Fortunately, I have in-house, one of the service stands necessary to hoist the deck high enough into the air to make swapping armboards significantly simpler. With that and a set of exhaustive instructions, I set about assembling the necessary tools for the task and prepping the deck for surgery. First step was to remove the screw plug from the underside of the main bearing, before leaving it for 48-hours to drain. With the oil emptied from the open-bath bearing system, it was now safe to operate on the internals – which is where this story really starts…
An adjuster screw, accessed from below and up the length of the bearing shaft, sets the platter ride height. The first step was to raise the platter slightly and insert the supplied Teflon shims between the platter and chassis. Then the four T10 Torx screws that secure the bearing shaft to the base of the chassis can be removed, allowing the bearing shaft and ceramic ball to be withdrawn. The thrust pad is a tiny rod that fits into the tip of the shaft. Removing the original I could see a clear dimple in the surface and although this is normal, the size and thus the depth of the dimple are the possible issue, so this one’s going back to Colorado for examination. The beautifully machined and profiled bearing shaft was cleaned with alcohol, the replacement thrust pad (with its completely flat face) was installed and its initial height established using the setscrew. A new sealing ring was installed on the shoulders of the shaft and it was ready for reinstallation. That involved brushing a thin film of oil over the tip and shaft and then inserting it and the ceramic ball back into the chassis, tightening the four Torx screws to hold it in place.
Next, the ride height adjuster screw was used to lift the platter very slightly, removing pressure from the Teflon spacers so that they could be removed, along with the carbon cover on the optical reader, positioned atop the armboard. Then, with the encoder disc visible between the jaws of the reader, the ride height could be set precisely to facilitate a 20-thou gap (set by feeler gauge) between the disc and the upper jaw. With that done it was time to replace the reader cover and drain plug and recharge the bearing, first (briefly) checking that the deck spun up to and locked at the correct speed. Finally, it was necessary to open the plugs in the top of the platter, next to the spindle and slowly refill the main bearing.
Getting the right result…
Even taking extreme care, the whole mechanical exercise (once the bearing was drained) took a little under an hour. But what was impressive about it was the experience itself – handling really precision parts that fit together smoothly and exactly, leaving no room for or suspicion of error. Working with the Monaco leaves you in no doubt at all that this is a beautiful design that has been beautifully and exactingly executed. The fit and finish of the parts and fixings is so precise that it instils a deep confidence when it comes to both handling them and in the operation of the deck itself. I have always had the greatest respect for the Monaco, in so many ways the best record player I have ever used, but getting under its hood and getting my hands dirty has deepened that respect considerably, underlining both the mechanical integrity of the product and the integrity of the company behind it. From the patient explanation and detailed instructions right through to the comprehensive ‘care package’ that contained not just the thrust pad but the bearing seal, shims, feeler gauge, tools and even the oil required, this was product support of the first order. Not quite like having your own, in-house pit crew – but the next best thing. Great products are about so much more than just great sound. It’s something that it’s easy to forget or overlook, but it’s also something that we should factor into our buying decisions, another side to the old audio adage, “It’s not what you buy that matters, but who you buy it from…”
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