramophone.

A brief search yielded virtually nothing about these arms. I wish I would have come across the listing when it was live.

Here is a link to the finished listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254502357991

And a couple screenshots:

View attachment 1845952 View attachment 1845953

Still a very bespoke tonearm and cartridge system up there with any of the best of the era.