New Maplenoll Ariadne owner needing advice


I have recently purchased a maplenoll ariadne. I have tried to learn a little about the table but find very little information. I know the table was discontinued in the 90's but the little i have found indicated it is a very good table. I am interested to learn if there are any tricks or problems to optimizing this table. As most of you probably know, it is an air bearing platter and tonearm. I plan on putting my zxy airy 3 on the arm once I get it set up.
oilmanmojo
Go here:

http://www.vinylengine.com/library_model.php?make=Maplenoll&selected_model=Ariadne

There is a downloadable owner's manual for the Ariadne.
.
Check out my system and then contact me directly if you want to find out more about what I did and how and why with my Ariadne Signature.
Thanks for the response. I just downloaded the manual. Also, your pics of your system is neat. Soon as the table comes in I will contact you. I like the external motor arrangement. That is very similar concept to my gyrodec.
At some point I'm going to construct a different arrangement for the motor. Channelling the motor vibes into the shlef is not the right way to handle this and that's what I'm currently doing. I want to make a matching corian and lead housing. I may also replace the motor with a less vibration prone one with accompanying circuitry.
Pierre at Mapleshade,and Lloyd Walker/Walker Audio can be of assistance on improving or retro-fitting the table
Oilmanmojo: Am I correct to believe that you purchased Greg Davis's Maplenoll that was offered on audiogon & Ebay to include a letter from Lloyd Walker outlining potential improvements to the table? If so , that letter along with Piedpiper's excellent recommendations should get you on your way. However, there is one more tweek that takes the old table to new sonic heights... But only for those who feel at ease with mechanical stuff and do not freek . Again, do not attempt unless you feel completely confident with your abilty to take things apart and put them back together again. I recommend to carefully dismantel the arm to the air bushing and inject 100% Iso-Alcohol into the bushing via the air intake port located on the under-side of the base(plith). The alcohol cleans out years of gunk build-up on the interior of the bushing and the air release holes . Make sure you have several cans of compressed air to dry the bearing once the alcohol runs clear. Do the same for the air-bearing base attached to the TT plith. Quite a messy job . Better still,remove those bearings completely from the TT base (plith) before cleaning . Returning those bearings to factory specifications by removing all the accumulated oil-crud stabilizes the air flow. It's sonically worth the effort to hear the TT as Bob Dilger /Pierre Sprey intended. Once the TT is reduced to its parts its a good idea to complete Mr. Walkers recommendations to the tone-arm & top of the TT air bearing. A change in tone-arm wiring maybe in order. Pierre Sprey recommends 40ga . I used 33 ga. Cardas via Michael Percy's web site that runs directly to the Pre-Amp capped with Bullett RCA's. Lastly, a word of caution no matter who recommends it--Do Not Burnish the Interior of the TT Air Bearing in the plith. That bearing has been "hardened" ; it can not be burnished unless re-hardened afterwards. That's too tricky for me. Other than a good cleaning and plugging the air-hole on the top plate w/ epoxy , leave the top and bottom plates alone. Cheers
You are right about the table. I have been working on getting a good compressor hooked up with it but using my shop air system the sound is pretty impressive so far. I understand what you are recommending and i will implement some of the ideas you passed on. I have noted that carefull setting of the air pressure is key to getting the platter moving freely. I have heard several comments around the higher pressure for the arm vs platter. I have also found that leveling the system is also very key in the free movement of the platter. I like the idea of cleaning the air ways especially the small ports since a little pressure drop can go a long way in this system. As I said to Greg, these hobbies can get quite consuming! thanks again for the suggestions. I am already enjoying what I am hearing and look forward to bringing this system up to even higher levels.
Oilmanmojo : The information you have is light-years ahead of others. May I suggest that you contact Mr. Walker, as well as, Mr. Sprey for their recommendations regarding a air pump . Both are gentleman that give of their time and judgements w/o reservation , time permitting . I believe that you may have the finest Ariadne-- Next to mine off course . I have heard almost every incarnant of TT's on the market since the 1970's. Unless you are willing to spend Kilo bucks for a Ravin TT and Schorder tone-arm... Forget about it ! The Ariadne warts an'all comes damn close to to the SOTA but it has a lot S--- to deal with. Be happy you own one of the finest TT's ever made.
Crem1,

what is special about this particular table, and yours, as opposed to other Ariadnes?

