Wow. So much great advice! Am I on the right website? Or maybe its just that the analog guys actually know their you-know-what?
Anything around this level you're usually a lot better off fixing/improving than selling/trading. The only thing that concerns me is the bit about having it all set up by a local pro. None of this is anything you can't do yourself. Its just not that hard. If I can build a whole turntable from scratch then I am pretty sure you can swap out a motor and install a cartridge.
But don't just swap it out. Listen to lewm and upgrade. It'll be a little more work but improvements like this in turntables are awesome. You know immediately what contributed to what. As opposed to buying a new table which leaves you totally in the dark in terms of why it sounds different/better, this way you actually learn something. No more wondering, you KNOW something for a change. Plus the jolt of confidence you feel knowing YOU did it, that my friend you cannot even begin to put a price on.
Anything around this level you're usually a lot better off fixing/improving than selling/trading. The only thing that concerns me is the bit about having it all set up by a local pro. None of this is anything you can't do yourself. Its just not that hard. If I can build a whole turntable from scratch then I am pretty sure you can swap out a motor and install a cartridge.
But don't just swap it out. Listen to lewm and upgrade. It'll be a little more work but improvements like this in turntables are awesome. You know immediately what contributed to what. As opposed to buying a new table which leaves you totally in the dark in terms of why it sounds different/better, this way you actually learn something. No more wondering, you KNOW something for a change. Plus the jolt of confidence you feel knowing YOU did it, that my friend you cannot even begin to put a price on.