How often does an LP12 need a service, and how to tell

The most useful thing I can tell a new LP12 owner is also the least dramatic: the deck does not go out of tune by itself. A Sondek that was set up properly and then left alone on a steady shelf will hold its setup for years. What does age is the rubber and the steel that carry the suspension, the belt, the oil in the bearing and the stylus, and when those are tired the deck sounds tired, usually so gradually that the owner does not notice until someone plays them a fresh one.

What the specialists say

Linn’s specialist dealers in Britain and Australia, who between them have looked after more LP12s than anyone, mostly land in the same place: a look at the deck every two or three years, and a proper service, with the suspension parts replaced, every four or five. Some decks go fifteen or twenty years without anyone opening them, and those are the ones that arrive here sounding like a different turntable from the one that left the showroom.

Our own rule is simpler. If the deck has been serviced in the last five years, it probably needs nothing but a stylus check. If it has been five to ten years, or nobody can remember, it is due. And if it has just been bought second-hand, moved house, or come down from an attic, it is due regardless of the calendar.

The signs

• The bounce. Press gently on the platter near the arm and let go. A healthy LP12 bounces straight up and down, slowly, two or three times. One that wobbles sideways, bounces fast, or barely moves has springs and grommets that are past it.
• The speed. A record that sounds very slightly sharp, or a piano that does not quite hold its pitch, points to a tired belt or motor control, and on a deck with a Valhalla board inside it often means the board itself.
• Noise under the music. A low rumble on quiet passages, or a sense that the background is never quite black, is the bearing or the oil asking for attention.
• The arm. An arm that does not float freely across a level platter, or that sticks at one point, has bearing or wiring trouble that no amount of cartridge adjustment will cure.
• The stylus. Linn’s rule of thumb is roughly 2,000 hours of play. A deck that plays an hour a day gets through that in six years, and a worn stylus is the one fault that also damages the records.
• History. An inherited deck, one bought online, one that has been through a move, or one that has been opened by someone with good intentions and the wrong tools. Each of these is a reason on its own.

What the service is

Our full service is $650. Russ Sherrell, our LP12 master, takes the deck apart, inspects every part, fits new springs and grommets, checks the bearing and its oil, the belt, the motor and the arm, and then tunes the suspension so it does what it was designed to do. If something turns up that needs replacing, he calls you with options before going further. The deck comes back bouncing straight, running on speed, and quieter than you remember it.

A service is also the natural moment for an upgrade, because the deck is already open and set up fresh afterward, so the service charge comes down when the two are done together. The order we suggest for upgrades is in Bringing an older LP12 up to date; the smaller jobs, a belt or a stylus on their own, are in A 1973 LP12 that just needs to run again.

Start with a call

Tell us when the deck was last looked at, what is on it, and what you have noticed, and we can usually say on the phone whether it is due. Call (503) 222-2599 or write to sales@pearlaudio.com, and we will set a time for you to bring it in. A first look is free.

— John Loranger, Pearl Audio

See also: Bringing an older LP12 up to date · Moving an LP12 · Which LP12 do you have? A guide by serial number.