Oilmanmojo,

would you care to share the "letter from Lloyd Walker outlining potential improvements to the table"?

Also, for anyone interested, Oilmanmojo has another thread re: air compressors for air bearing TT, where I've outlined what I've done to my Signature Ariadne.

Incidentally, I just replaced the motor mount to great effect. I had had it mounted outboard atop two long bolts attached to the lead motor mount I had removed from the plinth which was attached to three Mapleshade Heavyfeet. This arrangement allowed the vibrations in the motor to resonate considerably and be passed noticably into the belt and shelf. I replaced this with a 3 inch diameter cardboard mail tube section bracketed with 1" thick cherry wood end caps with the motor screwed to the top one and a 2"x2" steel block inside acting as a weight to anchor the thing. Lead shot with a bit of sand will be replacing the steel as soon as I can lay hands on some. The difference in the sound was noticable with a lowering of the noise floor and cleaner focus and dynamics.
Piedpiper : My remark was was a tad cheeky but I do feel the early tables may have more lead & perhaps were more tricked out for the reviewers. The TT I have was auditioned & purchased by Fred Kaplan who wrote an article for TAS later selling that unit to me. I believe that I may have aquired all the options including the smokey Retro Plexyglass Cover and an origional unused shipping carton. In my case I am never satified so over the years with the help of a tool&diemaker we redesigned the head-shell, the VTA adjustment screw , the trough paddle and the lower-plate center pin. The air chambers have been redesigned via the walker method and the top plate of the air bearing in the plith was epoxyed to eliminate the small air hole. The table rests on a hand made maple block. Soon I intend to put a bottom plate on the VTA adjustment bracket and redo the feet adjusters. Sometime in the future I intend to re-balance the lead platter. Kudos to you Piedpiper I enjoy reading your recomnendations.
The letter from Lloyd highlighted three key areas for performance improvement. I will work to scan the document to make it available via email. The first tweak was to firmly attach a brass threaded rod to the "brass cones" or feetand then tighten until the cones will not turn. This should strengthen the support system. The cones are set into lead disks. The right front cone is the one used for level adjustment. The second tweak is focused on improving the damping from the pump to the arm/platter. Lloyd recommends using the a plenum(resonance chamber) for the airpump discharge then splitting the flow to the platter and arm. The line going to the arm should be very long and should have an additional resonance chamber. The implication is the arm is much more sensitive to pressure fluctuations. I heartily agree with this approach based on my experience with directly hooking up a "too small" compressor to the system with the single plenum in the pump discharge versus using my "shop" air compressor which has a very large surge tank and pressure regulator to smooth out the pulsations. The performance of the arm dramatically improves with the higher pressure and use of the additional plenums. I also recommend installation of a pressure regulator between the pump and the plenums. The air line going to the platter should have a needle valve to maximize the air pressure to the arm. The final tweaks involve stiffing the tone arm connection to the VTA adjustment bracket. These tweaks include installing a bottom plate on the vta adjustment bracket, epoxy the top plate, trim the plastic plug in the back of the tonearm such that the metal part of the arm contact the vta bracket. Once adjustments for VTA are optimized, then actually epoxy the back of the arm to the vta bracket. This approach is meant to stiffing the system. The final tweak is dependent on the nature of the counterweight arm. If it is hollow, fill it with Mortite. Again I will try to scan the document and attach since the letter has some drawings that help one visualize the tweaks.

As for the vintage of the table, Greg informed me that the original owner was a person affilated with Absolute sound and he was the second owner.

