Rare, vintage JVC VL-8 Belt Drive Quadraphonic Capable Turntable

Selling my rare, beautiful JVC VL-8 belt drive turntable. This was their TOTL belt drive deck from 1972-1973 and was produced during the quadraphonic era. As such, on the faceplate you can see JVC's "4 channel ready" logo.

This turntable consists of a separate motor unit, layered wood and metal plinth, and the UA-55 Tracing Hold tonearm. In total it weighs just about 22 pounds and has utterly astounding build quality. If I'm not mistaken, the platter alone weighs 4 pounds. The modularity of this model makes it easy to repair and modify, allowing for different plinth and tonearm combinations. I saw one enthusiast who put a Black Widow on theirs with good results. Another thing to note is that there are no hardwired RCA cables, allowing you to pick your own. I ran this with Blue Jeans cables and had no issues.

As for its condition, it does show its age but can be restored further. The turntable has been recapped, lubed, and generally cared for quite well. When I received it, the faceplate had massive amounts of pitting and corrosion. To rectify this I bought and installed another one and it made a world of difference. Unfortunately, at the moment 45RPM does not engage. I think this is a simple fix however, as the switch is activated by a nut on the bottom of the button's stalk - I may have just tightened it a little too far. There is also a minor dent on the tonearm that has no effect on playability.

Some other parts still have mild to moderate pitting, such as the metal ring of the platter, counterweight, and a few spots here and there, but for the most part this turntable is in good shape. It has a new dust cover from another JVC model of the era and very nice, perfectly functional hinges. The dust cover could use a Novus treatment and cleaning but has zero cracks or other damage.

I will include the record weight shown. The UA-55 is a medium mass tonearm that mated very well with the Nagaoka MP110 cartridge I used with it - for extra, I can include the MP110 with the turntable.

The sound is silent and precise, with hardly a peep of rumble or any other detriments. During my time with this unit, it has held speed well after warming up and sounds absolutely wonderful, with a big soundstage and good imaging. Due to the absorbent adjustable rubber feet, heavy build, and built in isolation of the motor and other components, I never once had an issue with howling or feedback at any volume. Overall, this is a versatile machine and will serve you well for years.

Sold as is, local pickup only due to its weight.