What to look for when buying a used turntable

I just won an auction on eBay for a P3-24 with a Goldring 1042 and a Gram Amp 2 SE phono stage. I will pick it up soon and was wondering what I should be checking for before I pay and take it home. Besides playing a couple of records (which I am not sure if it's that important as if it does play horribly it could be due to a worn or dirty stylus, which would not be a deal breaker). Checking for platter wobble? I can't think of much else. The seller says it's in mint condition and that it only has like 200 hours of use. What are the potential deal breakers and how can I spot them?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

Obvious signs of abuse. balance out the tonearm and gently play ping-pong with it, make sure the bearings are in good condition, it isn't pulling in any particular direction, etc.

 

Avoid "fixer uppers."

 

Ok, but is this possible in a Rega arm with magnetic anti skate? I understand it will always pull to one side even with it set to zero.

 

Not familiar with rega arms, but with others it shouldn't at zero. But you can turn it up and down and make sure it's the effect of anti-skate, and not something else. And obviously, make sure the table is level. Mostly it's just to get a sense that the table hasn't been dropped or something in a way that knocked the tonearm or bent something or otherwise some indication that there is something wrong.

 

Ok makes sense. Thanks!

 

In addition to what has been posted already, I always like to check for main bearing damage/noise and motor noise with turntables.

First thing to do is take the belt off the platter or subplatter and give the platter a good spin. If level, most tables should spin freely and without noise (place your ear close to the spindle while the platter is spinning listening for any grinding or untoward noises-bad news if you start hearing something like that) for at least 2 or 3 minutes. Haven't done that with a Rega-if it's different with a Rega player perhaps someone with experience might chime in.

Then, with the belt off the pulley for the motor, turn the motor on and listen for noise there with an ear close to the pulley and also an eye on the pulley to ensure it is running smoothly and not wobbling.

Once you've done that, put the belt back on the platter/subplatter and motor pulley and fire the motor up again, listening for noise once again and ensuring that the platter is rotating smoothly, quietly and without wobble.

 

You should be able to tell pretty easy if it's been abused. The P3 is a very simple design so there's not a lot of hidden bug-a-boos you wouldn't see. Look over the arm and cart, spin the platter and make sure it's smooth with no wobbles. Lift the platter off and look at the subplatter, belt and motor. Don't get wound up if you have to reach down and help the platter get going of it seems a little sluggish, that's kinda a Rega thing. Most don't seem to mind, though it kinda drove me nuts!

 

Thanks all for the advice. Will put that into practice this weekend when I go pick up the stuff.

 

Update: The TT and phono stage were almost brand new. The guy didn't lie about it being used only for 200 hours, and he put great care in keeping it in mint condition. So I did a quick test and grabbed the lot. I am very happy with it. Now I just need to double check the setup. One thing I forgot to ask him was how he aligned the cartridge. To me it sounds great, with no distortion, should I even bother checking the alignment? I did adjust the VTF and anti skating.

 

It wouldn't hurt to check the alignment. You'll need a protractor, popular alignments are Baerwald and Stevenson. The Stevenson alignment favors the inner groove alignment more so than the others, but at a slight disadvantage at the outer-most groove. The outer groove isn't so fussy with the alignment, as 2 to 3 degrees off isn't so critical, but it is very critical at the inner groove. You can go online to download and print a protractor.

If your records sound distortion free, I'd say your alignment has to be good!
Congrats on the fine turntable!