Pioneer PL-L1000 Linear Tracking Turntable

[@foobarmaximus3506]

I have one that is in this condition, never restored because it never needed it. I have the original box, etc. It's a great piece.

[@snafu6548]

As an added note, The followup TT the PL-L1000A traded the jog wheel with a push button (without changing the lid shape which made it look fugly). The rear slide rails where chromed for lesser rolling resistance, and the tonearm upgraded to carbon to reduce resonance. Internally the circuit board and motor was also changed.

[@Round2Audio]

Great info, thanks.

[@trappenweisseguy27]

An interesting thing to try would be to put a half inch piece of heat shrink tubing shrunk onto the arm around halfway down the length and see if this added dampening would help the sound. Easily removed if wanted and you’d have to adjust the tracking force a tiny bit.

[@Round2Audio]

That is an interesting thought, but not something I have tried. Definitely would be easy to do as the headshell is removable. You would need to be very careful with the heat gun by using some shielding to avoid burning the paint of the deck, or it could be done with tonearm removed. Pioneer did put a damping material inside the tonearm tube, so it is not completely undamped. Thanks for the comment.

[@thehunterofdeath2180]

Like that repeat nice turntable cool dope fresh I would like to buy one that nice 👍😎

[@1020donny]

Got mine out of a AAFES catalogue at Subic back in the day.

[@foobarmaximus3506]

I bought mine at RAF Mildenhall in 1980. Great awesome turntable!

[@unevensteven5221]

Bought one when I was stationed in Japan in 1980, it was awesome. Unfortunately, had to sell it in '92. Would love to find another one in good shape one day.

[@Round2Audio]

Great tables, in my opinion one of the very best of the linear trackers.

[@poetjake]

I got one for sale if still looking

[@kenr.4526]

I have one. Love it but having an issue with a dead spot in the cueing/tonearm lift motor. Trying to locate a suitable replacement. An OEM seems to be unobtainium. I may have located a substitute but have yet to open it up (again) to address this.

[@Round2Audio]

The safest bet may be to find a parted out motor on eBay

[@davids1618]

I repaired mine. Elevation issue. Replaced belt, spun the motor with 9V battery in both directions, and replaced 2 transitors on the down cycle in the H bridge. Also repaired 2 cracked traces. Adjusted drop position by turning 12", 10", 7" positioning rod (This is tricky) auto start is too fast. I think it is due to when the tonearm is lifted at the end, it is still at a slight angle inward, and when I press start/stop, it travels to fast,. But! If I nudge a little to right, it travels slowly. I think I have to adjust to end cycle a little longer so that the arm is in the continuous grove before lifting at the end.

[@Round2Audio]

When the tonearm lifts, a V groove in the lifter centers the tonearm. After you have your tracking perfect while playing, center the tonearm in this groove to match. There are two grub screws and a collar to center the tonearm. Good luck!

[@davids1618]

@@Round2Audio i looked at the service manual. I do not see the two screws that can be adjusted, nor collar. Please explain further and if you can, reference the service manual drawing and item number, ie: page 48, item 35. Thanks in advance.

[@davids1618]

Are you talking about the screws at the base of the tonearm tube? The one that penetrates thru and rests in the "V" groove?

[@Round2Audio]

@@davids1618 Your close! Look to the left on that part and you will see the two set screws. Loosen these and the collar rotates, allowing you to change the angle of the tonearm when up. Center this to match the angle of the tonearm when playing. To calibrate any further requires electrical adjustments, and for that you need to make custom extension cables.

[@davids1618]

@@Round2Audio Ok, I see the 2 screws. The orientation of the tone arm seems to be 12 o'clock and the headshell is level, so, I wont be adjusting that. I did adjust the brass cylinder "bar" to adjust the begining tonearm drop, but from what I can tell, this doesn't affect the end of record. I do have a cable extension (computer fan cable works perfectly) to power the table and the control cables reach if top is flipped over and placed front to front. I use a screw driver to short the solder points for the buttons. This was an eBay purchase and seller did not have carriage secured other than the locking pin, which broke. I was able to repair that, luckily the spring was intact. (I fashioned an elongated ball bearing using a nail ) And with the carriage bouncing around in shipment, it gouged the "V" groove slightly. I will adjust the brass tube "bar" and the end timing to try to make the cariage move a bit more to the left before picking up the tone arm. Maybe a piece of tape over the shutter eyelet At the base od the tonearm at the top, there is the inner screw and outer screw. Does the outer screw need loosened before the inner can be turned? Last thing I want to touch as screwdrivers always want to slip and cause a scratch.

