Exploring LP’s

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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    edited May 2018
    Looking complicated Alan... But pictures, like yours, tells a lot. ;)B) Above,below and middle...excellent! Thanks.
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • Alan_r
    Alan_r Posts: 164
    Tony M wrote: »
    Looking complicated Alan... But pictures, like yours, tells a lot. ;)B) Above,below and middle...excellent! Thanks.

    No worries. Glad it’s helpful. Apologize for not giving this 100% focus atm. Lots happening right now so I can’t focus on it like I want. But I’ll do a little everyday until completion.

  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    I ordered the steel bushing lever yesterday or Sat.. So that part is being made for me now too. Thanks for the knowledge as to where to find one and what it was that's wrong with our TT's.

    How about the hydraulic manual lift mechanism. Does yours work?
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    Coming together nicely, Alan. Enjoying the progress photos and write-up re: he obstacles and workarounds.

    I'll admit, earlier on I was looking at these parts photos like I might one of those home improvement channel shows I never could get into - not really seeing how it could work. But at this point now, I can appreciate the beauty of the assembly and design better. If this were me, I'd be spending a good bit of time going back and marveling at my work so far, just enjoying the process, even if it were a slow one.

    I need to take a page from your modus operandi here, and get going on some projects I've been putting off. Like installing the new silver-plated copper Furez locking RCAs I bought to replace some wonky connectors on my 1200. Especially considering I've already lopped off the old thinking it would force me to install the new I'm timely fashion. No. No, that did not work. B)
    I disabled signatures.
  • Alan_r
    Alan_r Posts: 164
    Tony M wrote: »
    I ordered the steel bushing lever yesterday or Sat.. So that part is being made for me now too. Thanks for the knowledge as to where to find one and what it was that's wrong with our TT's.

    How about the hydraulic manual lift mechanism. Does yours work?

    Honestly I don’t even know what that is yet. So I don’t know if it works or not. That table in the pictures has been on a shelf in the closet since the time I almost gave it to you. I’ve been working with the replacement arm assembly that cost almost as much as the table. I guess I’ll find out once I start putting things back together.

    To be completely forthcoming, I wrote this off when it arrived broken. Everything since has been an experiment to pass the time. I’m sure it will work in the end but if not......whatever. Given a do over I’d have just bought a Pioneer PLX1000 and called it a day. I received my first record six months ago yet the last time I heard a record playing in a home environment was in 1983.

    I’ve definitely dropped some coin on this experiment since then. If it works it works. If not...... remaining positive yet this whole experiment has been negative so far.

    Hopefully the “vinyl experience” will turn out worth it in the end. So far it’s just been expensive.

    Side note- that Marantz SA8005 is amazing. Same signature as the CD5001OSE but the focus and separation is on another level entirely. Money well spent.
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    edited May 2018
    Sounds like your frustrated. :/


    1983...wow, and to have a perfect cond. TT arrive broken although the auto return mech. have all broken on most of these. I've been living with an auto-return for 15 years or more. It's a drag once in a while but I don't spin records as much as most guys and gals on here either.

    I wish you had gotten a full refund on that TT when you saw that weight section snapped off. That would've eased the pain of this endeavor greatly I believe.

    I feel for you. I have no idea how hard switching out tone arm wires are but it sounds like you have gotten upset over this repair job ( which it sounded like you were enjoying it up till the last post.) and wire upgrade. :#

    Since your working on the tonearm, the lift mechanism is on it's mounting base. It is that lever with the black finger grip end. I've heard those have suffered from age also, but can and have been repaired. I never researched its fix either. I would've tried to fix that before I even thought about the auto return fix. But I don't even know how hard it is if at all.

