Connoisseur Craftsman III

[ho66es]

Always happy to take a punt that's me :) saw this on gumtree for £200 but open to offers, called down and it was noisy so i knocked it down to £100 (as always i probably could have got it for less)

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managed to find a review online that explained how to setup the motor and platter bearings and put in some flushing oil and its whirring away quietly beside me as I type. the neon is badly discoloured so i will search for a replacement but it and the speed adjustment seem to work well for fine adjustments

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shame the original sme 3012 is long gone, but i may use my hadcock with this to setup both and maybe look for a 12" arm to have a bash. Of course a new plinth is always on the cards :)

[Fran]

Nice project there Mark!!

Those neon bulbs are easy enough to find I think. Let us know how it sounds when you get that far - is it an idler?

[ho66es]

Nice project there Mark!!

Those neon bulbs are easy enough to find I think. Let us know how it sounds when you get that far - is it an idler?

It is indeed an idler, allegedly a competitor to the 301 in its day :)

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[ho66es]

https://youtu.be/9ItLBo556k8

oldies but goldies sounding good in test mode

[Fran]

Nice lineage with sugden being involved.....

[giant haystacks]

these were more expensive than garrard 301 -some of the earlier ones had a larger idler wheel .i am not sure about the earlier platter bearing but the later craftsman platter bearing is arcrylic. the motor suspension mounts sometimes rotted. i missed a few years back at £23 one in bakalite brown with 33 and 78 only-which would only have won a beauty contest on tir na hifi forum .maybe you could find a picture of it and post it up .i have one of these also i need to fix motor mounts which are not rotten-but pulled apart. i dont know about lubricating the arcrylic bearing if you can find out something. these are definately coming under notice especially the one in hamerite silver

[james]

I had a Connoisseur BD2 record deck for years. Its belt drive. Note that the Connoisseur Sugden is a different company to the Sugden that makes the amplifiers.

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/ ... 2.shtml

[ho66es]

I had a Connoisseur BD2 record deck for years. Its belt drive. Note that the Connoisseur Sugden is a different company to the Sugden that makes the amplifiers.

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/ ... 2.shtml

i have a bd2 in the loft with a mind to restoring, it was my 1st serious tt with an acos lustre gst1 and a shure v15 iii (i still have that shure). Apparently the bd2 has a cult following as well :)

[james]

I had a Connoisseur BD2 record deck for years. Its belt drive. Note that the Connoisseur Sugden is a different company to the Sugden that makes the amplifiers.

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/ ... 2.shtml

i have a bd2 in the loft with a mind to restoring, it was my 1st serious tt with an acos lustre gst1 and a shure v15 iii (i still have that shure). Apparently the bd2 has a cult following as well :)

I still have my old one .. at the time I bought it it was a choice between it and the Pioneer PL12-D (about the same price). That was about 1975. Later (a lot later) I got a Linn Axis. I had the Connisseur with the Shure M75ED.

[ho66es]

I had a Connoisseur BD2 record deck for years. Its belt drive. Note that the Connoisseur Sugden is a different company to the Sugden that makes the amplifiers.

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/ ... 2.shtml

i have a bd2 in the loft with a mind to restoring, it was my 1st serious tt with an acos lustre gst1 and a shure v15 iii (i still have that shure). Apparently the bd2 has a cult following as well :)

I still have my old one .. at the time I bought it it was a choice between it and the Pioneer PL12-D (about the same price). That was about 1975. Later (a lot later) I got a Linn Axis. I had the Connisseur with the Shure M75ED.

:) if you ever want to sell/swap gimme a yell