Budget Linear track table?

Garrard Zero 100. Quite interesting, it uses a pivoted, pantograph arm rather than a linear tracker to maintain tangency to the record. You can see a similar, though higher-end, execution of this principal in Mike Fremer's column in this months Stereophile. High compliance cartridges only. The Yamaha PX-2 and PX-3 tables are even better; HP used to use a PX-2 as his reference many, many moons ago. Audiogon user Ferrari knows a bit about them.

I still have a Technics SL-QL1 Linear Tracking Turntable which came as a package when I purchased a used JBL L-212 some twenty years ago. This quartz direct drive plug-in p-mount cartridge turntable still works flawlessly today although it is hardly used as it is confined to an unoccupied 4th bedroom. I note in the 1984 Stereo Buyer's Guide that listed for $470 and was more expensive than the Sl-1200 Disco Turntable which listed for $400. In the same guide, there were lesser priced linear tracking models, SL-7 at $300 and SL-6 at $240.

The SL-QL1 is robustly built with a net weight of 16.3 lbs. and good working examples should still be able to be found.

The only thing I have done with mine was to replace the cartridge with a Shure/Radio Shack cartridge. I think that a tribute to its dependability is that it performs flawlessly despite not being exercised often, and I can think of only a few brands of cameras whose shutters will still work flawlessly after being unexercised for many years.

Please keep us informed of what your thoughts and searches lead you to.

Why dont more care for the older BO tables? Seems to me they were not terrible, maybe not the end all be all but were they not easy on the ears?

I had mine for 25 years before the motor in the arm gave out, and I've literally played 10 of thousands of albums on it. I'm buying another I found on Ebay.

Bob

I have done a search fot linear tracking turntables on Google. I found two references for you :http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?ranlg&1047536335&openfrom&21&4
also a comment on another site about budget linear tracking tables, with comments on B&O tables:http://www.stereomanuals.com/articles/jack-holmes_linear-turntables.htm Now if only those who monitor these written words will make sure the links come thru;)-~