    I'm posting a picture off the web of a TT similar to ours but of course, it's a different model. It has the same lift lever though. You'll know it when you see it. It's in front of the Antiskate dial. :)
    7uirberdkgy5.png





    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    Alan_r wrote: »
    Hopefully the “vinyl experience” will turn out worth it in the end. So far it’s just been expensive.
    This part doesn't change.
    I disabled signatures.
  • mpitogo
    mpitogo Posts: 475
    Wow a simple exploration into Vinyl is looking interesting.
    • Living Room Music-2.0 Polk Legend L800 | McIntosh C70 | McIntosh MA5200 (Treble) | McIntosh MC452 (Bass) | Sublimeacoustic K231 Active xover | Denon DP-2500A | Denafrips Ares II | Belkin Soundform Connect | iPad Air USB to DAC
    • Media Room Ht-7.2.6/13.1 (Atmos/Auro-3D) Polk LSiM707, LSiM706c, LSiM702 F/X [x4], height LSiM703 [x6], HSU VTF-15H MK2 Dual | Marantz AV8805A | Rotel RB-1590 (L/R) | Appollon NC500 11ch | Sony UBP-X800 | AppleTV 4K | JVC RS2100
    • Game Room-5.1 Polk LSi25, LSiC, LSiF/X | Marantz SR7009 | AppleTV 4K | Xbox One S | Sony PS2, PS3 | Nintendo Wii | Gaming PC | Sony 75" LCD
    • Master Bedroom Music-2.0 Totem Hawk | Marantz PM-10 | Marantz SA-10 | SONY PS-HX500
    • Office-2.0 Ascend Acoustics Sierra LX, DSW microPRO3000 | Rotel RA-1570 | Marantz HD-CD1
    • Daughter's Bedroom 1-2.0 TBD Martin Logan Forte
    • Guest Room 2-2.0 Klipsch RP-600M | Martin Logan Forte
    • Guest Room 3-3.0 Martin Logan Motion 40, 50XT | Onkyo TX-SR705 | Apple TV | Samsung 55" TV
    • Guest Room 4-2.0 QAcoustics 3030i | Sansui AU-6900 | Topping DX7s | Sansui FR-1080 | TV
    • Maintenance: Pro-Ject VC-S Record Cleaning Machine
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    mpitogo wrote: »
    Wow a simple exploration into Vinyl is looking interesting.

    It hasn't been simple "this time around" for Alan.
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • Alan_r
    Alan_r Posts: 164
    edited May 2018
    Tony M wrote: »
    Sounds like your frustrated. :/


    1983...wow, and to have a perfect cond. TT arrive broken although the auto return mech. have all broken on most of these. I've been living with an auto-return for 15 years or more. It's a drag once in a while but I don't spin records as much as most guys and gals on here either.

    I wish you had gotten a full refund on that TT when you saw that weight section snapped off. That would've eased the pain of this endeavor greatly I believe.

    I feel for you. I have no idea how hard switching out tone arm wires are but it sounds like you have gotten upset over this repair job ( which it sounded like you were enjoying it up till the last post.) and wire upgrade. :#

    Since your working on the tonearm, the lift mechanism is on it's mounting base. It is that lever with the black finger grip end. I've heard those have suffered from age also, but can and have been repaired. I never researched its fix either. I would've tried to fix that before I even thought about the auto return fix. But I don't even know how hard it is if at all.

    I'm posting a picture off the web of a TT similar to ours but of course, it's a different model. It has the same lift lever though. You'll know it when you see it. It's in front of the Antiskate dial. :)
    7uirberdkgy5.png






    Not frustrated just the experience has lost its shine so to speak. It’s kind of like the difference between buying an old but functional sailboat and a total project boat, one allows you to use it while you’re restoring it, the other does not. I have first hand experience with this and over years and dollars spent it’s hard to remain enthusiastic with no reward. This turntable path has felt similar, albeit on a much smaller scale. It’ll get there but every time there is a setback I have to ask myself “why am I doing this?”

    This project does not have too much more room for setbacks before it doesn’t make sense to continue on the same path. We’ll see. Just had to step back for a few days.

    EDIT- setbacks= seized aluminum screws in a 40 year old tonearm.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    ilkfz8Mn5Yz7O.gif
    Alan_r wrote: »
    EDIT- setbacks= seized aluminum screws in a 40 year old tonearm.

  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    I've had plenty of experience with friken aluminum screws. Storm doors and storm windows removal have been a bain for me over the years too. One out of 10 gets stripped trying to remove them.