Right now I am just enjoying the table as I have recieved it but I will implement some of the ideas that others have successfully completed. My first priority will be to adjust the lead platter as it appears during the shipment process, the platter was banged up a little. Being a solid lead plate should make this pretty easy. I have already smoothed out the platter so the record lies flat and the bottom does not rub but i do hear a little rumble near the damaged section of the platter when i lower the pressure to the platter air bearing. As the pressure is increased the rumble virtually disappears.
Thanks again for the ideas.
sounds like I've already done all of Lloyd's suggestions. I had gotten my 'noll new from Bob Dilger and had quite a lot of input about it both from him and Pierre and Lloyd, all of whom are friends of mine. I've used super glue rather than epoxy and my VTA bracket is machined out of solid aluminum with an integral bottom plate. Filling the counterweight tube with mortight was the first tweek I did. I had forgotten to mention it as it was so long ago.
Piedpiper : Initially , I filled the counterweight with mortight . Later, opting to remove the mortight repacking the tube with cotton pipe cleaners. The pipe cleaners allowed for damping the tube to suit my taste -- Four trimed , densely packed pipe cleaners appeared to be just right for me. Thanks to you and oilmanmojo for sharing a mother-lode of useful information.
Crem1,

you're nuts!

Of course, you knew that but...

Seriously though, what did you notice with your variable pipe cleaner damping?
Piedpiper : I found that filling the tube with mortight affected tonearm/cartridge compatibility.

To me the compliance factor changed perhaps because the total effective mass had been altered. For instance, Grados did an accelerated "Grado dance" and my Aq 7000fe sounded strident ,as did my dynavector and a slew of other pickups. By changing from mortight to compressed natural fibers ( in my opinion ) gave me more options -- damping varients which returned my TT to audio-heaven . Generally, most published material on the subject suggests tonearm/cartridge resonance issues revolve around the front of the tonearm. However, when you are dealing with with an "L'-ish" styled linear tracker supported by air bearings & effectly floating on air, weight/damping issues from either the front or back maybe a problem. I took note of the fact that it appears L.Walker maybe attempting to eliminate the above by his use of a air bearing tonearm design that is in open architecture , that can be viewed/copied from web pages on the internet for diyers. Good for LLoyd.

Am I crazy ? Yes sir I plead guilty as charged. But so is Pierre , LLoyd and lots of others. As you are a friend of Pierre do you reside nearby ? Should you know the name Ejazz than you know the audio-heads that make up the crowd. Some of those Kats don't think nothing of dropping 15 to 20K in a blink and trashing the rigg if they find a "better one" . Me I'm different . I try to squeese every ounce of sound out of what I own . To that purpose I reserve a few hours everyday to read Audio stuff and having done so for 28+ years. That doesn't make me smart just ahead of the curve.

Frankly, as far as I am concerned you can spend a Kilo bucks and not get one ounce more than a tricked out 'Noll. Crazy...Yep like a fox. Oh, if your really nuts try a Shun Mook record weight. Worth every $$$$. Cheers
I'm with ya, Crem. Very interesting observations re: the damping. I'll try it and see what I think. I have had some issues with stridency/tracking that I was trying to tackle, with some luck, by increasing damping. I have revisited that recently though after I had addressed some other issues that may have been more to the point.

I'm not in the neighborhood but used to be, so visits are semi regular. I know Bob, Lloyd and Pierre as a dealer and Pierre as a musician and fellow recordist. I primarily run with the musicians rather than the audiophiles when I'm back East. No high roller, I'm into efficiency, like you, minus a few years. I'm also an instrument maker so maybe I'll try my hand at a 'noll style clamp made of African Blackwood like the the Shun Mook. I much prefer the flattening of a clamp to that of a weight.
Piedpiper : Now your on to something . The added weight to the tube does nothing to eliminate your pick-up problems. Damping w/o weight affords potental options . I have given some thought to drilling three 3/4 to 1" holes in the plith putting brass hardware on top & bottom to act as "tuning pegs" via Michael Green. A little twist --who knows if I shall ever get that far. Post Note:

My cousins are musicans Tony & Michael Sciuto . Steve Dorf produced Tony's first Lp. Lots of bi-coastal travel to LA & Vegas . Kevin Brubaker & Paul Reed Smith know Michael very well. He has done design work with Kevin & Ibanz. Small world.
Does anybody know a source for brass cartridge bolts ? I have a slew of stainless but no brass.

