Show us your Sondek

What a remarkable difference in such a short time. Well done, I hope it sounds as good as it looks🙂

Very nice job :+1: :clap:

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Many thanks for your responses much appreciated.

My only little niggle is the cartridge, it tracks my test disc fine but I do get a reasonable amount of sibilance, less so with better recordings, not knowing the age or amount of use/abuse it had bothers me, I get the feeling there is more potential in a new cartridge, plus I have no idea what the characteristics of a K18 are/were to be honest.

Have a couple of hours free tomorrow so looking forward to playing a few more albums, but loving the experience again.

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I think the K18 is just a metal bodied K9. I maybe wrong. Aren’t there new replacement stylus’s from AT that you could stick on it for little cost? Might be surprised by the results. The K18 just looks so cool. If I’m giving inaccurate info I’ll get my coat :blush:.

Looks cleaner than my LP12. Good job.

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Just adding my voice to the others, that looks great! Tidied up very nicely indeed, glad you’re able to enjoy the fruits of your labour for a while. I’d be “out” whenever the owner turns up to collect :wink:

Looks great silverback. It looks like the stylus can be replaced and if it were me I’d make sure that was done asap. It’s not so much about how it sounds as the potential for groove damage on your records. Enjoy rediscovering your vinyl!

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Scrubbing up well, given the corrosion I would personally be concerned about the bearings. Similarly as it appears to have been stored in very damp conditions the cartridge will likely have suffered, I would replace it.
You may be able to replace the stylus but other parts of the cartridge like damping rubbers will have likely deteriorated with age and the damp. Bit like putting new wheels on a car with knackered suspension. I personally wouldnt want to trust it to any of my records until the bearings had been checked out and a new cart fitted.

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Looks great. What did you use to renovate the lid?

Amazing! - especially the arm

Yes as initially I was using one of my 7 Aro tops for the build. Later I mounted a Kandid in Andrew’s top so as to finish the build.

KR

Peter

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That was a later picture Andy and that is/was your Kandid on test in the pictures :slight_smile:

KR

Peter

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In theory, as a moving magnet cartridge, the rubber is in the replaceable part.
Given the visual condition of the deck and the fact that the recommended alternative styli for a K18 since the revision of the AT range start at about £130, it seems part of the second hand gamble. AT 95e stylus replacements seem to be more readily available again.

Fair point, but what about the cartridge internals and the connection between replaceable stylus and the cart itself?

The biggest gamble imo would be with my record collection, I would want the peace of mind at least that bearings and cart were sound especially as the OP has mentioned hearing sibilance.

She has indeed scrubbed up well, for piece of mind a new cartridge and I will get it checked over by eye’s that are more familiar with the LP12 and hopefully we will be all good to go, just hope the original owners is not in a rush to have it back.

Hi Neil-26 an orbital sander kindly loaned to me by a close friend, I believe its called a “Do-Do” its a bit of a beast to use for this sort of task but it has have worked really well, that and a combination of very fine grades of wet and dry paper for some of the deeper scratches just need to get some polish to finish it off but very happy.

Oh I thought it was a used deck that you got for your own use, sorry if I missed that

I think the AT95 replacement part is plastic, possibly there could be corrosion of the coils in the main body.
Agreed that the most important consideration has to be the records as they cannot be repaired and replacement cost might be more than a cartridge.
Peace of mind wins, I admit I would look at replacement, just the same as some would look at every possibility of keeping a K18 body. It might be worth an auction site listing.

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I still have a K9 and several styli but no one seems interested and ebay these days is just a waste of time

Thanks for the response - it looks great.