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REVIEW: Dual 1219 rebuild by NoTransistors

stereofisher said:
The 1219/1229 have been a joy. Have one of each. My 1219 was a last fall project. Went through it, cleaned out the old grease,cleaned and oiled the motor,fixed the sticky on-off and I was good to go. Have it in the bedroom. Usually end the day with a tune. Came with a nice Shure V15 type II!
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Anyone who has the ability to rebuild one of these contraptions has my sincerest respect! I'm digging the German plinth on yours!

Have you tried filling the channels on the platter's underside, as Seth recommended? I highly recommend adding that simple mod.

Like you, I like the 1200 series better. Nice big 12 inch platter. Though I think the 1000 series Dual are a little easier to work on.
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Another thing I prefer about the 1219 vs. the 1019 is the ability to adjust the angle of the tonearm for single- or multi-play. The down-angled arm on the 1019 requires shims to correct the VTA, and that's a PITA.

Have fun with it. Still drool when I see your posts with that Thorens! But hey, the more turntables the better. Got three Duals and a BIC 960 that I don't really don't know quite what to do with? Have fun with 1219..keep posting your impression of it!
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The TD-124 won't be going anywhere, but this Dual is definitely bringing something special to the party. I could easily live with this as my only turntable. The 1219's arm tracks beautifully and is surprisingly lithe, and it has such a nice robust, rich tonal character and drive.
 
JHS2RT said:
Any chance you can post a picture of what you did to the underside of the platter?
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There's not much to see... If you look at the underside, there are openings around the outside. I just filled each of the curved rectangular 'compartments' as well as the circular dimples.

I just filled it in with some goopy latex bathroom caulk, which comes in a big tube with a pointed tip. Let the platter sit upside down for a day or so, to allow the latex to solidify, and you're in business.

$T2eC16R,!zIFIfDzbVMfBSVcf9kv,g~~60_57.JPG
 
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Hi Glenn. I'm glad that the 1219 I traded to you is healthy and making you happy now. The KLH 6's that were part of our barter deal sounded great tonight as I listened to classical music. They can rock too.

As for your dumb move with the partially unplugged cable, fagettaboutit! We've all done that. I call those things "Happy Endings." You found the problem, the fix was easy, nothing was damaged and you were back up and running in short order. No harm, no foul. :thmbsp:
 
LexDM3 said:
Hi Glenn. I'm glad that the 1219 I traded to you is healthy and making you happy now. The KLH 6's that were part of our barter deal sounded great tonight as I listened to classical music. They can rock too.

As for your dumb move with the partially unplugged cable, fagettaboutit! We've all done that. I call those things "Happy Endings." You found the problem, the fix was easy, nothing was damaged and you were back up and running in short order. No harm, no foul. :thmbsp:
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:tresbon:
 
I always thought those were drilled out in order to balance the platter. I remember on my 1019 they were asymmetrically sized, which is where I got that hypothesis... but it was just a theory :)
beatcomber said:
There's not much to see... If you look at the underside, there are openings around the outside. I just filled each of the curved rectangular 'compartments' as well as the circular dimples.

I just filled it in with some goopy latex bathroom caulk, which comes in a big tube with a pointed tip. Let the platter sit upside down for a day or so, to allow the latex to solidify, and you're in business.

$T2eC16R,!zIFIfDzbVMfBSVcf9kv,g~~60_57.JPG
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I had to put my 1229 back to action because of this thread, but with all the hype now I really want to go over the main bearing and motor, I want silence! It sounds great, but I can hear it's asking for some service. Already opened up the motor once, but lacked drill and bolts at the time, so I couldn't fully clean the bottom bearing cup and the plate at the bottom was clearly worn, so it should be flipped over or replaced. The motor still makes some extra noise. I can hear the main bearing rotating as well between tracks with some volume.
 
Trust me, these decks are worth restoring. I went into this thinking I'd end up with a merely half-decent platter-spinner to use in the basement, but I've had this hooked up to the main system since Sunday, and I feel no urge to take it out. A restored 1219 sounds REALLY good.
 
Thanks for the thorens comparison. I also spin daily with a Notransistors 1229 with ALL his recommended tweaks, including new substantial plinth, counter balance change, platter fill, and mat, and am VERY hesitant to upgrade. (V15 III SAS). I like the feel of this table very much.
 
Marantz 2270 said:
Thanks for the thorens comparison. I also spin daily with a Notransistors 1229 with ALL his recommended tweaks, including new substantial plinth, counter balance change, platter fill, and mat, and am VERY hesitant to upgrade. (V15 III SAS). I like the feel of this table very much.
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:thmbsp:

What are you using for a plinth? Pics?
 
grooveman said:
Seriously?! FWIW...tonearm design and engineering has come a long way in the last 40 years! And that includes some of the best arms that were available at that time including SME, EMT, Ortofon, Linn etc., SME's current tonearms(and tables) for example, have continued to evolve and improve over the years.
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I said "few" arms are better, not "no" arms are better. I could also argue that any arm costing more than I've spent total on all equipment in over 55 years really does not exist, at least in my universe.
 
fred soop said:
I said "few" arms are better, not "no" arms are better. I could also argue that any arm costing more than I've spent total on all equipment in over 55 years really does not exist, at least in my universe.
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I'd say most "new" stand alone tonearms are better than the 1219's. From entry level offerings to the ones you dismiss due their cost! IMO....The arms found on vintage Dual turntables are their weak point, compared to what is now available. For example, a modestly priced Rega RB-303 would be a big improvement over any Dual tonearm.
 
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fred soop said:
I said "few" arms are better, not "no" arms are better. I could also argue that any arm costing more than I've spent total on all equipment in over 55 years really does not exist, at least in my universe.
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grooveman said:
I'd say most "new" stand alone tonearms are better than the 1219's. From entry level offerings to the ones you dismiss due their cost! IMO....The arms found on vintage Dual turntables are their weak point, compared to what is now available. For example, a modestly priced Rega RB-303 would be a big improvement over any Dual tonearm.
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Let's not go down this path. Please keep this thread positive, thank you.
 
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