Has anyone had any success with replacing the captive ac cord? Mapleshade sells a replacement cord for audiogear but how it works in a 'noll I do not know.
I believe I've got a source for brass cartridge bolts and will confirm tomorrow.

The Mapleshade AC cord must be wired into the switch, or alternatively can be simply crimp fit onto the cut and spliced stubs of the existing cord.
Anyone know the thread size for cartridge screws. I'm having an amazingly hard time finding out, calling everyone I can think of who might know. I believe, at least the ones I use for my Benz based Cardas Heart, are metric.
Dear Oilmanmojo
I wondered where that beautiful ol' table went. Glad to hear its still spinning!

Peter Breuninger
peter; it got bunged up during shipping, Platter was dented on edge, corian was cracked, and arm rest was cracked, but with some patiences and excellent support from Greg Davis, (seller), i was able to get it running and repaired. I plan on posting my system soon because it is a neat table. I must commend maplenoll on the system. Most tables would have been trashed after the beating this table took but it is built like a tank. i would like to implement some of the other tweaks others have done but damnit, i just want to listen to my records. I still can't get over how quiet the table is and what sound stage i am hearing. Still tweaking the VTA and have not even gotten to the oil damping trough so i know there will even be more improvements. Kind of scary since i thought I heard the best with my earlier Gyrodec but this system is a level above anything I could do with the gyro. I love that airbearing arm! It is a good fit with my zyx airy3. thanks for the note
Olimanmojo: Apparently the Ariadne TT does not travel well. A fellow id'ed as Paul had contacted me after having a similar shipping experience. I referred him to this bolg to assist the tables reconstruction. I hope he reads our threads.
Packing with lots of bubble wrap would probably have prevented the damage to my table but that takes time and effort. I think the rugged construction and weight just gives the impression it does not need much packing. Anyway, i think if I ever get another used table, i will work to pick it up if possible. I have never had a problem moving one in my vehicle. If the paul wants needs some help please refer him to me and i will share some of the things i did to "fix" my issues. The tough repair was the corian but i did find a supplier that would sell me the seam glue that pretty much worked like a charm.
Hi.

I have a Maplenoll Athena, and soon I will audition a Aridne that's for sale also. If you look at http://www.high-endaudio.com/RC-Tables.html he offers to get anyone in touch with a man who may help new Maplenoll owners improving their tables.

BTW: I have heard the Aridne/Zyx Airy combo, and it really sounds great. Very flowing and musical:-)

Good luck.

Theo
The fellow who can be contacted thru that above site is Scott Leventhal , a very nice fellow who re-wrote the Ariadne & Athea Manuals for 'Noll 15+ years ago.

Scott on occasion willingly shaires the copywrited materals on a person by person request using above web site to filter same to him . Scott also has developed a Improvment/ Tweeks page(s) for a variety of 'Nolls.

Due to his decision to distribute the materals that he has legal rights too in a manner he chooses, I feel it inapproiate w/o his permission to discuss them , however , both are valuable for 'Noll owners. So threaders contact the above site , send an e/m requesting assistence & await a response.

