In article , AudioEnz
wrote:
in article , Oddjob at
wrote on 05/06/2004 4:11 AM:

Hello all, I've just bought an RD80 and was told that it was the model
the LP12 was based upon. They were built in the same factory in
Scotland (nr the airport)

According to Hi-Fi World magazine, Hamish Robertson of Ariston
approached Ivor about his dad's engineering factory building the Ariston
turntable (the RD-11 - the RD80 being a later model). The article
suggests that the engineering factory didn't produce any, but that soon
after Ivor started Linn products.

There are some articles in old issues of magazines like Hi Fi News that
give some details of the history of this. It is, shall we say,
'contentious'. I suspect that Ivor would give you a different view than if
you talk to the familiy of Hamish, or to one or two other people.

Some people suggest that Ivor copied the Ariston for his early LP12. I
suspect that what Ivor took was the *idea* of building a turntable.

Take a look at the Thorens TD150 turntable. It fits exactly in a Linn
Sondek plinth. The 150 and the Sondek are two of the very few turntables
to have a full length armboard (the Ariston RD11 certainly didn't). Even
the supension springs are in the same places.

The idea of producing a turntable may have come from Ivor's discussions
with the head of Ariston. But I suspect that the design inspiration came
from the Thorens TD150.

I can't recall the details off-hand (I'd need to re-read the old articles).
However IIRC there were also technical points like the way the turntable
bearing is arranged.


But you really ought to get Stewart Pinkerton involved in this
discussion. I understand that Pinkie and Ivor exchanged several lawyer's
letters over this subject some years back. Interested in telling us
more, Stewart?

FWIW I also supplied some information from published sources to the
relatives of Hamish some time ago. Unfortunately, this is an area where -
for legal reasons - some people may know more than they would choose to say
in public. This does not mean *me*, but at least one other person that I
have in mind. As a result, much of what one picks up is on a 'hearsay'
basis which makes it hard to assess.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html