Pioneer PL-12 (early model)
This is an early example of this turntable, it has the earlier tonearm with no anti skate and no weight scale; you will need a separate stylus force gauge (tiny weight scales/balance) to set the weight of the tone arm/cartridge.
This is a substantial and well made turntable it has a heavy platter and a very sizable motor. The platter bearing is bronze and the spindle steel, made to very good tolerance; this example has no play in the bearing and makes no noise.
The Turntable had been neglected and had surface rust and a seized bearing (the grease/oil had dried hard), the motor bearings needed oiling, there are proper oil channels and oil bearings on the motor that can be accessed from under the platter.
I freed up and oiled the platter bearing and the motor and it now runs perfectly. I decided to disassemble and repaint the rusty surface of the plinth (not the wooden lower part). I removed the tonearm and speed change and cueing decals, they are made from aluminium and lightly glued on and so very easy to remove without damaging.
The only modification I have made is to change the audio signal leads, I removed and added RCA plugs on the back of the turntable plinth, the old leads just came out through a hole and were not fixed.
All reassembled and now sounds great, this is a fine turntable and even the arm is quality if a little basic for modern tastes (the PL12D has a newer arm with anti-skate and a weight scale). Changing the arm is quite easy on this deck if you wanted to upgrade it.
This is a substantial and well made turntable it has a heavy platter and a very sizable motor. The platter bearing is bronze and the spindle steel, made to very good tolerance; this example has no play in the bearing and makes no noise.
The Turntable had been neglected and had surface rust and a seized bearing (the grease/oil had dried hard), the motor bearings needed oiling, there are proper oil channels and oil bearings on the motor that can be accessed from under the platter.
I freed up and oiled the platter bearing and the motor and it now runs perfectly. I decided to disassemble and repaint the rusty surface of the plinth (not the wooden lower part). I removed the tonearm and speed change and cueing decals, they are made from aluminium and lightly glued on and so very easy to remove without damaging.
The only modification I have made is to change the audio signal leads, I removed and added RCA plugs on the back of the turntable plinth, the old leads just came out through a hole and were not fixed.
All reassembled and now sounds great, this is a fine turntable and even the arm is quality if a little basic for modern tastes (the PL12D has a newer arm with anti-skate and a weight scale). Changing the arm is quite easy on this deck if you wanted to upgrade it.