Who knows maybe Scott may consider forwarding the materal to this thread for downloading ?
Piedpiper: I am considering removing the a/c motor. Could you go into a little more detail on the do's and don't, perhaps a few pics. Thanks
Piedpiper: I attempted to look at your 1/17 pic's for cues to the motor mounting. Unfortunately , some of the mounting is obscured. Do you have any recommendations for a replacement motor ? From the pic it appears the outside of your platter has been taped --Is that correct ? Have you found those brass bolts ? Lots of Q's ... All the Best
been outa town. no tape, tried to true it up and left some marks. I'll get you some pics within the next couple days. still workin on the screws. found the motor was fine when mounted properly.
Piedpipe : Thanks for the reply . I also have been attempting to locate acrolink internal stress free wire for a re-wire of the phono wires . So far no luck. Much thanks... Charlie
I use Acrotec 46ga 6N, single strand per leg. It's a pain to deal with without breaking, and soldering can be tricky, but it's worth it. If you sand the ends with 600 grit gently before soldering you'll have better luck. Michael Percy sells it.
For those interested, I finally figured a way to get the lloyd walker letter scanned and posted. You can find by clicking on my system and looking at the pics under the maplenoll tweaks. My system has the tweaks mentioned except the packing of the counterweight arm. I continue to adjust my system and finally have the air setting about right. I find 20-25 psig works well with my system. I about have the VTA/VTF adjusted to my satisfaction without the oil system. That will be my nest iteration. I did have to smooth out the underside of the platter due to the damage it recieved, but once that rub was removed, the quietness of the table improved greatly. Anyway, hope you enjoy the tweaks letter.
Oilman, I think you'll find a PSI of twice what you're using will work much better.

Just to clarify, re: Lloyd's letter, the signature arm that I have has a solid aluminum machined VTA bracket rather than the folded one pictured, the counterweight tube has an aluminum insert rather than plastic and it is flush rather than protruding, and there is no paint on any of the arm parts.
Crem,

I posted new pics on my system site including a close up of the motor mount.
Piedpiper: I moved the pressure up to 40 psig and definately see the improvement in the arm and platter. Thanks for the tip. I am getting ready to add the oil trough now that I have the vta/vtf set. What should I expect from this move. The manual suggest a little more VTF and possible more VTA. What has been the experience as you or others have moved to using the oil trough. thanks again for the tips. I will hopefully get my pics posted on my system this weekend.
Oilman, unfortunately, it's been so long since I've done without the oil trough I couldn't tell you too specifically. The VTF issue has to do with the fact that the oil will "float" the arm a bit and must be compensated for. The best way to do this is to accurately measure the VTF with the oil trough in place AT RECORD LEVEL, meaning your gauge must measure with the stylus at the same height off the platter than the thickness of a record. The VTF should be set for the same as you would without the oil asuming that is the "correct" VTF. As always, fine tuning by ear is the thing. Theoretically speaking, VTA should be "right" with or wthout the oil but again fine tuning by ear is the answer. In general I'm guessing you'll notice an increase in transparancy throughout the whole range that goes along with better tracking. You might want to experiment with different amounts of oil, being sure to adjust VTF accordingly. Good luck!
Thanks for all of the tips and ideas to set up a maplenoll. I finally have the oil trough installed and am working on tweaking the vtf and vta to find the best setting. Huge improvement in bass response as the oil system was implemented. I really like the way the zyx air 3 works with this system. I love to listen to the Buckingham/Nicks album,great soundstage and incredible detail from the subtle acoustics to the incredible range of vocals from the two singers. The Dr John, Night Tripper album is another one that just comes alive with this system. You can almost smell the french quarter listening to it. I am still looking for a permanent air compressor system that is quiet enough but can deliver the pressure i am looking for. Anyone have experience with Jun-Air? They are a little pricey but based on the specs, seem to be a solid and quiet compressor. I am also looking to make a carbon fiber tonearm to see what improvement that will have. Again thanks for the tips.
Threaders : A good friend suggested that the Stillpoints Universal Resonance Dampers would be a perfect match for the 'Noll . A couple days later the Stillpoints and Risers appeared for sale on the 'Gon and I purchased them.

The difference is dramatic. The table has undergone such a transformation that I'm in a state of disbelief . For the money I have never encountered such a musical change. The Stillpoints are so critical I do not feel I could part with them . In my opinion neither brass or lead can compete with the Stillpoints.

