HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

_D_S_J_R_ wrote: ↑Sat May 12, 2018 5:17 pm

Wet Cotlake wrote: ↑Fri May 11, 2018 10:50 pm
Hmm, actually there were many versions of the Goldring Lenco GL 75/78. As they were out sourced and therefore rebadged, you want to find the best version. For example, HMV versions were top of range with sprung chassis and more importantly the metal idler wheel. To get the best you need to dig deep into the marque to understand all the iterations.

Being a seller of GL75's and 78's when they were new, I'd ask for proof of the fact that Lenco out-sourced these models with concurrent versions internally. The basic drive system was unchanged for decades, but the idler did develop as time went on, the metal one (multi-hole and then two-hole) being judged better in the late 60's or whenever it was, over the plastic one used before. It was discussed in my long chucked-out Hi Fi Sound mags.

The 75 used to be mounted in a sprung plinth, the deck plate sitting on grommets at each corner and two screws under the platter basically held it in place. The 78 and similar era 75's went to a spring system on a solid plinth around 1974 from memory - My first proper deck was a GL75 previously used in a cabinet bought as an 18th birthday present and Goldring let me have their last sprung base (with early Linn style lid plus stay). I'm not sure if this was actually 'better' to be honest, but the integral springs meant that these decks could be fitted into a 'music centre' successfully and my Dads old Dynatron had a GL78 in it which I serviced and fitted an AT95E - sounded good too as the amp had also been serviced properly prior to my getting it for Dad. There were versions of the better Goodmans receivers with decks in the top. often Garrard Zero 100's but I think the GL75 went in too. The last 75's had the smaller edge chamfer 78 platter too which made sense - the 78 mat was slightly larger diameter and went closer to the platter edge. Of course there were others who own-plinthed re-badged versions and Leak and others? used fancier controls too, but I don't think the innards were any different from stock production from memory. I believe all the mods made were evolutionary with a time-scale but could be mistaken.

I don't mean to be a pain here and if the above is wrong, I'd love to read of it.

Ant or anyone - If you have any later Lenco springs (shallow type as used with the GL78 and also a GL78 plinth (and cover?) in fair condition, I'd be interested. I have a really nice GL78 chassis which I'm not going to butcher, but it needs a plinth and the suspension springs for it as the deck won't mount properly in the earlier Goldring plinth I have here.


Lastly - and I relay this from a pal who had over twenty lenco's in his loft a few years ago - they've gone now... Some GL75's not stored properly rust underneath he told me. The best condition ones were in chunky Sony plinths (I remember the GL78 version they did but not the 75, although I have pics of it somewhere). Since any that Ant gets are immediately carved up, it probably doesn't matter, but I'm all for keeping things as original as possible and maybe looking at that eastern Europe damped uni-pivot I discussed a week or so back, as apparently it sits straight in a Lenco arm-hole and may not need butchering to work with the original lenco cueing device fittings (un-tried, but who knows...). I still think a replacement L75 arm-tube/arm wand complete would be interesting as apparently, it's very difficult to re-wire let alone do anything else with it.

Daniel Quinn wrote: ↑Sun May 13, 2018 6:00 pm So you feel like telling us you had a chance of owning one. Bit like me sharing with you all the chances I missed to avoid a stroke