    I wish you could've fixed that tonearm with epoxy and kind of guessed what the tracking weight was and got to hear some records before diving into what you have. I applaud your skills and research abilities!

    We're your screws stripped putting them back in or removing them?
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • Alan_r
    Alan_r Posts: 164
    Tony M wrote: »
    I've had plenty of experience with friken aluminum screws. Storm doors and storm windows removal have been a bain for me over the years too. One out of 10 gets stripped trying to remove them.

    I wish you could've fixed that tonearm with epoxy and kind of guessed what the tracking weight was and got to hear some records before diving into what you have. I applaud your skills and research abilities!

    We're your screws stripped putting them back in or removing them?

    They were the screws that hold the “connector” into the end of the arm where the head shell goes. This was on that very expensive replacement arm assembly I had shipped from Japan. It wasn’t age, it was someone during it’s 40 years of life using the wrong screwdriver. Can’t believe I missed this when I bought it. Not that there were a bunch for sale though so I guess I had no choice.

    On any normal day a simple drill and tap would have caused no fuss. It just seems to be one thing after another with this project.

    Hopefully this post puts to rest any notion of giving up. I was simply venting further frustration; in the spirit of documenting this project, the good and the bad.

    To you guys following this you’ve got to admit this has been way more challenging than it should have been. Go back and read my opening posts in this thread. I just wanted to play with some records. Now I’m almost $900 in and I still haven’t even heard one. Lol

    This frustration was not without its own revelation though. Sometimes I think I need to write this myself as a reminder of what’s important. I’ll refrain from using the word “we” but I’m quite sure everyone can relate here.

    Oftentimes “I” spend so much time tweaking, tinkering, dreaming, adjusting and upgrading my equipment that “I” lose sight of why I’m doing this in the first place.

    To simply listen to and enjoy beautiful works of music. As I’ve said before, my passion is music, my hobby is how I listen to it. I needed to remind myself of that again this weekend. So I put all my projects away, turned down the lights and listened to a few Grieg albums along with some of my favorite Chopin. To my ears it’s sounded amazing (thanks SA8005!) and I experienced the heart pounding rushes and the dreamy lulls within these masterpieces. This all led to a Envico Einaudi marathon that fully brought me back to where I needed to be.

    The work on the turntable will begin again tomorrow.
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    edited June 2018
    This is so Nice. I think I've heard this in a movie or two. May a silent one too.
    https://youtu.be/WXmbBmftO8k
    I KNOW I've heard this a lot in my life! Very nice!
    https://youtu.be/KfYw4EldCUE
    This is sooo relaxing and moving too. I can see it making you forget the stress of the TT rebuild. ;)
    https://youtu.be/X1DRDcGlSsE
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    edited June 2018
    @Alan_r glad to hear that you are enjoying your very nice Marantz player :)
  • Alan_r
    Alan_r Posts: 164
    Tony M wrote: »
    This is so Nice. I think I've heard this in a movie or two. May a silent one too.
    https://youtu.be/WXmbBmftO8k
    I KNOW I've heard this a lot in my life! Very nice!
    https://youtu.be/KfYw4EldCUE
    This is sooo relaxing and moving too. I can see it making you forget the stress of the TT rebuild. ;)
    https://youtu.be/X1DRDcGlSsE

    “Stress of rebuilding” lol. If that was all, my life would be grand my friend. :)

    The setbacks were so devastating because of the time crunch I’m in. Every day spent trying to make it work was one less day I’d spend listening to it.

    And.......I am out of time.

    A stroke of good luck combined with a push from Mrs. Fate will have me (fingers crossed) living on my mattress in front of my main system in the next few days. The main system will be the last of my things to go. I thought I had six more months but the opportunity to get rid of everything in my house in one swoop is far to great a gift to turn down. You’d be surprised how hard it is to give things away.

    At this point I think the decision has been made to sell all my gear instead of storing it. I don’t know if I’m ever coming back this way; hell, I don’t even know what country I’ll be living in when I do come back so it makes sense to just start over if and when I do settle down again.

    So...the priority now is to ripp all my CD’s to my laptop and start preparing for my “audio” to be mobile.

