I traded my Ekos/1 for SE/1 and got £800 for it iirc
To add to your list, Tiger Paw Javelin if you can find one?
It used to be that a little surgery was required on the corner brace to make a Rega arm fit (which is why some dealers were reluctant) is this still the case?
Golden rule of hifi if you’re enjoying the music leave well alone!
I know what you mean, but in that case I would have saved a lot of money - and my hi-fi now would be first one that I found so enjoyable that I didn’t notice the hi-fi apart from occasional vinyl noises.
That would be: -
LP12, Valhalle, Cirkus, Basik+, K9
Marantz CD52 2SE
Naim 72 with MM boards
Naim Hicap
Naim 140 (or maybe the 250 that followed)
Heybrook HB1s (or maybe the Shaninian Compasses that replaced them)
It was an enjoyable system, but I listen to more music per week and to a wider range of music than I did, and the changed hi-fi is certainly part of the reason.
Of course it’s not a rule I’ve ever adhered to!
I think that a certain breed of ‘hip’ buyer considered Linn and Naim as the’ cool’ newcomers, while older marques exemplified by previously highly regarded names such as QUAD and SME were ignored.
But I don’t think that SME arms and LP12 turntables are incompatible per se. Linn certainly used to sell their wooden armbands (remember them?) pre-cut for SME arms.
I believe that the LP12 exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland used to have an SME arm fitted. That may have changed to incorporate either a Japanese-built or a Scottish-built Linn arm more recently.
And I recall that the first ever review of the LP12 in Gramophone in the mid-1970s (in the days when it was still a publication of record) also featured an SME arm.
I will believe you on both points. On the other hand, there was no Ekos or Ittok in the mid 70s. I also seem to recall that early Lin arms came from Japan, while SME really don’t. Might that explain what you saw?
I take your point about some bearded flat-earthists in the 80s, though I doubt many here today are much biased by what is hip/ cool.
Hey I’m still a proud flat earther and I dont have a beard either! 
Reminds me of a HiFi Show in Brighton many moons back. I went into a demonstrators room ( wont say who), the guy pounced on me, 'ere ave a listen to this!..whatdya think of the speakers…erm not sure I’m not familar with the music I repiled…go on choose a record he said…No,no not that one!..How about this! 10CC you know why there called 10CC right?..whatdya think of the speakers? I sat rather non plussed and unmoved by the “great speakers”, so whats your system then?..Linn, Naim I shrugged…Oh! So your one of those f*ckin flat earthers then! And feigned spitting at my feet 
It’s an unusual sales technique, but not too different from what many report when they own up to the shame of not having the salesman’s magic ears.
Linn’s arm of choice was the Grace G707, I think…?
Slightly off topic.
I paid £150 new for my Akito, when Linn discontinued the Tiktok they hiked the price to £1500 which to be honest I thought was a bit out of order, however when I traded up to an Ekos I got back more than I paid for it, cant remember how much now but I was smiling.
To be fair, the early Akitos were not my cup of tea at all, only a bit better than the Basik+. However, the Akito 3B sounds and looks different, and some like it a lot more than the early versions with the same name.
That effect, like having few new options that don’t cost a fortune, may have lifted your Akito selling price further than was justified - in which case, enjoy the benefit!
I won’t be swapping my old Ekos for a 3B, mind you.
What lifted the selling price was that new Akito’s at that time were £1500 and I dont think they were unchanged at that time, improved versions may have come later.
Never heard a Basik Plus, my first LP12 was in the system I decribe below;
That system was LP12 (Valhalla) /Akito/K9 - Ion Obelisk 3 (I think it was a 3, their top Obelisk integrated anyway) - Linn Index Plus on Linn Sara stands
That was a great system, I regret selling the Obelisk to be honest. Not because its better than what I have now, but I would make good use of it still
Sorry cant remember dates, but very late eighties early nineties iirc would have to find reciepts.
I recall that the early mantra was ‘Linn/Grace/Supex’, before Linn moved to the early model of Japanese-built Ittoks.
Since then, Linn went to Goldring (and perhaps other UK specialist manufacturers) for cartridges and brought arm manufacture in-house.
I’m a bit sketchy, so please feel free to correct or supplement this.
Nick, why not put your name down for a ‘pre-loved’ Keel with a dealer (or two)?
I lucked into a second-hand Keel a few years ago when I went to Leicester for a demo of 4 different sub-chassis (Tiger Paw Akula, Linn Kore, Tangerine ??? and Linn Keel). I favoured the Keel, so when Peter told me he had a second-hand one available, it was a no-brainer. With a Keel on your deck, you’re likely to shelve the arm upgrade (for a while at least).
There are some out there…if you know where to look!
Dont know if this helps but there is an online specialist dealing in used LP12 parts.
LP12 Bits dot com iirc
Yup.
Not a bad option of course. However, my nearest dealer is Infidelity. As I understand it, they have had enough problems with second-hand TA and other top plates & sub-chassis that they simply refuse to fit them. DIY is not going to happen.
I am not sure that getting a Keel makes arm, top-plate and cartridge changes unnecessary or invalid anyway: if you get a list of jobs sorted and get them done all at once, you are without the LP12 for less time.
No I haven’t heard one but the guy over at HiFiAF has, and really likes it (better than his Ekos). However, it’s one of those situations where you are comparing a total unknown with a total known. If you’re a risk take, go for it. If not, stick with what you’ve got!
The Audio Origami PU7 is a great option. Gives some of the fluid magic of a unipivot with the power of a gimbal. More colorful and not as dry as the Ekos SE/1
TomTom Audio in St Albans have been my go-to people for hard to get things, ever since I wanted to buy a NAT-01/NA-PST when manufacture ceased quite suddenly many years ago. (They found me a mint example very quickly, which performed perfectly, although it’s back at Salisbury to iron out some recent bad behaviour.)
They seem to have very good contacts if you have a need for something specific which you can’t source elsewhere.