Its essential that the entire kit of risers and points be used so the table can be fully adjusted. A set of 3 risers and points will set you back $400.00 retail. Worth every penny . Check out www.stillpoints.us for the tech. details.
The addition of the stillpoints created an abrupt change in my thinking.

Forget a change in arms...Perhaps forget a radical change to the table. JUST ... Buy the Stillpoints/w Risers ... Remember, the Raven AC comes with them @ $10K US. The AC is also an unsuspended TT.

This whole experience beyond whatever I guessed the the improvement could be , or should be. A 'Noll w/a Stillpoints Pkg. is another table.

I know that I may sound "preachy" but the experience has been mind-bending.
Crem1
What type of stillpoint/riser did you get and how did you install? did you replace the brass cones with the stillpoint cone? The technology basically creates a suspension for the maplenoll. I have experienced how easy vibration finds its way to the music so i understand how this can help. WHat difference did you hear? Were the quiet passages quieter? Just trying to understand where to expect the improvement. On a separate note, have you ever rebalanced or smoothed out your platter. I still have a "bump" in mine that I am working to eliminate myself using a random pattern sander. Do i need to take the platter to a machine shop to have it properly leveled?
Oilmanmojo: The exact product is The Stillpoints , Universal Resonance Damper , www.stillpoints.us , 1-800-830-1557. The Riser is actually a "threaded cup" that allows you to screw in or out the stillpoint for adjustment purposes.

What did I hear ? An entirely different soundstage; deeper 3-D effect, greater space between instruments, voices that float effortlessy in the air, the deepest bass I have ever extracted from LP's with my rig. A musical presentation that enveloped my sences , something I only experienced with TT and Tonearms costing a king's ransom .

I'm in a state of shock how MUCH MORE MUSIC that Table can produce and I have yet to implement all the tweeks suggested by Piedpiper.

As for the platter I have not yet re-balanced mine ... I would consider professional assistance to smooth out the "bump". Do you have a s.o.t.a. model airplane association in your area? I have been told that some groups have professional balancing machines for plane props. Since prop balancing is of such importance to flight I suspect several members maybe of assistence. Just an informed guess.
Oilmanmojo: As The 'Noll Evolves.

The stillpoints are amazing . They rekindeled a passion for change. I now recognize that more air regulation--per Piedpiper recommendations (here and on the Air Pump Thread) and L. Walkers letter--should be implemented to achieve superior regulation of the TT's air supply. Hopefully the efforts will translate into more "musical-ness-ness" or something akin to that.

This is not my first A/S redo but I intend to tweek out more control than in times past. What I currently have is not shabby , but I'm moveing ahead to the land of air regulation.

To that end , I went on a buying sarfari camping @ "Harbor Tools". There I purchased ; (2) Air Pressure Regulators (0-160 PSI) , (1) inline brass in-line regulator ,(2) Oil/Water separators and (1)Charcoal-Type Filter . I also picked-up several solid brass adaptors to reduce the 1/4'' NPT Male Inlets & Female outlets on everything down to 3.17 mm (1/8''). Every purchase was on sale priced -- 50% off , then another 50% on the remaing cost. The total was $19.60. Cheep!

A quick excursion to nearby "Home Depot" was in order where I sourced several more brass adaptors -- a must for the project @ $2.35 per item. A stop-over @ Pep Boys Auto, Small Parts Aisle for "Vacu-Tite T-Valves'"@ $1.99 ea., as well as, several "Purolator Fuel Filters" @ 3.99 ea. On the way home I couldn't resist throwing-a-line @ "Pet Smart" . The Fish Department had all sorts of goodies -- "Top Fin" air connectors, brass T's & Check-Valve/ Air Filters all 3.17 mm sized @ 1.99 each. So its over-kill: I bought'em all. Now its a numbers game ... putting #1 here and #2 there until all is completed. Oh, I didn't forget the teflon tape and pipe joint compound all ready at the Audio-Ranch.