    As far as the 1400, it is untouched since the day I received it. The replacement tonearm assembly has the new part installed but that’s as far as it will get. My shop is now in boxes along with the tools. Not sure what I’ll do with all that stuff but I’m sure something will come up.

    Hopefully the pictures I posted were enough to help when you guys work on yours. It’s not difficult if you take your time.

    I do find the irony of the fact I still haven’t heard a record pretty funny. Perhaps I’ll finish this thing in someone else’s shop but things are beginning to move very quickly around me now so I’m not sure. At some point I may just have to figure out how to get rid of it.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,558
    Holy cow, sounds like you are about to go through some big changes! Best of luck with everything that's coming your way.

    Hope you stick around and update us, that is, if it doesn't violate the secrecy of your undercover agent status.
    Alan_r wrote: »
    I don’t know if I’m ever coming back this way; hell, I don’t even know what country I’ll be living in when I do come back so it makes sense to just start over if and when I do settle down again.

  • Alan_r
    Alan_r Posts: 164
    edited June 2018
    Clipdat wrote: »
    @Alan_r glad to hear that you are enjoying your very nice Marantz player :)

    It has been really nice. That law of diminishing returns is getting very, very close at this level.

    TBH I really wanted this vinyl thing to work. I spent a lot of money to buy a pristine example of a quality record player. When it arrived broken I had a strange feeling this would end up failing. But I ignored my intuition and gave it a shot. Things just kept happening in my world that would sidetrack me. Combined with one major setback after another it just won’t come together.

    This is actually a good thing in the big picture. Need to start seriously looking into audiophile headphones and headphone amps that can run on 12v, or maybe use an invertor.
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    These posts were a shocker but I'm glad you posted. I was beginning to worry again.

    I wish you great and safe travels / safe sailing on the next chapter of your life.

    Thanks for showing me where to order the part I did and to tell me the operation could possibly be done on my coffee table. ;)B)

    I'll have a look and see for myself someday just how complicated it looks underneath this TT.

    Thanks for the ride, Alan. B)

    Tony
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • Alan_r
    Alan_r Posts: 164
    Tony M wrote: »
    These posts were a shocker but I'm glad you posted. I was beginning to worry again.

    I wish you great and safe travels / safe sailing on the next chapter of your life.

    Thanks for showing me where to order the part I did and to tell me the operation could possibly be done on my coffee table. ;)B)

    I'll have a look and see for myself someday just how complicated it looks underneath this TT.

    Thanks for the ride, Alan. B)

    Tony

    No problem bud and thanks. I was really pushing after the tone arm screws turned out to be seized; ultimately stripped. I did manage to replace them and am/was ready to start fishing the old tonearm wires through. I just ran out of time and I need to focus on getting rid of everything else that’s here.

    Interesting story involving fate. I’ve been struggling trying to give away/sell/donate an entire 2000sq’ house full of “stuff”. So one morning I leave early to get a haircut at a place I usually go. 1030am and the waiting room is full. Drive 30 minutes to another random shop. Park only to be yelled at by an old lady stating that the parking spot is reserved. Get back in my Jeep, move one spot over and get out again. Walk into the shop only to be told “appointments only today”. Frustrated, get back in the Jeep and sproceed to drive around for an hour. Happen to remember a shop I used to go to years ago. Snap decision to park and go in; at the exact moment I walk in a girl is standing at the counter who id known years ago. Five minutes in her chair and I find out she just divorced, has two young kids and moved into a small apartment but has no furniture or anything. Kids sleeping on the floor.......well.....I have an entire household I’m trying to give away....A minute earlier or later and she may have had a different customer and the conversation wouldn’t have taken place. So two issues solved at once, she gets help and I get free of this stuff. She has no idea I’m actually the one being saved here. So my time frame accelerated by five months or so. All projects ceasefire and priority goes to liquidation of everything remaining.

    I’m presented with a rare opportunity here and firmly believe that one’s life is measured not by what you own in the end but by the experiences and people you’ve met.

    I really dislike not finishing things I start but once all my furniture is gone I really need to start moving on here. Had I known what was about to happen I wouldn’t have bought an damn $1000 CD player. Lol. Someone somehwhere is going to get a fire sale deal.
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    edited June 2018
    That's amazing about your haircut fiasco FATE.

