Every year I get several requests from audiophiles to build plinths* for vintage Thorens TD 124 turntables, custom-crafted from Walnut or other specialty wood. Many of them are for clients up and down the west coast as well as a few that end up shipping internationally. After the plinths are finished in either satin, semi-gloss, or polished up to a gloss “piano” finish they are sent away, so it’s a nice surprise when my clients follow up with photos of their plinth, including a sneak peek at their pre-amps, receivers, etc. I thought I’d share a few of those Thorens plinth photos that I have received along with some interesting plinth and Thorens factoids. Well, interesting to me anyway.
A recent plinth for a Seattle-area client’s vintage Thorens, on its maiden spin rocking some sweet colored vinyl by the band Tennis. Plinth made of walnut with piano gloss lacquer finish.
The Thorens TD 124 turntable was made in the late 1950s through the 1960s and is highly regarded as one of the best turntables of all time for their engineering and sound quality. The Thorens also looks very, very cool, especially when sitting on top of a beautiful custom-made Bobland plinth. Vintage Thorens turntables are still very much in high demand and their cost reflects that. Being a 50+ years old turntable, they typically also need an overhaul unless you find one that’s in great shape or has already been gone though (more $$$!). The beautiful thing is that audiophiles love to tinker and upgrade, and vintage Thorens turntables are perfect for that.
This walnut plinth went all the way to a client in Hong Kong. The figuring in the grain made this particular one unique, reminiscent of mountains and topographic maps.
Walnut offers so many different grain possibilities. I search for the most interesting pieces I can find while considering what appeals to the client along with anticipating how the grain will wrap around the plinth.
I recently acquired a mid 1970’s Thorens turntable from Fred’s Sound of Music here in Portland, OR that I am eager to start working on for myself. Swapping out the stock plywood veneer plinth with a Bobland original will be the first order of business. In this case I’m planning to do an exotic wood veneer to spice up the rectangular shape of the plinth, perhaps macassar ebony, rosewood or zebrawood. The possibilities are endless. It will be my first foray into building a non-TD 124 plinth which will be a good investment into being able to offer a broader range of model compatibility, starting with the Thorens TD 160s & 165s.
This plinth ultimately had a Thorens TD 124 installed on it, but the client and I tested the fit of this tightly styled plinth using his TD 121 . Virtually identical in terms of form factor and style as the TD 124, the TD 121 was a more affordable version, with only one speed and some of the parts scaled back to keep it economical. Still, it’s regarded overall as a very good unit.
Thorens TD 124 DD re-issue
Thorens is still around and making quality audio, and in September they released a re-issue of the classic TD 124 turntable called the Thorens TD 124 DD. They’ve kept the purist design and basic construction of the original while continuing to innovate it technically. Like its predecessor, it comes with a price tag. My web searching found it to be in the $10k and up range.
Thorens TD 124 DD re-issue.
Plinth process video
On a plinth-related note, my good friend Carl Jameson of Craftmaster Productions has been shooting video of the process as I build one of my most recent plinths, which I’m looking forward to sharing in the near future. Carl and I go way back, as friends and colleagues starting with our time in advertising doing commercial television. Being pretty simpático and mutual fans of things vintage & mid-century, we also collaborated on a five-year project creating The Illustrated Field Guide to Vintage Trailers, released by Gibbs Smith Publishers in February 2019. It’s 320 pages of illustrations, photos, ID tips and manufacturer histories. Check it out (or better yet buy it!) here. Perhaps I’ll do a blog on the book next.
A still from the forthcoming video. Planing rough walnut lumber for the plinth framework.
Another video still. Test fitting a Thorens deck before shipping off the plinth.
*So, what is a plinth?
I’ve been asked several times if “plinth” is an audiophile-specific term so I thought I’d use this opportunity to share the definition and offer up a new word for your vocabulary. Generically, a plinth is little more than a block or slab that serves as a base for something else. They are seen all over in art and architecture at the bottom of columns and statues. If you’ve ever been to an art gallery, seen a statue or classic architecture, you’ve seen a plinth. Visual aids below. There will be a pop quiz later…
A generic plinth, as you might see in an art gallery supporting a sculptural piece.
I bet you had no idea just how many plinths you see in everyday life. They support columns, which support buildings. Here is a breakdown of Roman column parts, using the “Flounder Gets Even” scene from National Lampoon’s Animal House as our architectural example.
The Acropolis in Greece is a veritable plinth-o-rama. These caryatids would be nothing without their plinths. Yes I did take art history classes in college, thank you for asking.
If you haven’t yet had your fill of audio-related stuff, check out some of the media consoles and cabinets I’ve designed and built here.