[@wargeocarl]

I've had the phase linear equivalent since I bought it in1980. I recently had problems with the elevator system. Which I did address. Belt, and cleaning. One issue that was a bit of an issue was that the arm would not lower. Turned out to be the zener diode , in the elevation control circuit was defective.

[@wargeocarl]

I also had the elevator lowering issue in my Phase linear turntable. Replacement of the zener diode did the trick, as well as belt replacement.

[@Round2Audio]

Great to hear! The zener reduces the voltage to the elevator motor a bit so that the tonearm lowers slower than it raises.

[@foobarmaximus3506]

That's a very common issue in this model. Minor deal.

[@stephaneitel3377]

@@Round2Audio This is a wonderful turntable. Could you please tell me, where is this zener diode located? My lift somehow flops down on the vinyl, perhaps I've got the same problem with this broken diode. By the way, my lift motor makes some noise when lifting up and needs too much time for the job. Perhaps I have to disassemble and clean it? Thank you and best regards from Germany

[@lmiguelr]

@@stephaneitel3377 I suggest you clean the motor and lift mechanism. You may also need to replace the rubberband.

[@zAlaska]

How wonderful it was to watch it play, I bought a wonderful stereo in Germany in the army. My next duty station I was going to become a air traffic controller in 1982 what was diverted back home so I could be robbed of everything I bought in Germany by my sister and her friends. I don't want anything valuable anymore.

[@Round2Audio]

Thanks for the kind comment and sorry you for your loss!

[@richardwestmoreland4796]

Revenge is a dish best served cold Thomas. Everything should be nice and cold seeing as how your sisters opportunity to start pilfering from you was some 50+ years ago. Which means that your sisters are well ripened to be served some good old payback. Have fun with your new belongings...lol.

[@zAlaska]

@@richardwestmoreland4796 the pain passed away when she did and yetI miss her dearly and I love her, she derailed all she could. A child of rape at Christmas when I was almost 5 she was born 24 September 1965 before women had a choice to keep the same innocent that it not see the evi on this earth. The Mormon Church paid her away I from Denver to my escape Anchorage Alaska. She got pushy and never came back getting onto a crab boat and having her shoulder bones destroyed, the doctors gave her opioids in Seattle. Her life insurance policy matured and she wanted to give me half of it butner told her it was for her and I didn't want it. Last Thanksgiving Kim where the ominous words. Mother told us that if anybody asks us that we are to respond that we are Pentecostal, As in Marilyn Hickey and Sarah Palin. Fortunately we also attended a black church and I'll look forward to the deep bass and something as a little boy I could get into as opposed to the regular Sunday service at the Pentecostal church under the heat lamps in the summertime. Betsy DeVos and Amway help the Reverend's wife have a little spending money for a. Cadillac and too many Lego's compared to the Zero I had. Usher let us know that she's Mormon but that didn't stop the smoking she lived in her car for two years in Seattle before getting rent-controlled apartment or she lived for over 10 years overlooking the interstate 5. It was Thanksgiving time and she said not to worry, she's going to Salt Lake City for Thanksgiving and the next thing you know the coroner called me. I got a $100,000 check and the roaches were everywhere. AI bought 30 solar panels and live in a too huge cabin just like was my Martin Luther King dream when President Kennedy was killed in I was three and had my vision of the future. I miss her so and I was not able to become an army air traffic controller for my next Judy returning home to help in the emergency that was her as mother had lost your place and disappeared when I arrived. I'm safe I'm happy I'm content. She confessed eventually. Ultimately I think she used the opioids to go to purposely go to sleep, her judgments upon herself for plastic someone else would have stolen eventually, no matter. The American Dream remains in someone else's name. I forgave her, she was a porcupine making me crazy. I am well adjusted today. F@$( what a drag, my pretties all MIA with no rescue. It was like a jogger as the record played in the tangible tonearm move back and forth in perfect Harmony floating on a magnetic field like a bullet train with the tonearm attached. I recorded instantly onto my pioneer the CT I don't remember 12:50 or with auto b l e on one machine in manual ble with blue lights on the other. I put a glass read switch by the Bell of the telephone to a time-delayed relay and had my stereo answer my phone and call time and temperature to let me know what time it was when they called. They even stole my blanket not to mention my ntsc pal secam Trinitron. Thanks for the reminder and the memories. I still have wonderful memories. And I'm still living at 63 years old, it's history, tomorrow comes quick as the sand fills my bottom glass, the Gift of the present as so many have left the train I'm on.

