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Vintage turntable insert question

Durski

Durski

Ex-teenager
Empire and Rek-O-Kut question

Hello,

I am having fun playing with vintage turntables and seeing what I can learn. My idea is to trick them out and see if I prefer the sound of the belt driven Empire or the idler wheel Rek-O-Kut. I have a 1961 Rek-o-Kut L34H which has been my fathers since 1961.

Just got an Empire 108 dated Sept. 27, 1962. It has the old tonearm on it. Anyone have any great new arm recommendations for a 108 or 208?

What I started out to ask is there any way to get the 45 inserts off of these platters?

Have fun during your holidays!
Durs
 

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I wouldn't chop those tables up by removing parts and arms. Sell as is and then look at an AR ES-1 or other table that is commonly modified. Check this site out :

http://www.vinylnirvana.com/

Why chop up a Cadillac when you want a vette.
 
Hey DangerBoy,

The Empire turntable is around 20 pounds.

Rybeam, I understand your comments. I will be keeping both turntables.
 
Classic examples of some nice TT,s.

That REC-O- KUT has a nice Ortofon arm and SPU cart on it, a keeper for sure.
 
totem said:
That REC-O- KUT has a nice Ortofon arm and SPU cart on it, a keeper for sure.
Click to expand...

It's Rek-O-Kut. I thought that was an ESL arm and headshell. Nice arm too. I'm going to be playing with my own ROK here soon - Rondine Deluxe - and looking forward to it. Very high cool factor in the looks department as far as I'm concerned...but then I like the look of heavy 50's/60's construction...something meant to last for the long haul and not be thrown away in a couple of years.
 
That 45 insert on the Rek o Kut may be cool etc, but it makes it impossible to use a normal mat. I have both an L34 and an N34 (the belt drive version). My L34 has a spring loaded 45 adaptor, so it can be locked down and a normal mat used, but I had to remove the fixed adaptor on the N34. The idea of the fixed adaptor was that the mat had a depression for 45s, which would then fit right on the adaptor while 33s would rest above the adaptor. This meant that 33s would rest on a couple of thin rings of hard plastic. Perfectly wretched as a record support. Use solvent, penetrating oil, heat, or simply wrench the thing off. If the idlers are soft, and you build a massy base, you have the potential for a fine turntable, but you need a decent mat, and that adaptor prohibits it.
 
Its not the first time time I typed Rec instead of Rek, as to the arm, ESL was

the early importing name/arm of Ortofon in North America. The ESL badge

can be seen on both the SPU,s and arm,s of the earliest vintage,s
 
totem said:
ESL was

the early importing name/arm of Ortofon in North America. The ESL badge

can be seen on both the SPU,s and arm,s of the earliest vintage,s
Click to expand...

I've heard something similar....that ortofon made arms for ESL. I'm not sure that they made the same tonearms or if there were some differences between. If it was just an importing name that would seem to imply that the arms are the same.
 
I have two tonearms that are identical. One is an ESL and the other is an Ortofon. Take off the badge and I can't tell them apart. Even says Denmark on the back of the fingerlifts.
 
i'd keep those guys just as they are; both are gorgeous and would give you all you'd ever want with the right cartridges
 
Not much

Hi BrocLuno,

My idea is to keep the original design as a testament to the wonderful engineering that was originally designed in. The Rek-O-Kut runs and sounds great. I swapped out the idler wheels. The 45rpm had not been used much and was the still the correct diameter 2.5". When mounted on the 33rpm side it drove the platter at the correct speed.

Will refurbish the Empire 108(298?) and listen and then decide but I am inclined to try a new tonearm just for fun.

My idea is to learn for myself how idler and belt driven turntables sound. Will use modeling clay to dampen the plinth resonance. Aren't the old turntables great?
 
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Why not get yourself a cork mat and cut out the hole to a 45 rpm diameter so that you can then lay a standard mat over it? This seems preferable to modding those beauties.
 
Durski said:
I have two tonearms that are identical. One is an ESL and the other is an Ortofon. Take off the badge and I can't tell them apart. Even says Denmark on the back of the fingerlifts.
Click to expand...

That would seem to support that the ESLs are just badge added Ortofons. The ones that I've seen have looked like good arms for the time..with the exception of the rubber pieces falling apart. Always something...:)

Durski said:
Will use modeling clay to dampen the plinth resonance. Aren't the old turntables great?
Click to expand...

You may want to look at using plasticlay. It works easily like clay but won't dry out over time.
 
Thanks jcmjrt, it is plasticlay that I use.

I must have been tired last night. Forgot to mention the upgrades to the Rek-O-Kut included a new stylus, new 20w oil, new capacitor, new power cord, new record weight, new RCA plugs, new interconnects, new Herbie's mat, new feet and separating the grounding. In spite of that list the turntable still retains its original character.

The Empire 108 will get a similar treatment.
 
Durski said:
Thanks jcmjrt, it is plasticlay that I use.

I must have been tired last night. Forgot to mention the upgrades to the Rek-O-Kut included a new stylus, new 20w oil, new capacitor, new power cord, new record weight, new RCA plugs, new interconnects, new Herbie's mat, new feet and separating the grounding. In spite of that list the turntable still retains its original character.

The Empire 108 will get a similar treatment.
Click to expand...

Your ROK sounds like it got the treatment. Good for you! When you say separating the grounding - are you saying that you separated the motor ground from the audio ground? or something else? Separating motor from audio seems like a good idea.
 
You are correct. I was chasing down the ubiquitous hum. Seemed obvious that grounding the motor via the power cord and grounding the audio via a separate grounding wire to the preamp chassis should help, and it did.

Anyone have other good ideas?
 

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