LP12 Home service advice.

I haven't dont it, never had an LP12, but have you found the Cymbiosis setup guide on the Linn forum?

yeti42 posted:

I haven't dont it, never had an LP12, but have you found the Cymbiosis setup guide on the Linn forum?

???? Yeti42,....The Linn-forum is closed,...gone.

Here we now have one of many problems that Linn's customers will suffer,..Lack of information,knowledge and support...

Shame on Linn.!

/Peder ????????

To replace the cross member you don't need to touch the suspension ?

If you want to change the springs and rubbers it's no great deal to do

You will need an accurate smallish (4 inch) spirit level and some means of supporting the deck at a height so you can work underneath it and see what you are doing

Very basically you .. .

Undo the screws of the cross brace and then the nuts in the middle and remove ( including any earth connections)

Put on the new cross member and reassemble in reverse

To do the springs...undo the nuts holding the spring..one at a time if you want...and remove the springs with the top and bottom rubbers

Push into place the new rubber in the sub chassis and reassemble with springs / washers in reverse again

Make sure the plinth is level in all directions..and then tighten the suspension nuts up until the arm board is level with the plinth ..and using the spirit level check the platter is level and the arm board is too 

Check the bounce ..if it's ok leave it ...If not ..rotate a spring / rubber nearest the arm  a little at a time until improved...then go to next spring and do the same..keep going until you are satisfied with the bounce

There are plenty of resources available for advice...but that's the very basics

Now follows a long list of people telling you that you shouldn't touch it ...only a dealer should know what's inside the fruit box ...and everything I've said is wrong..

It looks like Cymbiosis have a three volume guide downloadable from their site, just google it.

The Linn Forum is to be resurrected in collaboration with another forum.   

When I adjust my suspension I prop the underside of the Keel up with some cut-to-fit battening, so I have both hands free. 

As J points out, it seems the key spring to get right is that nearest the arm, as this bears the most weight - i.e. use the strongest/most resistant spring of the selection you have. This is not a design feature of the LP12 I'm attracted to i.e. why one spring is so loaded albeit it is balanced-out a tad when one weights the deck with vinyl - I wonder if, over time, arms/counterweights etc, have become that much heavier ( I don't think so). 

When levelling the platter etc, don't forget the outer platter can be installed upside down as a quick check.

I tend to put a 180g LP on and then check the levels of the vinyl et al, as I've found levelling of the plinth/armboard doesn't always correlate 100% with the platter - this may be due to the rubber feet on the Trampolin. 

Bob -  are you recovered now/still in recovery mode?

Thanks everyone and Japtimscarlet for the great advice just what I needed.  

I was aware that the cross brace was an easy change and that I wouldn’t need to 

touch the springs to do so I thought though that I might have adjust them slightly as you have described. 

I used to believe that touching an LP 12 was only for the pros until I opened mine up to change a tonearm arm cable and saw it was a fairly simple design. Then I thought get a grip you’ve just taken the back and side of someone’s house out whilst propping up the roof and then installed 12 huge RSG’s to take the roof. 

That’s why I love the Aro because it’s easier to get the bounce right due to the weight difference between an Aro to Ekos or Ittok. 

However I leave all the servicing to Derek Jenkins the master of the LP 12.

Anyway I find the Aro superior.

Regards,

Martin

Happy Listener posted:

 

Bob -  are you recovered now/still in recovery mode?

Thanks for asking HL I returned to work half day Mon and Tuesday and then did my first full day of lite duties yesterday as the consultant said listen to your body it will let you know if you are doing too much too soon.

I'll fix the cross brace over the weekend. No doubt there are some very fine LP12 techs out there who do a fine job and as a trades person myself have put right many DIY'ers mistakes but there is nothing wrong with trying and it has nothing to do with costs as I said those most of LP techs earn and deserve their money it is about the satisfaction of having done something for yourself.

yeti42 posted:

It looks like Cymbiosis have a three volume guide downloadable from their site, just google it.

This. +3.

Ardbeg10y posted:

yeti42 posted:

It looks like Cymbiosis have a three volume guide downloadable from their site, just google it.

This. +3.

Even if you don’t use the Cymbiosis guide, you’ll find that a read through will better prepare you for the task. A really really useful (and interesting) read.

You will have to be very careful in how you position your tounge in your mouth.... a little to the left is probably best.

All about the right tools and knowledge. I service mine but only after watching my dealer do it for years. I also have a Kradle. Get the real thing not one of those awful cheap copies from a certain auction site - the fruit box falls through those! I have a Tiger Paw top plate and Radikal which does make the whole process including the perfect bounce much easier. I also fitted a Tranquility to mine - wonderful upgrade.

My dealer fitted the Kandid for me - probably better if he snaps the cantilever than me

Well I successfully changed the cross brace and refitted the Mose Hercules using the work bench although usable it was a bit of a tight squeeze underneath.  I have just ordered new springs and grommets and will change those next weekend. I'm also thinking of changing the armboard but I'm not sure without taking it off which cut my FR12 tonearm is I would prefer a pre cut one although I could use the old one as a template.                                                                 

The Cymbiosis guide is a must by the way.

