Dave Archambault at Vinyl Nirvana has just finished another one of his custom long-base Thorens TD-125 turntables--this one with an utterly gorgeous morado (Bolivian rosewood) plinth. The morado isn't just a veneer; it's made from 3/4" solid wood all around with several coats of tung oil used to bring out the beauty of the grain. Dave only makes three of these each year, so they're definitely one-of-a-kind.
The long base design allows for 12" tonearms to be used on the TD-125. Dave has included the SME M2-12R tonearm, which is a new version of the classic 3012 arm. What's amazing about this turntable package is that the arm itself retails for $2000. That means you're getting this custom, fully restored Thorens TD-125 for less than $1500--an insanely low price.
When you buy one of Dave's fully restored vintage turntables, it's almost like getting one brand new out of the box. In most cases, it might actually be better! This TD-125, for example, comes with a top plate that has been sandblasted and refinished to look better than new. All the caps and resistors in the speed control unit have been replaced, and both the armboard and the metal faceplate is brand new. Once everything is completed, Dave ensures that the performance is fully up to spec--just like the day it was made.
The cost of this table and arm is $3495 plus shipping. As Dave says, the TD-125's performance is good enough to warrant any modern $500 to $2000 cartridge. Again, this is a turntable I would love to own. It's definitely unique in every way, and rivals or even exceeds the performance of modern turntables in its price range. For more information, check out the Vinyl Nirvana website.
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