I'm looking for any info on either the table or the arm. The arm is definitely a Gray clone and from what little I've found on the PK series of tables it sounds like the table itself may have been a Teac design. It's a pretty serious idler drive turntable whatever it is. I'll try to grab some pictures tomorrow.
Lafayette PK300 table with PK90 arm?
- Thread starter RossW
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grooveman
Super Member
Probably a decent idler, dating from the early -mid 60's. I own the PK-245, which is also a Teac manufactured and re-branded Lafayette turntable. Mine dates from around the same era and sounds great with a Empire 980 tonearm and Shure M3D cartridge.
Does your's have the large hysteresis type motor? Mine uses one and the torque is unbelievable. You can literally hold down a discwasher brush without any signs of slowing down the platter.
Your tonearm does look like some type of Gray clone. Might work very well with a low compliance type cartridge. Have you played it yet or done any restoration work? Looks like it could be a keeper!
Does your's have the large hysteresis type motor? Mine uses one and the torque is unbelievable. You can literally hold down a discwasher brush without any signs of slowing down the platter.
Your tonearm does look like some type of Gray clone. Might work very well with a low compliance type cartridge. Have you played it yet or done any restoration work? Looks like it could be a keeper!
I haven't done anything to it yet apart from transporting it and taking exactly three pictures. I figure I'll clean it up, oil the motor and platter bearings and see how things go. The current cart is a GE VRII (true mono goodness), if it cleans up nicely I'll have to think about rewiring the tonearm for a stereo cart.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
Yes, Teac made idler drive turntable. Likely would meet mono era broadcast table requirements easily and a bit beyond. Grace or NEAT made Gray clone tonearm and as good as an honest to pete Gray tonearm in every way. Middle 1950's-early 1960's era.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
Would not be surprised at it all being from Neat. They did make both turntables and tonearms in that era, and were among the better Japanese makes then.
Cleaned up pretty nicely:
Don't mind the missing screws, they're just out because I've been pulling it apart and putting it back together a bunch. Speed is steady but a bit slow. I cleaned and oiled the platter bearing which helped a bit but I think I need to tear into the motor. The motor mounts will need to be replaced because even though they are still soft they have definitely sagged enough that the idler is only engaging maybe 2/3 of each step on the pulley.
Should be a fun project.
Don't mind the missing screws, they're just out because I've been pulling it apart and putting it back together a bunch. Speed is steady but a bit slow. I cleaned and oiled the platter bearing which helped a bit but I think I need to tear into the motor. The motor mounts will need to be replaced because even though they are still soft they have definitely sagged enough that the idler is only engaging maybe 2/3 of each step on the pulley.
Should be a fun project.