    I believe in it 1000%.

    I could write a book or two on my fates. :D

    I'm glad you fixed those screws BS.
    You were almost there...to seeing this model TT in action and how nice they really are.

    There's got to be some members here (along with me) who would/could store your electronics until you're able to continue again from where you are now. Or some friend/aquaintance from your living now that could store them.

    Unless you like to change chapters in your life with no ties or anything that makes you keep looking back.

    Are you going to go out to dinner with the lady who cut your hair before you move on? :)







    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • Alan_r
    Alan_r Posts: 164
    Tony M wrote: »
    That's amazing about your haircut fiasco FATE.

    I believe in it 1000%.

    I could write a book or two on my fates. :D

    I'm glad you fixed those screws BS.
    You were almost there...to seeing this model TT in action and how nice they really are.

    There's got to be some members here (along with me) who would/could store your electronics until you're able to continue again from where you are now. Or some friend/aquaintance from your living now that could store them.

    Unless you like to change chapters in your life with no ties or anything that makes you keep looking back.

    Are you going to go out to dinner with the lady who cut your hair before you move on? :)









    Ha ha, no dinner plans. Unfortunately no, there’s no one here to store anything for me.

    A little known fact of life that I recently learnt; when you’re incredibly sick for years, people slowly drift away until you’re alone. I was/am an incredibly social and friendly person so I had a large circle of friends. For me it took five years. At the end all but one had vanished and stopped visiting. Being bedridden and in a wheelchair on a good day does little to brighten anyone’s day. I don’t blame them. It’s human nature to avoid darkness. Life is short enough as it is.

    WAY off subject on an audio forum but I wasn’t supposed to get better. I got into audio because the music was an escape from the Hell I was in everyday.

    I’m sure most of you can relate. That moment when everything is adjusted just right, THAT song is playing and you just close your eyes and the sound removes you from the present. Hi-Fi can do that. I relied on it.

    Now I find myself in a foreign world, trying to accomplish some dreams before my temporary respite, and ultimately, clock runs out.

    I do need to figure out what to do with this record player and albums I bought. No one will buy a broken turntable and a pile of parts. Still need to figure that out.
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    I'm still sick so excuse any missed words. :(

    I sure know about bedridden. But it was from neck pain that doctors didn't want to address for some reason. A strong guy complaining about debilitating pain that they can't feel or see makes them think, drug addict! F them. 10 years of my life pretty much gone wasted. I just felt good enough to start re-painting my house after 10+ years. I like to do things myself since I could all my earlier life, even though my neck ALWAYS was a constant issue. I've worn out massagers over the years. But a few years ago, my neck felt better but my fatigue was BAD. 2 doctors did 0 for me. I finally had to leave. the next Doc. did 0 for me. 5 months later , that clinic hires a woman Doc. and my first 5 min. with her, she gives me a scrip for Wellbutrin, ( Bupropion). It's an anti depressant but it seems to help people with fatigue for some reason. The next morn. I take a pill, and I felt WELL. NOT HIGH, well. That simple little drug should've been prescribed 10 years before. :s:'(

    I have had so-called friends ignore me since back then. All I did for them, must've meant nothing I guess. I'm 2 1/2 years off of any pain medicine. I couldn't get what I needed for 99% of my neck issue. I fell of my porch and the impact help alleviate the remainder of the pain I was experiencing from 10+ years of h*^l . My neck is still damaged but it's like it was 40 years ago again. It's damaged, and when at any given moment turning my head one way or whatever. BAM, hello Tony, remember me! I'm still damaged! but it quickly subsides and I'll be careful for a while.

    I haven't been in a wheelchair so I can't imagine the challenges you go through.


    My neck injury is at the base of my skull so I'm not going to let ANY surgeon go in there UNTIL , well, NEVER. I've been butchered so I don't trust surgeons unless it's life threatening.