[@darthwarren4599]

Would a elliptical stylist be bad for linear tracking turntable?

[@Round2Audio]

Not at all, an elliptical is a great choice. A linear tracker places no extra restrictions on stylus choice.

[@mescko]

@@Round2Audio It's my opinion that a good linear tracker gets the most out of any stylus design due to having no skating force or IGD. Get a line contact if you can afford it. I also am of the firm belief that linears maximize stylus life again because of no skating force, and maximize record life.

[@MrGateKing]

First electric linear tracker I've seen that can track a reversed groove record.

[@Round2Audio]

I haven't tried that as I don't have a reverse groove record. It's definitely possible as the carriage servo works in both directions.

[@vinylcabasse]

my mitsubishi LT30 can as well, but not my B&O TX2 unfortunately

[@mervynstent1578]

I had to settle for the Yamaha PX3 turntable as I couldn’t find a Pioneer PL 1000 in Australia

[@Round2Audio]

The Yamaha is also very nice!

[@207T2]

What is the best way to get in touch with you? I tried to look you up in Maryland but couldn't find your contact info. I just had mine worked on because of the tracking "floating" issue you described and they mad it worse. Absolutley love this deck!

[@Round2Audio]

Hi, please email me at [e-mail]

[@charleshammell]

@@Round2Audio Hi--I just tried reaching out to you at that email and it bounced back.

[@sergiolams]

Hi where are you located? I need someone to fix my Pioneer that has some issues.The TT is in Florida at the moment.thanks.

[@Round2Audio]

I am in Maryland. What problems are you having?

[@amadeus8014]

how to adjustment stylus weigth? for example ortofon 2m blue is 1.45g

[@Round2Audio]

While this is a linear tracker, the stylus weight (tracking force) is set just like most turntables of the era. Adjust the counterweight until the arm is in perfect horizontal balance (floating), then carefully adjust the indicator ring to show zero. Then you can turn the counterweight to the tracking force that you want. I find the indictors on most high end vintage Japanese decks to be very accurate, certainly within +/-0.1g. You can always double check with a tracking force gauge if you like. Good luck!

[@TheVinylGuru]

Yes yes yes.

[@sebastianhoffmann1362]

Nice pioneer pl-l 1000

[@Round2Audio]

Thanks! The PL-1000s are really nice decks.

[@steveameel1521]

nice job

[@Round2Audio]

Thanks!

[@davids1618]

Well, I tore into the elevation motor. Unsoldered it. Disassembled the motor, cleaned the brushes with sandpaper. Used Tarnix on the armature, nice and clean now. Oiled both ends of shaft. Reassembled and tested with 9V battery, spinned every time in both directions. Before unsoldering, I marked the terminals red and blue. When I reconnected, the polarity was reversed (which I can't figure out how it happend. Blue to blue and red to red). Reversed the wires, put motor back in place, put belt back on, oiled all moving parts on elevation system and tested several times. Reassembled, leveled the rails with spirit level, balanced the tonearm and set tracking to 1.25 grams. Seems to work as if I had unboxed a new one. I also put rubber pads on both end of the carriage well to eliminate the hard bang from the carriage hitting the wall at end of travel.

[@Round2Audio]

Nice work on the motor! There is a lot of info out there on rebuilding cassette deck motors, which are the same. If you find your carriage moves too fast (bangs at the return) there is an adjustment for that! 7.7 in the service manual. Good luck.

[@ToddKerzic]

Have the phase linear pl8000 but It needs some work. Anyone out there who can repair these

[@Round2Audio]

Please send me a note at [e-mail] to discuss. Thanks

[@djlab62]

La vendes?

[@robertcroxtonjr.7623]

i hope they still make these, cause if they do, i am getting me one of these and i am only playing prince 12" 33 1/3 and 45 rpm records.

[@emmanuelmeyermeyer1083]

Audio too low. You need a lapel Mike.

[@Round2Audio]

Thanks for the comment. Please let me know if you find my newest videos improved.