Fairchild suitcase lathe on eBay

Post: # 20298Unread post **Angus McCarthy** Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:21 pm

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fairchild-220-539G-Presto-Turntable-16-Record-Cutter-Recording-Lathe-/221058611372

Seller says it's fresh from a radio station's basement, and it certainly looks immaculate!

Post: # 20301Unread post **Self-lather** Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:44 pm

Who got it? Whoever outbid me, you are now my nemesis

Post: # 20302Unread post **Techie** Tue Jul 03, 2012 11:10 pm

That was in amazing shape. I never knew I could lust over a machine.

Post: # 20303Unread post **Self-lather** Tue Jul 03, 2012 11:13 pm

Techie wrote:That was in amazing shape. I never knew I could lust over a machine.

Seriously. I didn't even know I wanted a Fairchild suitcase lathe until I saw it, and then I compulsively bid on it. Fortunately I snapped out of it before I went to far, but someone got a great machine!

Post: # 20305Unread post **Angus McCarthy** Wed Jul 04, 2012 7:09 am

$1,247 final bid.

Post: # 20309Unread post **chaosbc** Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:16 am

I wish it could be mine but I guess a big part trolls of this secret society bid on this beauty

Post: # 20318Unread post **piaptk** Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:56 pm

$1,250 for a CRYSTAL cutter head machine? Maybe if you can replace it with one of the lay-down grampians. It's a nice looking machine, but fidelity is going to be pretty limited with a crystal head (which will almost definitely have to be refurbished by Gib).

Post: # 20320Unread post **Techie** Wed Jul 04, 2012 2:40 pm

Yeah I noticed the crystal cutter, but aside from that , the machine is still a beauty, and considering what other units have sold for recently, the selling price of this unit doesn't surprise me.

Post: # 20335Unread post **Kris D** Thu Jul 05, 2012 5:21 pm

Being a crystal head unit it differs quite a bit from the later 199/220/539 Fairchild lathes that use the 541 cutterhead. One would need to do a fair amount of machining to mount any other cutter then the stock crystal unit. Funny thing is the playback arm, in a separate auction, sold for $1900. I am building up a Fairchild 539 in a roll a round cabinet right now. I am friends with the seller and he is hooking me up with all the lacquers and styli from that score!!

Best Kris

BTW - Have I mentioned how important it is to become friends with your local radio/theater sound scavengers??

Post: # 20340Unread post **Techie** Thu Jul 05, 2012 7:11 pm

Live and learn - Thanks for the education. It seems odd that such a machine would be provided with a crystal cutter. Are there different grades of crystal cutters, or would you expect all them to perform in a way similar to a Wilcox Gay, etc.. ?

In Robert Morrison's book, he touches on the subject of crystal cutters, saying they did a great job and had a wide frequency range, but never caught on professionally.

Post: # 20341Unread post **Angus McCarthy** Thu Jul 05, 2012 7:15 pm

I could see higher-end crystal heads being a cost-effective option for those stations who were tight on cash - though to look at that machine it seems it was hardly ever used anyway. Oh well, their misplaced investment is somebody's boon!