    Painting my house and seriously re-organizing my cottage the last few weeks and Fri., I pulled a ham-string and f-d up my knees. I caught some strange cold on top of that. I've been in bed for most of each day since Sat. eve. Fri., I got 2 hours sleep from this BS. But I'm able to sit here for a bit each day and look at Polk and Craigs List and Emails. I've have a constant head ache, my hands hurt. my hip hurts. My knees are getting better. No apatite to speak of. But I feel I am improving. God , I hope so. :#

    Music got me through a lot of down times and elevated the good times even more. I don't know if you have seen what I forced myself to go buy the last 2 months. Last Sat. I was really low, but my knees weren't telling me something had been damaged BAD before that 5 hour round trip. 7 hours after stopping to eat and then touring the town of New Bern NC. for a bit before we met the couple selling this TT. I never check Eastern NC. Craigs list except maybe once a year. Well, I checked it and saw this cool TT. I emailed or called. A day or two later a lady called me or emailed me and we set up a date a week later. Her and her husband were great. His caretaker was also very nice too. Well, the TT is at home and I DO NOT like single play TT's, but this was an exception to my rule. I LOVE plexiglass to no end for some reason, so I was hooked.

    It's in misc. audio deals thread I think.


    Back to your TT. Did you get the base put back together after installing the new auto-return lever?


    I'm so sorry this project hasn't come to a fulfilling accomplishment for you! I know you have it in you and other things have piled on you fast. I know that feeling 100 times over. I've been trying to play catchup with home and yard maintenances from my neck pain BS for the past 2 years. I did a few things during those 10+ years but I swear I thought I might not wake up the next day because of how exhausted and the full body pain along with the neck pain I would feel before passing out from it. I told myself a few times back then, WTH are you doing this for, nobody cares or even cares how much pain you're going through to stuff like these jobs.

    The past week, since fri. night, my wife hasn't asked how I feeling once. I'm in BAD shape and does she care? I think she might be renewing or upping the insurance payout limit on me. That's what it feels like. :#

    Tell me if you got the base put back together, ok?

    My neck is tense as can be, I'm going to go lay down.
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • Alan_r
    Alan_r Posts: 164
    Tony M wrote: »
    I'm still sick so excuse any missed words. :(

    I sure know about bedridden. But it was from neck pain that doctors didn't want to address for some reason. A strong guy complaining about debilitating pain that they can't feel or see makes them think, drug addict! F them. 10 years of my life pretty much gone wasted. I just felt good enough to start re-painting my house after 10+ years. I like to do things myself since I could all my earlier life, even though my neck ALWAYS was a constant issue. I've worn out massagers over the years. But a few years ago, my neck felt better but my fatigue was BAD. 2 doctors did 0 for me. I finally had to leave. the next Doc. did 0 for me. 5 months later , that clinic hires a woman Doc. and my first 5 min. with her, she gives me a scrip for Wellbutrin, ( Bupropion). It's an anti depressant but it seems to help people with fatigue for some reason. The next morn. I take a pill, and I felt WELL. NOT HIGH, well. That simple little drug should've been prescribed 10 years before. :s:'(

    I have had so-called friends ignore me since back then. All I did for them, must've meant nothing I guess. I'm 2 1/2 years off of any pain medicine. I couldn't get what I needed for 99% of my neck issue. I fell of my porch and the impact help alleviate the remainder of the pain I was experiencing from 10+ years of h*^l . My neck is still damaged but it's like it was 40 years ago again. It's damaged, and when at any given moment turning my head one way or whatever. BAM, hello Tony, remember me! I'm still damaged! but it quickly subsides and I'll be careful for a while.

    I haven't been in a wheelchair so I can't imagine the challenges you go through.


    My neck injury is at the base of my skull so I'm not going to let ANY surgeon go in there UNTIL , well, NEVER. I've been butchered so I don't trust surgeons unless it's life threatening.

