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draganm
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 8990
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 9:52 pm Post subject: Curtis MAthes Turntable B719? |
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I need a TT and there's one of these local to me so I don't need to worry about shipping it. Thing is I know nothing about it except it was made in Japan. Anyone know by whom? Micro Seiki? 1970's?
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:50 am Post subject: |
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Curtis Mathes was like an early Runco, they only relabeled stuff, made nothing themselves. Looks almost like a Pioneer..
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 16171
Location: West Seneca NY
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wallace123456
Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Northwest VA area
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:39 am Post subject: |
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Didn't Curtis Mathis do the RCA "recycle/rebrand" stuff on CRT televisions?
wallace
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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Location: West Seneca NY
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draganm
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 8990
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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| wallace123456 wrote: | Didn't Curtis Mathis do the RCA "recycle/rebrand" stuff on CRT televisions?
wallace |
Actually no, they weren't like Runco. they had 5000 people working in the Texas plant making televisions, speakers, console systems, and such from scratch at the height of their success. Not sure about down the road though? Probably off-shored to Japan at some point just like RCA, Zenith, and the rest.
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draganm
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 8990
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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Ha, someone actually knew what it was
| Quote: | I think these were made by a compnay called CEC, or CEC Chuo Denki. I might be wrong about the name of the company.
At any rate, they made generic belt- and direct-drive tables that were sold under a variety of brands.
Including Rotel. Your Curtis Mathes is nearly identical to my old Rotel RP-1000Q, even down to the anti-skate on the tone arm and the two levers at the front corner of the plinth in the bottom picture (though if memory serves, the RP-1000 had just one lever).
These weren't junk tables by any means, but they weren't anything special either. The belt-drive system is reliable, wow and flutter aren't issues. The tone arm is strictly medium-mass, can't handle anything like a V15III or IV. I tried the III, had major problems because of the arm mass. It was much happier with an M75ED and would probably work well with an AT440MLa.
Serviceable. If the price is right (say $50-$75) go for it. |
Rotel
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 16171
Location: West Seneca NY
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paw
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 1176
Location: Arvada, CO
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| Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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Yo Dragan! What happened to the TT you had? I remember it being a decent one.
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 16171
Location: West Seneca NY
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draganm
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 8990
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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| paw wrote: | | Yo Dragan! What happened to the TT you had? I remember it being a decent one. |
Linn Sondeck LP12, sold it for $1400. and was glad to do so.
Linn is like Runco and Rotel, your not really getting what your paying for. I would like a Rega P5 but don't want to drop the $1K+ to get one.
| Nashou66 wrote: | glad you figured it out, Id go for a simplistic AR XA or XB, less is more.
Only bad thing with the XA's are rarity of the head shells, they can go for 75 bucks alone for a 1 dollar piece of plastic.
Nashou |
PASTIC?  you justs don't put plastic in a good TT. Especially not anywhere on the tonearm.
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 16171
Location: West Seneca NY
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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LOL, Yeah but you have to hear these little gems. Back in the day they were the best selling TT for very little money. Now people are re discovering them driving up used prices from 30-40 dollars a few years ago to over 300 dollars now. And another reason why many like them is the same reason you and I like the marquee. We like to Pooge them! They can be upgraded with new arms, springs, bearing thrust plates, a complete new sub chassis etc. Go to Vinylnirvana and check out the photo gallery. It be a TT you'd have fun with trying to
mod.
Nashou
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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Location: West Seneca NY
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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Hey look they have my initials on them 
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mr_ro_co
Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 1643
Location: Santa Fe NM
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Nashou66 wrote: | Here is a shot of the simplistic basic AR XA
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I LOVE those AR tables! Beautiful. Always wanted one.
Have you looked at the Regas? I'm probably going to pick up one of those eventually.
Steve
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 16171
Location: West Seneca NY
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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Steve, I had a rega P3 I kept the tone arm and sold the TT. I plan to mod my one AR with the RB300 arm. I wish I could find an RB250 cheap tho. I prefer an S arm for the XA table. The amazing thing about the AR is how good it sounds, it gets out of the way. I really want the later version Called simply "The AR Turntable" It has a larger wood plinth with a cut down metal top plate to hold the suspension springs and an arm board that you can change to suite your own tone arm.
Just yesterday an all original one sold for over 1000k NIB old stock.
Athanasios
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Don't blame your underwear for your crooked ass~ unknown Greek philosopher
"Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the Democrats believe every day is April 15." --- President Reagan
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Boilermaker
Joined: 21 May 2006
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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Just to show how old I am - I bought an original AR when they first came out for $58 if I remember correctly. It was in a class by itself back then and is truly a classic. It survived four years of college abuse by a bunch of drunk college kids! Used a kit built Dyna tube preamp with a kit built Harman Kardon Citation tube power amp driving a pair of KLH-6's that also took the abuse. Couldn't guess how many times it played Stones and Beatles albums back then.
Bob
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mr_ro_co
Joined: 08 May 2006
Posts: 1643
Location: Santa Fe NM
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Nashou66 wrote: | Steve, I had a rega P3 I kept the tone arm and sold the TT. I plan to mod my one AR with the RB300 arm. I wish I could find an RB250 cheap tho. I prefer an S arm for the XA table. The amazing thing about the AR is how good it sounds, it gets out of the way. I really want the later version Called simply "The AR Turntable" It has a larger wood plinth with a cut down metal top plate to hold the suspension springs and an arm board that you can change to suite your own tone arm.
Just yesterday an all original one sold for over 1000k NIB old stock.
Athanasios |
The Regas are great little tables that are totally affordable. Will definitely get one before too long. Friends mostly have the SOTA or Linn tables, but I always liked the AR. Only table I ever had was a cheap DD Pioneer thing in high school. Old man had a Fisher "linear DD" machine (ring mag on platter, stator on body), with the speed rings and light for getting 33 & 1/3 on the money.
I also like the custom DIY tables a lot.
Steve
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Nashou66
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Posts: 16171
Location: West Seneca NY
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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The Linns are over priced I think, and since they are based on the AR XA design with a little help the AR's can be made just as good for a lot less. I actually am re springing my AR XA with Linn springs( a little stiffer). Lots of little mods. Just like CRT i like to make a change and see what can happen. It never ends!!
Nashou
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Marquee Modifications and Performance Enhancement
Marquee C-element and Bellow removal
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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Any of you guys use linear tracking turn tables with P mount cartriges?
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