Friday, May 19, 2017

65. Pioneer PL-510A Direct Drive Turntable From 1976 - 1978

This is a really nice turntable that flies under the radar. It doesn't get the same attention that the Pioneer PL-530 does, but both tables have the SAME tonearm! The PL-510A is a totally manual table. It features two pitch controls, one for 33 and one for 45. This means you don't have to adjust when going between 45s and 33s like you do with tables that have only one pitch control. It's simple a dependable. It has a quiet motor too! The only real issue with these old tables is that often times the pitch control pots get dirty and they need a shot of Deoxit to get them right again. Back in 1976 these sold for $199. That's about $875 in 2017 dollars! Here's a picture of mine, it's currently serving in the garage system:

64. Pioneer SA-9100 Stereo Integrated Amplifier - 1973 - 1975

This was the top of the line integrated amp from Pioneer back in 1974.
It was rated at 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms and had three sets of speaker outputs.
This model came with a ton of great features. Get this, there were three separate volume controls on the back for "Phono 2", "Aux 2" and "Speaker B". It had lots of flexibility. 2 Tape, 2 phono and 2 aux inputs means you can hook up lots of components to this wonderful amp. It's very sturdy and I love the solid feel of it. The stamped face of it. All 40 pounds of it. A true throwback to a time when quality was king. Here's a picture of the second I've been lucky enough to find.