Upgrade Linn LP 12 or buy new table

My heartfelt advice to you is DO NOT part with your Linn! There are several excellent turntables mentioned on this thread that I could certainly live with, but transitioning to one of them would cut into buying new records.

Cons: Linn's gotten a little inflated opinion of themselves, and factory upgrades are very expensive. New ones are not the great value they used to be. You can get a lot more for less money than you used to (but it's not a Linn Sondek).

Pros: This is the Porsche 911 of turntables--it's a classic, maybe not for everyone, but if you like it, there are plenty of parts available, plenty of people who know how to work on it, and lots of aftermarket parts to tweak it to your ears' desire. You can easily work on it yourself--I have for years--thanks to loads of information online and plenty of people to ask. Some of the mods/upgrades offer 80% of Linn factory performance for 20% the price (Mose/Hercules and GreenStreet, for ex.). 

I'm the second owner of a 1976 Linn Sondek that I've upgraded ever since I bought it (in '81). It's my most prized possession, and thanks to inflation and currency exchange, it's still worth a little more than I paid for it. When you've got a turntable this caliber, it's no longer a matter of "bigger better faster," it's just different. There's a "character" to the Linn's sound that reminds me of listening to live music--concert halls, bars and living rooms--but not studio playback. Not for everyone, but it looks like a turntable, works like a turntable (not a test bench) and keeps me playing records till 3AM, even after thirty five years--and that's really what it's all about.

bpolleti, have you heard a Linn lp12 SE?  I think it's competitive with other high-end turntables out there, even though it was first made many years ago.

Linn opinions still retain vestiges of the cult once surrounding Linn (and NAIM).  To some, a Linn represents a b&w TT decision- either you are for or against.   A Linn is what it is- a highly advanced AR XA.  Given the design, there are inherent limitations regarding what can be done to improve the table.  If I were in your situation, I would investigate power supply and bearing upgrades, combined with a full setup by a competent dealer.  The later should include new springs, rubber grommets, bearing oil, recheck of arm geometry etc.  In sum the Linn is a very good table that you will have to spend a lot of money to meaningfully improve, or improve upon.  

Disclosure- I own a late 80's LP12/Vallhalla/ Ittok LVII/ AT 33ML-OCC combo 

I found a very good way to get an improved sound from my Brooks Berdan set up LP12/Ittok/Armageddon was to sell it and buy a Well Tempered Simplex or Amadeus. No more worries about the bounce and it’s a better sounding table to my ear, while still be in the same style of sound, if that makes sense. I since have moved onto a rebuilt Thorens 124 and I like it better than the Amadeus. So now I have a classic experience and a fantastic sounding table. It was hard to part with the LP12 (had it for 10 years) but ultimately it was the right decision..

dhcod, that's an interesting story...OTOH with the money spent on the various TT's, could you not have upgraded your LP12? While I like the Thorens, it is not IMHO, in the same league as a full spec LP12 SE.
As usual, many here are comparing older LP12's with Ittok's and older Valhalla ( even Nirvana!! ) power supplies, etc and assuming those set ups ( if they have even been set up in the last 25 years??) are comparable to todays LP12's.