    Painting my house and seriously re-organizing my cottage the last few weeks and Fri., I pulled a ham-string and f-d up my knees. I caught some strange cold on top of that. I've been in bed for most of each day since Sat. eve. Fri., I got 2 hours sleep from this BS. But I'm able to sit here for a bit each day and look at Polk and Craigs List and Emails. I've have a constant head ache, my hands hurt. my hip hurts. My knees are getting better. No apatite to speak of. But I feel I am improving. God , I hope so. :#

    Music got me through a lot of down times and elevated the good times even more. I don't know if you have seen what I forced myself to go buy the last 2 months. Last Sat. I was really low, but my knees weren't telling me something had been damaged BAD before that 5 hour round trip. 7 hours after stopping to eat and then touring the town of New Bern NC. for a bit before we met the couple selling this TT. I never check Eastern NC. Craigs list except maybe once a year. Well, I checked it and saw this cool TT. I emailed or called. A day or two later a lady called me or emailed me and we set up a date a week later. Her and her husband were great. His caretaker was also very nice too. Well, the TT is at home and I DO NOT like single play TT's, but this was an exception to my rule. I LOVE plexiglass to no end for some reason, so I was hooked.

    It's in misc. audio deals thread I think.


    Back to your TT. Did you get the base put back together after installing the new auto-return lever?


    I'm so sorry this project hasn't come to a fulfilling accomplishment for you! I know you have it in you and other things have piled on you fast. I know that feeling 100 times over. I've been trying to play catchup with home and yard maintenances from my neck pain BS for the past 2 years. I did a few things during those 10+ years but I swear I thought I might not wake up the next day because of how exhausted and the full body pain along with the neck pain I would feel before passing out from it. I told myself a few times back then, WTH are you doing this for, nobody cares or even cares how much pain you're going through to stuff like these jobs.

    The past week, since fri. night, my wife hasn't asked how I feeling once. I'm in BAD shape and does she care? I think she might be renewing or upping the insurance payout limit on me. That's what it feels like. :#

    Tell me if you got the base put back together, ok?

    My neck is tense as can be, I'm going to go lay down.






    Yeah pain meds were/are a ride all their own. As of December 2017, I was sitting at almost 700mg of Morphine daily plus up to 320mg of Oxycodone as needed, which was often. Throw in some anti-psychotics and sleep meds such as Ambien; life was a semi conscious daze when the pain wasn’t sending me into shock and ultimately unconsciousness. My Army injuries led to surgeries which led to a nasty disorder called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type II over 60% of my body. It’s untreatable and progressive. Somehow I woke up in partial remission six months ago. There are no words to describe what I went through. I never had to deal with the “drug seeker” issue with doctors. Once they realized what I had and how bad I had it, they did whatever I needed to try and make me comfortable. I got lucky and ended up with some incredible doctors and NP’s who were empathetic and did their best. I still see most of them; they’re the ones telling me to live as much as I can because it will return. When it does...well, let’s just say I can’t go through that again. I’m one of the strongest willed people you’ll ever meet and it took everything I had to survive. Five years in literal Hell. I can empathize with you regarding spinal injuries. A HMMWV in front of me took a large IED during one of my Iraq tours. The concussion of the blast relocated the discs in my back L1 though L4 and S1 and 2. It also moved something around in my neck. Nagging electrical jolts are the worst aren’t they? Lol. No meds seem to help with them.

    The table is exactly as it was when I received it and is as shown in those pictures I posted. I replaced the broken part in the replacement tone arm assembly I had bought. I drilled, tapped and replaced the stripped set screws in the arm but the original wires remain. I stopped at that point. My house is literally in boxes. I have an old lamp sitting on a cardboard box next to my mattress, which is sitting directly on the floor in my living room in front of my main system. It’s the last thing I have. I really like my Hi-Fi system and it’s hard to part with it. But eventually I will have to take it apart and sell everything. I have thousands of CD’s that I need to rip to my MacBook Pro, then I need to buy an Astell & Kern HiFi player and figure out how to put together a simple system in my sailboat. Not sure how to assemble this yet but I guess I’ve got more pressing matters to deal with first. It’s kind of cool I suppose. In January I’m walking out of this house with two suitcases and a backpack, throwing them in my Jeep, strapping the Kayak to the roof and hooking up the Boston Whaler. Then I’m driving south until I feel like stopping or hit an ocean. Once I’m “there”, I’ll couch surf and room rent until I find my new sailboat. Six month outfit, move aboard, sell the rest of my toys or store them and head off chasing the setting sun.