Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

Hello. Obviously I’m relatively "new" here but I have a good 35+ years in this hobby. I’ve owned many turntables and have restored and "improved" even more. During that time I started wondering how well a linear tracking turntable might perform.... Long story short, I have now restored 5 B&O Beogram 4002 turntables. They use a photo-optic sensor that becomes "exposed" to a light source as a shutter is opened at the base of the tonearm.....shutter opening and subsequent drive motor engagement are dictated by the gradual inward movement of the stylus in the groove of the record and that is what opens the shutter.... When set up properly they are fantastic performers...very elegant and clever design.

I have two for my personal use and have restored three for clients of mine.... Lots of talk about their cartridges being "so-so".....I disagree, as does Peter Ledermann of Soundsmith…. I run the MMC20EN cartridges and they are fantastic. Am about to send one of mine in to Soundsmith for a rebuild. Will report back how it sounds.

Ultimately, personal preference dictates what we buy, or buy into with this hobby.....

Any other Beogram 4002 lovers out there?

@whipsaw

Great to see and hear from another 4002 fan. Granted, they are complicated machines but once sorted they are fantastic and trouble free. Really nothing to go "wrong" except the belts.

They sound good enough that clients have hired me to find and restore one for them. Their beauty is also a tremendous "hook".... Such an elegant design....

I'll continue to bring them back to life whenever they come my way.