Lenco gl75?

[stevied]

With the many posts and threads with regard to Garrard 301s,401s also Thorens 124 turntables

were do the Lenco decks come in the pecking order?

 

[oldius]

http://www.high-endaudio.com/RC-Lenco.html

This gives some idea of the capability of the Lenco basic design. I would put my Goldring G99 up against any Garrard or Thorens idler drive.

The G99 is top of the Lenco tree but a trip to the Lencoheaven website will give some idea of what's possible.

 

[SergeAuckland]

I have 401 and a GL75. The 301/401 have the benefit of allowing a choice of arms whilst the GL75 comes with its own distinctly odd arm and fitting another requires a certain amount of mechanical cutting of the top plate. The GL75 arm isn't bad, but it does have some odd features, not least the non-standard headshell and the rubber vertical pivot which need replacing fairly often.

As to the GL75 purely as a turntable, it does have continuously variable speed, from 16 up to over 80 rpm. The turntable isn't as heavy as the 401's and doesn't have the visual impact of the 401, but operationally is pretty damn good. Wow and flutter and rumble are decently low provided the mechanical components are in good condition. I prefer my 401, but if I lost the 401 and had to use the GL75, I wouldn't be too upset.

S

 

[stevied]

Cheers :^

 

[MJ.]

IME a reasonably maintained Lenco will stand it's own against any of the usual crop of starter decks and a half decently improved (arm and plinth) one will do the same against any intermediate level deck.

As Graham said, they can be improved to be as good as most anything out there but then you venture into when is a Lenco not a Lenco territory and IMHO that isn't really what it's about.

 

[old_school]

Indeed, mine uses a Lenco motor and platter and that's it = based on a Lenco, but definitely not one anymore.

Mine has the idler wheel and platter, plus bits an pieces of other components (bearing spindle and motor frame), but otherwise it's not a Lenco.

A stock Lenco with all the bits serviced and assuming it doesn't have any issues is not bad at all, but the 301/401/TD124 are in a way different league. It takes a lot of modification to get a Lenco to that level.

 

[Pussycat]

A stock Lenco with all the bits serviced and assuming it doesn't have any issues is not bad at all, but the 301/401/TD124 are in a way different league. It takes a lot of modification to get a Lenco to that level.

I had a GL75 in the mid sixties, followed by an 88 (with arm of my choice), followed by the 401/SME 12"arm in 1970 as I started college. The 401 was more expensive than the Lencos, because it was better; full stop. The 88 was effectively a 75 sans arm (which, sorry Serge, was relative crap!). I aspired to a 124, but that was even dearer, and I couldn't see the point of paying for a clutch, as the dear old Thorens 150 I had in '66 was lovely, if bouncy with a Decca Int. unipivot, though the 125 mark 2 Thorens which followed my 401 was a super deck. Why it was replaced by an LP12 I'll never know..............!

 

[SergeAuckland]

I had a GL75 in the mid sixties, followed by an 88 (with arm of my choice), followed by the 401/SME 12"arm in 1970 as I started college. The 401 was more expensive than the Lencos, because it was better; full stop. The 88 was effectively a 75 sans arm (which, sorry Serge, was relative crap!). I aspired to a 124, but that was even dearer, and I couldn't see the point of paying for a clutch, as the dear old Thorens 150 I had in '66 was lovely, if bouncy with a Decca Int. unipivot, though the 125 mark 2 Thorens which followed my 401 was a super deck. Why it was replaced by an LP12 I'll never know..............!

Probably for the same reason I replaced a BD1 with a LP12, brainwashing. As to the clutch, I like to have instant start on all my turntables. Every time I use my 401 after the EMT or AEG, it feels wrong putting the stylus down on a moving record.

S

 

[divedeepdog]

The Lenco's are a great deck, I'd have one in front of a whole host of belt drives (Mantra , Revolver, TD125), but the moment I got a 401, there's only been one deck to play.

I've more recently got a Grey Grease 301, but the 401 gets played the most.

The Lenco's a great project to learn with, cheap enough to cut and chop (although prices are rising) and learn about servicing/fiddling without too much of a finical hit, and to make unique.

 

[lexi]

It is nice to have one thing better engineered and built than another. It does not always follow though that the former will always sound better. Serges move from a BD1 to a Linn for example.

It is similiar with Lenco I think. Equalize plinth and arm on Lenco to the items that a 301/401 usually have and they are on same level apart from any subjective nuances. The Garrard still has the meat and better build but not greater performance.

Hi fi can be about "nicer to own " in many instances..........and why not ?