The Ranchero holds a scad of Air Plenum's( Scott Leventhal's design ) and an additional 500' of 'Noll tubing. As I recoop from surgery I intend to tackel the air issue one foot pound at a time. Soon I'll thread back the results. Much more to come (Maybe) .
I've been following this thread with interest as I used to own a Mapleknoll 20 yrs ago! Was the original model with the funky wood body. It was one of the finest sounding turntables I'd ever owned BUT...man, did she require attention. Pumps, hoses, air pressure and having to find places isolated enough to set it all up. I bought myself a Linn/Ittok/Lingo in 1990 that's still working flawlessly to this day. I always felt the Mapleknoll was the better sounding table but I opted for the simplicity of JUST worrying about leveling, VTA, VTF and all the rest!
I have ordered the stillpoints and will let you know how they do in my system. I agree with the increase in pressure and air pressure regulation. I still have not brought my permanent air compressor but i have a great dampening system similar to what you are talking about.I do have a 30 gallon tank that my compressor is connected to and have the pressure regulated from that vessel. The larger tank along with the "walker" plenums definitely smooth out the pressure. I will end up going with a jun-air model 3 (oil lubricated compressor) but will wait until I get my move finished (relocating everything to Shreveport, La). The higher pressure smoothed out everything. I am working on a carbon fiber tonearm but it will require some modifications to spindle to get it right. Once finished, it will allow for direct cable connection with the phono preamp and allow for easier VTA adjustment.
Chazro,

the Athena you describe having had was a far cry for the later models which got less and less tweeky. They, as well as virtually any table, still get better given a willingness to get your hands dirty.
Threaders :

A Brief Review of Maplenoll Athea : Athea AB , Athea AB MKII & MKII

Maplenoll made several versions ,noted above, of the Athea ; a air bearing , belt driven , wood / lead , spring suspended record player. Most Maplenoll's can be accurately defined as record players due to the fact they are all-an-one less the phono cartridge.

The Absolute Sound Magazine(TAS) published a 2 part article penned by Eunice Lumley, Volume 11/12, Issues 48/49, Fall 1987 that are a must for any maplenoll owner , but most importantly, Athea owners.

Eunice took 2 years to write the Article(s) using 3 Athea's that she intensly tweaked for next to no-money ($6.). Much of what she generalizes in useful tweaks can apply to other 'Noll's as well.

According to Lumely , all Athea's prior to 1986 are to be avoided due to a myrid of quality & design issues. Eunice wrote that players named "Athea" (ed.with additional designations reflecting post '86 ) are the ones to own .

Maplenoll's claim to fame for the Athea's was the price --$795 w/a alum-lead platter and clunky air pump. However, all tricked out Eunice felt the Athea was the " Value of the Century" or something like that.

Unfortunately, TAS has made a decision not to generally publish articles before Issue 122 for a myriad of potental legal/ownership problems.

Issues 48 & 49 are copyrighted materals so reprinting as a "freebe" can be dicey if not expensive (federal fines) for the publisher. But do not dispair. Thousands of #48/49 were published and most surive to show up on the used market @ $10/$15 who those who know of there value-- $2/$3 for those who do not. Good Hunting.
OOPS: Slight correction(s); The TAS Volume 12 designation is for both Issue # 48 July/August 1987 and Issue # 49 Fall 1987. Again Happy Hunting !
Oh : Eunice is actually Enid Lumely --Single Malt Scotch does it to me everytime.
Threaders: A 'Goner emailed me TAS published two additional articles on 'Nolls penned by Lumley . The articles appeared in Vol. 12 Issues 50 & 51 1987. A audio bud in the process of downsizing his Audio Library , located # 50 & 51 and is sending them to me.

A few days ago I emailed TAS inquiring if they objected to re-printing of Lumley's articles on this thread. No response yet. I'll keep you informed.