David_NC
Super Member
I found what looked to be a nice 510 on Craigslist yesterday and went to check it out. It's got the nicer veneer (I think) base vs the cheaper looking plastic one, though the odd particle board 'feet' are not in the best shape and are crumbling. The dust cover is good other than a small crack in the rear, but no pieces are missing. The seller misplaced the cartridge holder, and somebody unscrewed and lost the cue lever, though it's functional without it. The auto lift / stop both seem to work properly. The motor and bearings are very quiet. The belt is at least good enough to spin the platter, and the speed and pitch adjustments both work well.
The seller was very agreeable, so we reduced the price by the cost of the missing parts. I was able to find a new cue lever that just screws in and a new cartridge holder, and they are on the way to me. I will make new feet for it over the next few days. After a bit of general cleaning, some stain on the few scratches on the base will take care of the lower cosmetics. As for the crack in the dust cover, are there any tricks to tips to keep the crack from progressing to a broken piece? I've seen where people have used epoxy and / or pieces of plexiglass to reinforce the cover, but that's not a look I'm going for! I saw where someone sandwiched the lower rear of the over between what looked like pieces of thin aluminum painted black. That certainly looked better than plexiglass, and I may do that. Before I do, I thought I'd ask for some other ideas.
I haven't had time to take any pics, but I did attach one I grabbed from the CL listing... you know, so this post would have some value!