 

[oldius]

Lexi, I am with you on this one. I own a Goldring G99 and a 401. Both are in slate plinths and the G99 is at least the 401's equal in my opinion. Having also owned a GL75, I would also argue that the G99 is a more substantially built affair than the 75, the top plate for example is much more rigid.

 

[divedeepdog]

I've heard Lenco PTP and 401, both in slate plinth, same arm and cart both serviced/cared for by an experienced engineer, the Lenco hasn't been used since the 401 entered his home. The difference wasn't down to subtle nuances.

I think my 301 comes into the category of 'nicer to own' far rarer than the 401, over 50yrs old and still looks great, but I use the 401 more.

Trust me, if my Lenco's sounded as good as the Garrards, thats what I'd be using.

edit, your 99 has a Redbeard bearing, put the equivalent in the 401 will regain the balance?

 

[oldius]

Mark

That's an interesting point regarding the Redbeard. I have had it for several years and I haven't tried the 99 without in all that time.

I did hear a stock 401 and a Redbeard bearing'd 401 and I could not hear a difference.

 

[soulman]

I've rebuilt one for my son, chopped the top plate, 6 layer plinth and a revolver arm. With the same cartridge it's a fair bit better than my RP3, with the same arm it's more than a fair bit better than the RP3. Total cost so far is £135 plus cartridge, if I swap to an rb250/300 then that'll increase the cost a bit…

Stonking value and good fun to do.

 

[MJ.]

I've rebuilt one for my son, chopped the top plate, 6 layer plinth and a revolver arm. With the same cartridge it's a fair bit better than my RP3, with the same arm it's more than a fair bit better than the RP3. Total cost so far is £135 plus cartridge, if I swap to an rb250/300 then that'll increase the cost a bit…Stonking value and good fun to do.

I thhink cost is probably the most interesting and important variable here.

You can still pick up a decent L75 for a hundred quid, and a reasonably decent arm (say, RB251, Basik+) for less than that. Add a ready built multi-layer ply plinth for less than another 100 quid (80 inc postage from Eastern Europe) and you end up with a very nice sounding and looking deck indeed for about 275 quid.

You certainly can't do anything like that with a 301, 401 or Thorens 124, you'd be lucky to do it at three times the price.

People with a 1000 pounds to spend on a deck are unlikely to buy a Lenco, people with 300 would be mad not to consider one.

 

[divedeepdog]

The OP wasn't about cost though?

You need to add a PTP and/or change the bearing to get competitive with the Garrards then there isn't any difference in cost.

I'm not knocking Lenco's, they're great………

 

[EGG 1954]

Interesting debate. I've got a GL75 and I think the main reason other decks are preferred is down to the amount of work that needs to be done to get them right. The original arm needs changing and that brings about VTA issues as the table is low-slung - sawing into top plate etc isn't something a lot of folks want to do.

Then there is the plinth - it needs changing to bring out the best of the turntable.

I have to say mine sounds so much better than the Thorens TD160 I sold...in almost all ways, detail, bass depth, rhythm..(even with the cheaper arm I started with)

If you have time to spare not only is it fun but very rewarding - but as someone has already said - is it still a Lenco?

 

[Pussycat]

Interesting debate. I've got a GL75 I have to say mine sounds so much better than the Thorens TD160 I sold...in almost all ways, detail, bass depth, rhythm..(even with the cheaper arm I started with)

That's not much of a comparison, I feel. The 160 was denigrated by reviewers when it supplanted the excellent 150 of mid sixties vintage. I was surprised how good the L75 (GL sans arm) performs when tarted up, as my friend has one with a Jelco arm, but having owned the GL75 in the mid sixties (as well as the 150), I just can't see the allure.

 

[Idlerman]

I've got a gl75.

I had to do a bit of work to get it sorted out though. The idler was the plastic one, which was misshapen and rumbled, so that had to be replaced. Got it serviced. Got the top plate earthed which was a tip from another forum. Then had to replace the V blocks on the arm which were perished. New box plinth. The arm didn't have all its weights which had to be sourced. Costs mounted. Not hugely but peeps should be aware that its not a fit and forget item when bought at 40+ years old from eBay.

You need to be happy with DIY and sourcing bits off eBay or elsewhere, or at least know someone reliable who can do it for you.The sound at the end was better than what I had before- a Rega planar 3. Mainly I was keen to hear what a serviced one sounded like.

However, after several years with it I've temporarily put it to one side and gone back to the Rega as enjoy the pace and life it gives to recordings and find it easier to live with.