Garrard sp25's disco driver 80

Martin will probually know the definative answer to this.

The earlier SP25 MK 3 was idler wheel driven. (rumble city!)

Both SP 25MK 4 and disco driver are belt driven.

SP25 MK4 had a semi-auto function (arm took itself of record and back to arm rest after track finished,and switched off turntable,really annoying function,which i used to "disable" by removing the toothed gear wheel under the platter).

Disco driver was completely manual.(no auto function) It also had a better arm if i remember.

Citronic CL300 is better than both in my opinion,much superior "S" arm.

Yes Ian I know the answer to this one having piles of them around at the moment

SP25 Mk 3  idler drive semi auto deck
SP25 MK 4  (IV) idler drive  semi auto
SP25 MK 5,6  were belt drive

On deck fitted into disco console all the semi auto was diasbled normally by removing a cogged wheel under the platter

the Disco driver was a purpose built deck for disco use   Built by Garrard after BSR got in there first with the horrible plastic ones
The Disco driver 80 came out in 1980  and was a stripped down version of the SP25 MK 6
No auto mechanism at all  no controls only speed  If you look at one the chassis is the same as a SP25  with plastic panels covering up the holes in the top panels
My favorite deck was the DD80  although the cartridge sliders were a problem especially in hot swetty venues The  DD80`s were labelled 36SB   underneath i think    The same turntable as a 35SB a more upmarket SP25

When I get 5 minutes I will do some pics of the difference between the SP25 mk 5,6 and Disco driver 80 /36SB

Still reckon that the MII was the best built of the lot.

used to strip sp25's levers linkages etc so they worked like dd's

in fact i remember seeing some consoles of the time fitted with 126sb's,if i remember looked like a sp25 til you got closer then some subtle differences,the arm weight and a different silver t/table centre on the t/table mat,silly how some things stick in your mind

Mhamplification wrote: mostyn wrote: in fact i remember seeing some consoles of the time fitted with 126sb's,if i remember looked like a sp25 til you got closer then some subtle differences,the arm weight and a different silver t/table centre on the t/table mat,silly how some things stick in your mind that would have been a 125Sb  they were very similar to the Sp25 mk 5  as you say the weight and the number near the start controls etc Ive got some Garrard catalogs somewhere will scan them when I can find the old scanner and post them up