If you were looking for a used deck, would you have an LP12?

The sheer power of hype and marketing.

S.

No, but not for the reasons put above -

'70's examples are too expensive to update but sound ok (if the main bearing is good) with low mass arms - 774, Grace, SME and so on. Useless with Ittoks and other heavy arms.

Valhalla kits suffer with age and 24/7 connection. Hercules replacement kit gives instant 45rpm but not cheap and supplying dealers will persuade you to spend hundrewds more on belts and mats and springs and grommets and - you get the idea...

Mid 80's ones are often knackered, worn out bearings, many of which were borderline faulty when new and only 'saved' with the black oil. The Ittok killed the sonics until the Cirkus came along. Plinths sometimes split where they shouldn't. Mid 80's decks often had too much platter creep and 'run out' (if I understand the term) in terms of platter weave as it rotates, because they didn't 'rest' the castings quite long enough.

Cirkus decks are just too expensive in my opinion.

I personally love the Td150 styling, so have no issue at all with looks. Full fitting dust cover - you lot are joking with that shit, shaped 'plate' cover like Rega use on their skeletal decks - ugh

And no, I'm not sure I could safely own a Notts deck no matter how much I love 'em! Bloody dust traps and styli too easily 'cleaned' and broken...

Sometime lids are lost because of the thick head mentality where you cannot have one fitted while playing records, bull shite. Unicover maybe the only option.