Bob the Builder posted:

Well I successfully changed the cross brace and refitted the Mose Hercules using the work bench although usable it was a bit of a tight squeeze underneath.  I have just ordered new springs and grommets and will change those next weekend. I'm also thinking of changing the armboard but I'm not sure without taking it off which cut my FR12 tonearm is I would prefer a pre cut one although I could use the old one as a template.                                                                 

The Cymbiosis guide is a must by the way.

If fiddling is going to be a common thing for you at the moment try and get a jig, this will help immensely. 

The Strat (Fender) posted:

The Linn Forum is to be resurrected in collaboration with another forum.   

As an X Linn forum user I am interested in what forum it is thanks. 

Wiltshireman posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

The Linn Forum is to be resurrected in collaboration with another forum.   

As an X Linn forum user I am interested in what forum it is thanks. 

It's hifiwigwam and it's operating now, but the easiest way to find where in the wam it is, as Richard won't let us hyperlink from here, is to google Linn Forum, read the notice about the closure and right down the bottom is a hyperlink to Linn space, which takes you right there.

best

David

Thanks David, been away on holiday and came back to a temporarily closed forum. I see its now completely gone so for me I just needed to read what others made of it all. A sad day as far as I am concerned even for Naim users, the sheer amount of LP12 turntable stuff no longer available is a real shame. I think they will lose a lot of customers old and new. 

If you go to the Linn space on the new forum you can see what people think about it! I think I read somewhere that they are looking at moving some of the old Linn Forum stuff over to the new forum, but I didn't pay a lot of attention as I'm not a Linn owner myself.

I think Linn will come to regret what they have done, but anyway that's their lookout.

best

David

Ill try that tomorrow David, thanks for your help.

nitrous posted:

Bob the Builder posted:

Well I successfully changed the cross brace and refitted the Mose Hercules using the work bench although usable it was a bit of a tight squeeze underneath.  I have just ordered new springs and grommets and will change those next weekend. I'm also thinking of changing the armboard but I'm not sure without taking it off which cut my FR12 tonearm is I would prefer a pre cut one although I could use the old one as a template.                                                                 

The Cymbiosis guide is a must by the way.

If fiddling is going to be a common thing for you at the moment try and get a jig, this will help immensely. 

I have found another LP12 set up guide by Russ Andrews no less who describes a diy jig that I might attempt with a few mods consisting of two 370mm squares of chipboard with two chipboard strips that are 380mm x 50mm and 4 x 50mm L shaped wall ties. Using the two 380mm x 50 mm strips as the back supports top and bottom of one end of the two 370 mm squares form a three sided open ended cube fixed together with small wood screws you can add some wooden blocks as corner braces.

The for L shaped wall ties or brackets are fixed in position these act as rests or suports for the deck one for each corner  the deck will fit inside the top of the jig.  I might then clamp the deck to the L shaped ties or brackets with small wood clamps. The deck can be levelled with shims under the corners.

Place the jig against a wall either on the floor or on a table or work bench so that you can work from underneath.  Of course this is a very rudimentary jig that can be used and dismantled and no doubt improved upon.      

I am happy to leave my LP12 to be fettled by Peter. It has never sounded so good.

I'm a hands on person but I also no my limitations and if I felt even a bit worried about some aspect of LP12 maintenance then I would and have taken it to a professional but I know I am capable of undoing some bolts taking something off replacing it and then doing those bolts up again and in the case of springs and grommets then testing for bounce and adjusting.

In the case of the Mose there is no soldering involved the motor wires are connected to the PCB by screw down terminals exactly the same as you find in a plug but smaller and the on/off/speed control button is connected to the PCB via a simple push fit connection. The PCB itself is then secured in posistion by plastic clips no drilling and now screws or bolts and then the boxed Mose components are connected via an standard IEC cable that is again connected to the PCB by screw down terminals.

Your main problem is getting into a comfortable working posistion I personally don't want to reverse my deck so I work from underneath.

I changed the grommets and springs on my LP12 yesterday evening using the DIY wooden jig that I found in the Russ Andrews LP12 set up booklet.  I modified the jig a little adding a cross member on the back both for stability and so that the deck can sit on top of the jig and be clamped to it I then fixed the jig to my Black & Decker.

I only managed to fit the new springs and grommets last night which was relatively easy if a bit fiddly then later today using the Cymbiosis set up guide I will set the decks ' bounce ' by turning the springs ever so slightly.

My next diy project will be replacing the armboard which the previous owner either screwed so tight with the small screws or let the deck sag so much that a small blister has formed in the paint work.  As Linn do not cut armboards for Fidelity Research arms anymore using the old armboard as a template I will have to cut my own luckily it looks as if this is just one large hole through which the pilar passes and is held in place with one large nut so no smaller holes to drill.

There are also set up instructions including cutting your own armboard in the Fidelity Research manual.