You are 100% correct there. That is exactly why👍
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Also worth noting that the left and right gaps are very often slightly unequal even with standard plinths. The armboard can also sit slightly off square as well without it being an issue. My Kore/Nima was like this and I was assured by Mr Swain that this was not unusual. Here’s my current Keel/Aro board which is square, but narrower on the left than the right.
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Yes one always attempts to get the arm board even in the cut out and certainly it is preferable to have the arm board parallel as well but sometimes attempting this can have a detrimental effect on the bounce. Obviously we want to optimise the pistonic movement of the suspension as this is the most important factor under consideration here rather than cosmetics.
It’s all about getting the best sound quality out of the LP 12 and indeed something that many people forget whilst setting up their LP 12 is that the integrity of the junction of the top plate with the plinth is probably one of the most crucial things to get right and this is why sometimes you will see older pre-corner Bolt top plates quite heavily dished immediately adjacent to the arm board. Sometimes people say to me “oh is that right? “And the answer is providing the spring hangers are hanging perpendicular to the top plate and so perfectly vertical so as the springs have clearance against the larger grommets when the springs are under compression with the LP 12 suspension set correctly with the arm board is near level as is possible to get…. Then yes. The devil is in the detail with the LP 12.
Best regards, Peter
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Yes, that was my suggestion to check … if everything is done by Linn Book than it’s probably OK to have bigger gap on the right side (in your case).
In other case shows that maybe it’s something wrong with set-up …
All this just to have better set-up and be happy with your music …
As all of the fixings and centres during the construction of the deck are predetermined there is no real adjustment in the setting out of components in place.
The most important part of the setup is a free pistonic bounce.
In the old days of the separate armboard fixed to the sub chassis by screws I imagine it might have been possible to have some cosmetic wiggle room in the fixings.
These days with single piece sub chassis being the preferred method then all lining up hanger positions and bushing holes are in a fixed position.
I’ve always been of the opinion that a parallel and level armboard was the norm and not necessarily centred in the aperture.
Just my tuppenceworth. 
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A year long journey has just come to an end.
My LP12 is back at home.
Fluted Afromosia plinth, fitted with Ittok LVII tonearm.
Originally, it came from Sound Advice, Loughborough, in 1986. (Same as my much loved Epos ES14’s). Until recently, it was kept in original condition - without any upgrades or modifications - and sounded just fine to my ears.
At nearly 35 years young, thought it might benefit from some TLC and so off it went into an LP12 specialist, in October 2020.
Long story short, decided to give it some new life, to go another 35 years…
The brief for this Engineering project was : (1) restore everything back to original condition ; (2) upgrade this LP12 to modern specification. But to be, at least outwardly, looking as original.
Basically Sound supplied, fitted and set up Kore - Karousel - Lingo4 - T-Kable - Trampolin2. Which brings everything inside up to a modern specification, without outwardly changing how it looks. Leaving just the tonearm and cartridge to consider?
Plinth pips, reinstated. Old ones were missing.
Close up details of fluted plinth
More close details of fluted plinth.
Linn Ittok LVII. Made in Japan.
It was quickly established by the guys at Basically Sound that the Ittok was getting tired and needed a little more than TLC. So, organised for it to go off to tonearm specialist Audio Origami. It was stripped down, cleaned, serviced, bearings replaced, relubricated and reassembled. Good as new.
This part of the project is documented on “Show us what’s inside” if you’re interested in the work undertaken.
The Linn Troika is another story in itself…
After some discussion about what cartridge to use, we decided to keep original to period and use a Troika. Tony at Basically Sound was able to source a good condition, used Troika.
BS arranged for the the Troika to go off to Goldring for a rebuild at the height of the second lockdown - November & December 2020 - and so this took weeks to return.
The Troika rebuild is also documented elsewhere in this forum, if you are interested in this aspect.
Although we started to come out of lockdown in April, we then found ourselves in a house move. So, it seemed sensible to wait until we were in our new home. We finally moved during October 2021.
I was in the dealership to collect last week ( Nov 21 ) and listened to it set up with Naim and PMC. It sounded sublime.
I’m particularly impressed with the Troika. Such a lovely balanced sound, even by today’s standards.
It’s home now and I’m just going to get used to using it, with my own boxes, and play a lot of records.
One cool thing is the only outward indication of the upgrade work undertaken inside, is the arm board has the new style logo. Other than this, it’s looks completely original to when it was first built.
All together, it sounds superb. Also, looks fabulous.
I’m so impressed with the lengths the guys have gone to restore back to original condition. It looks pristine.
