Vintage Harman Kardon ST-8 Rabco turntable - excellent condition. Linear tracking with a Rabco arm. Most advanced model in the line of ground-breaking turntables. If you're looking, you probably know about these beautifully designed machines.
This one is in excellent overall condition, I've had six of these, and countless ST-5/ST-7s, this is one of the best ST-8s I've had.
Vintage Audio, Vintage Stereo
Not perfect, but very nice.
Sold with cartridge - Pickering P/AC-1, with PD07-C Stylus.
The cosmetic condition:
1) The aluminum side wall, top plate front, top plate back, and left hand cover are all in excellent condition, some tiny, tiny, tiny, white spots, see if you can see them in any of the pictures. Not meant to devalue the excellent cosmetic condition, just to be absolutely transparent.
2) The front logo is in completely clean condition
3) The carriage plate with RABCO logo is original and in excellent condition. Note, this looks cosmetic, but is a critical part of the cueing mechanism!
4) Original plastic trim piece around the cuing lever is present
5) The bubble level is original, like new, with a small bubble
Mechanical:
6) All screws and parts are completely original
7) The drive belt is original, tight and completely operational, still lots of life left.
8) The tracking roller is metal, unlike the ST-7s, so never needs replacement
9) The tonearm tracks as desired / expected, this is completely adjustable.
10) The speed is spot on, the strobe shows the speed as steady (they have been known, as a class of TT, to drift).
11) The speed strobe light is original and the light is fairly strong
12) The electronics are completely untouched, original, same for the motor, wiring, circuitry, etc. - it is as from the factory
13) Original colored light bulbs
14) The feet are original, adjustable, with original grip sleeves!
15) Original dust cover, smokey grey, with original edge trim
What's wrong with it:
16) The touch controls are a bit aged, sometimes you have to dampen / lick your finger to complete the circuit. This is a problem with every ST-7 and ST-8 still in existence.
17) The dust cover has some circular scratches, See pictures to evaluate, not perfect, but not deeply gouged, not ruined.
18) The spring retainer for trim piece around the cueing lever has popped off. It is included, but these are difficult top put back on, and unless you're turning it upside down, not required for operation.
19) The base of cueing damper (AirPot) is a 3D Printed replacement. Tonearm / cartridge lowers in a nice, slow controlled way.
20) The fine-speed adjustment pots are a little scratchy, so perfect speed requires a small amount of patience.
For the right circumstance, I can package and ship, but strongly prefer not to, as I absolutely do not accept returns. (I have shipped maybe a dozen of these machines, all arrived undamaged, but it is always a risk).
I will entertain offers, but those above starting price get the most attention.
Also listed on FB-MP and eBay.
I want us both to be happy, so please, please, ask any questions. I know a lot about these machines.