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Post by Paul Barker on Oct 14, 2014 18:59:57 GMT
some of us have also heard both and prefer the Lenco! Yes I agree there is a whole forum of you Lenco lovers. Not going to try and convert you, it benefits me nothing.
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 15, 2014 13:09:44 GMT
Lenco - Potted History
Fritz and Marie Laeng established Lenco in Burgdorf in Switzerland in 1946. They saw a demand for turntables and set up production in a small factory. The company name was based upon their family name.
In 1953, the Laeng’s started a mutually beneficial collaboration with Ex Libris, a Swiss book and record club. When Lenco started selling turntables through Ex Libris, sales started to take off.
When their two sons joined the business, the company moved to a larger place in Oberburg and started to produce a wider range of decks, making good sales to the dance school market.
Their key selling points were reliability of their players and excellent technical service.
During the sixties and seventies the company grew and established another factory in Osimo, Italy where they also produced cassette decks and small motors. Later expansion saw one more factory built in Little Steg in the Rhône-valley. At that point over the three locations Lenco employed one thousand, three hundred staff and produced turntables for export to over eighty countries world-wide.
In 1997 Lenco was taken over by the STL Group in Venlo, Netherlands and produce iPod docks, AV systems, DVD players, headphones, MP3 players and the like.
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Post by pre65 on Oct 15, 2014 14:36:08 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2014 15:32:46 GMT
The G99 is obviously Lenco based but unlike the GL75 appears to have been made in England. Not just a Goldring badged product. Anyone know the history behind this and did Goldring have their own assembly facility?
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Post by Paul Barker on Oct 15, 2014 15:48:17 GMT
Amaising story, so many employees. There are plenty of GL75's available at bargain prices.
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 15, 2014 20:36:20 GMT
Lencos were sold under several brand names and the model numbering system isn't entirely logical. In continental Europe they just went under the Lenco brand name with L-xx model numbers. Goldring was the UK importer so they had a Goldring-Lenco badge and GL-xx model designations (note the addition of a G), except for the G88 and G99 which were UK only Goldring designs based on the Lenco drive train. Leak and Goodmans also sold some of the GL-xx models in the UK under their own brand names. Bogen and Benjamin sold them in the United States and the odd Sony badged deck is not uncommon.
Here's the text of an old review;
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 15, 2014 21:52:11 GMT
Some of Goldring's advertising:
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Marco
Rank: Trio
Banned
Posts: 242
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Post by Marco on Oct 16, 2014 8:12:16 GMT
Good luck with this, Chris. I’m sure you’ll end up with a fantastic sounding T/T. I was fortunate enough to hear the G99 belonging to Geoff (Oldius), and compare it directly with my modded Techy, albeit in a slightly ‘inferior incarnation’, compared with now, but still highly modified. Let’s just say that the Lenco more than held its own, and was probably one of the most impressive vintage turntables I’ve ever heard (and I’ve heard many, from various Garrards to TD124s, EMTs, SP10s, etc)! I shall follow your progress here with interest Marco.
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 16, 2014 17:26:46 GMT
The diagrams below are pretty much what you got (although full size versions) from Goldring to help you make your plinth or cut a hole in a board to mount in your radiogram. People following the heavy or solid plinth route don't have much to work with!
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Post by John on Oct 18, 2014 10:59:19 GMT
What are your plans around the plinth I presume wood of some sorts
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 18, 2014 11:16:31 GMT
I'm going with ply in the first instance but I plan to add some elements of slate at a later date.
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Post by MartinT on Oct 18, 2014 11:34:20 GMT
How about a nice piece of inexpensive granite?
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 18, 2014 11:39:33 GMT
I wonder where one might find such a thing?! Actually, I've got lots of slate Martin. Snapped pool table - 99p on Ebay.
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Post by Paul Barker on Oct 18, 2014 13:07:22 GMT
I would go slate.
I did a conglomerate (each level a different wood type) wood plinth for the 99 and it was a complete flop compared to slate. Like comparing a Trebant to a Ferrari.
Marble is great but would be near impossible to cut to shape. Slate will be bad enough.
I had a great Marble Michelle Gyrodeck. wish I'd kept it. But my Slate 301 is alround just as good. 301 far inferior in top end, but passable, and far superior in bottom end but gyrodek passable. Depends where your priorities lie.
Linn Sondek far inferior to both in both respects.
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 19, 2014 9:46:59 GMT
I notices slate was a lot cheaper than granite
Sonic properties different ?
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Post by John on Oct 19, 2014 9:59:55 GMT
Will depend on the properties of the slate and marble So perhaps some kind of sandwich construction then Chris I believe getting the plinth right will be a crucial element in getting the best SQ from the deck
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 19, 2014 10:05:10 GMT
Granite vs Slate? The thinking seems to be that slate is better. I'm not so sure that this 'wisdom' has actually been properly demonstrated though. I rather think it has come about because someone once said 'granite rings and slate is layered, therefore slate must be better'. I know that some people have used granite and been very happy with the results. I would also argue that slate (at the scale it is used in this application) is not layered at all. Slate is certainly easier to work with if you DIY.
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 19, 2014 10:17:50 GMT
The next exploration for 'where no man has gone before'
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Post by pre65 on Oct 19, 2014 10:21:31 GMT
Granite vs Slate? Slate is certainly easier to work with if you DIY. Just be very aware that slate dust is toxic.
Be very careful how you work with slate.
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 19, 2014 10:23:11 GMT
That may well make me stick with granite !
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