My sincere thanks to Tony & Graham at Basically Sound for doing such a fabulous job on both restoring and enhancing this venerable old lady. Good for another 35 years service.
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Lovely restomod. 
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Beautiful! Ittok, Troika, flutes, absolute klassik look…
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lovely deck, but do you think they got the cartridge nuts slightly wrong?
The cartridge fitting is exactly as it should be the front screws go through the Troika body round holes from the bottom at the front and through the tail plate for the third bolt.
There are no threads in the Troika body so it’s all held with the bolt heads and nuts.
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My LP12 came from BS in 1981, courtesy of Dave Gozna.
Have updated mine over the years & it is very similar to yours, Ekos not Ittok, Lingo 1 not 4 & Krystal not Trokia. I suspect the sound is not a million miles apart.
Having had it all done at once you will never know, but I have said here, on several occasions, that the Karousel is the largest sound improvement I have obtained from a single upgrade.
I ran mine for many years with the moving coil card in my 32.5 pre-amp. When I changed to a Nova my dealer recommended a Rega Aria phono amp as good sound quality v price, at a level that would suit the rest of my system. I have been very pleased with it & suspect it bettered the Naim card in the 32.5. If you ever have any spare cash after splashing out on the current upgrades, I would suggest it may be worth giving one of these a try if the upgrade urge strikes again!
I have no doubt you will enjoy your Linn for the next 35 years even more than you have previously!
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?front two nuts are clearly different thicknesses
Doesn’t the Troika look beautiful.
Such an elegant shape.
It’s unique.
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@ratrat - Nice LP12…!!
I am part way through a similar … quest… with my 1981 LP - also ex-Sound Advice. Mine is over a longer period, with ‘rests’ built in…!!
I began with going to the Cirkus bearing - the Karousel had not arrived then… More recently, my Valhalla was serviced - and then a Lingo Mk1 came my way…! Which I am due to collect from Class A - tomorrow…!!! Potentially, I hope to go Kore, at a later point in time…
PS. You mention having your Linn Ittok rebuilt/serviced - by Audio Origami…? I thought I had read they were no longer working on Ittok’s…?
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Troika - with three point fixing arrangement - was introduced by Linn in 1986 and was in production until 1994. Mine is a later example, from 1992.
A webbed extension of the body casting extends behind the body, and a third bolt holds this plate against the headshell. (Not entirely coincidentally, the Ittok headshell has a fixing hole at exactly the right place).
Troika - definition :
- a Russian vehicle pulled by a team of three horses abreast.
- a group of three people working together, especially in an administrative or managerial capacity.
I’ve since read the Naim Aro was originally designed around this cartridge. Which also has the same three point fixing arrangement.
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Hi
I said as much in my post but the point being made is that the two front nuts on the cartridge are different one is thicker than the other.
Troika is a lovely cart I had one for many years on my Ekos.
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Thanks for sharing that story.
It’s super to read about LP12’s that have given so much pleasure over their years.
One of the joys of this specific thread is the stories that accompany the LP12’s shown. (Long may that continue).
I’m currently using mine with NAC72 - HC - NAP140. It just seems right to sit with the Olive shoe boxes from the same period. The NAC72 has the internal phono stage cards fitted - NA323 - K version. So it’s matched for the Troika. Actually, it sounds pretty good. So if box count is being kept to an absolute minimum, this is all that’s needed.
However, we also have a Rega Aria at home. This is usually used with a Rega turntable. But in recent days, I’ve added this into the mix. It’s a definite step up from the internal phono stage. Yes, agreed, it works really well. I’m currently listening to David Sylvian “Dead Bees on a Cake” with the Aria in the mix now.
It was very important to me to keep my LP12 looking original. I happen to very much like the way it looks, including the Ittok tonearm. I might be persuaded one day to swap to an Ekos mkII. I could justify that one change on the basis it was in period.
I’m also very curious about the Krystal. Maybe I’ll try that one day too.
But, for now, I’m just going to enjoy lots of records.
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Hi @IanRobertM
Yes, it went off to AO, late last year 2020.
Johnnie is a great guy and easy to do business with. Although, BS handled everything, I spoke to Johnnie several times and he was more than willing to explain a few things about my Ittok. As a result learned lots. He sent me some super photos of the work he did on my Ittok, which I posted on to “Show us what’s inside”.
Might be worth having a chat with him.
Hope that helps?
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@ratrat - Thanks. Checking again on Audio Origami’s website, there is this, amongst other things:
- LINN ECOS OR ITTOK OR AKITO REWIRES
- Bearing strip/service repair £135.00
What did you have done, to yours…? If I may…
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