Complete novice, looking at this rek-o-kut on ebay - any tip

[jinman]

Hi Trolls,

Long time lurker - only recently started posting around here today. I've been scouring the net for an entry level lathe for the past few weeks and I've come to the conclusion that I'll be doing some repair work regardless of stated condition of the unit; which doesn't scare me too much as I work in electronics repair. That said, I've been in touch with Gib at west-tech (who is sadly out of refurbished presto units as of may 2016) as well as Len Horowitz (who I'm lucky enough to live near, and has agreed to allow me to sit in on some cuts to take some notes) but he's also fresh out of leads on any entry level units. He did point me towards this listing on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rek-O-Kut-Challenger-Record-Cutting-Lathe-Overhead-with-feedscrew-cutter-head-/262428080198?hash=item3d19eeb846:g:1p4AAOSw3mpXL~nt and I was wondering what you trolls thought of it - it looks to be in great condition, but what should I look out for with a first purchase?

He also pointed me towards this amp, http://www.ebay.com/itm/REK-O-KUT-Record-Cutting-Recording-Amplifier-from-Lathe-hi-fi-4-Presto-Fairchild/262428078409?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D36142%26meid%3Df13dd01595ec491da6360370c4ef2858%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D262428080198 which he said would pair nicely with it - leaving just a high torque turntable to purchase for a basic setup.

Any thoughts or feelings towards this purchase from an entry level standpoint? Commitment isn't an issue - I'm in this for the long haul and I'm absolutely excited to start cutting records as soon as possible, but don't want to make a bad purchase. I'm in the process of reading every post on this forum, as well as the handful of books and pdfs linked to around these parts. Thanks to everyone for this wonderful community - I hope I'll be able to contribute as I grow more experienced over time.

Best Regards,
Jesse

[mischmerz]

Jesse - my take on amplifiers - don't bother with vintage tube stuff. You'll always chase hums, don't have enough power or all the other little bugs in old electronic gear. I am using a 'normal" consumer grade Sony amp and it works like a charm to drive my Grampian. As to the overhead on Ebay - well - it may not be the one you want. It doesn't have a hand crank so it will be difficult to cut lead-in and lead-out grooves. And you still need a turntable strong enough to power it. I would probably wait a little bit longer to find a more complete system, Rek-O-Kut or Presto with or without amplifier. But again - you mileage may vary.

Michaela

[jinman]

Thanks for the quick reply - I'll set my eyes towards a more current amp, that definitely makes sense. I'll continue to shop around for the time being - I suppose it's truly apparent how much a novice I am hah; it certainly makes sense to hold out for the hand crank.

How would that first head hold up against something like http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rek-O-Kut-Master-Pro-M5-record-cutting-lathe/331859928044?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D36142%26meid%3D4868df2305274b85afb403bc97f1a484%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D262428078409

Thanks again and best regards,
Jesse

[mischmerz]

Well - I never had one of those heads. Can't say much about it. My first head was an old Presto mounted vertically, blew the coil (with the Sony amp) learned to wind my own coil - and much more important - learned why it makes sense to have an inline fuse The seller won't accept returns and didn't test the equipment. There's no indication if the coil in the head is still good and if it is, what impedance it has. Personally, I would stay away from it. Ask around here and aim for a Presto 1C or 1D head with 8 Ohm coil. Reliable, good for beginners and produces real good results.

Michaela