Firstly I’d like to point out that we are not a Linn dealer.

I do however love Linn turntables and have spent 30 years working on them. I offer an impartiality others can’t.

Many other LP12 specialists are so in love with their own upgrade abilities or parts it’s difficult to get an objective view. I can repair existing parts like the valhalla boards… or fit new parts from a number of manufacturers

Click for the sections below on…

LINN AXIS speed controller board repair

LINN AKITO arm bearing replacement

LINN LP12 Upgrades & Servicing

LINN AXIS speed controller board repair – (Worldwide circuit board Postal repair service)

£99 fixed cost repair for any failed board.

£125 fixed cost board +motor repair if faulty coil

Relatively easy to remove a board and post just that up here.

£40 to repair a motor on its own if a coil has failed.

I can’t guarantee all motors can be fixed until I see it…but I do have some spares we can swapover

 ps I don’t have any spare motors to sell… the only ones would come off a dead Axis and there are very few scrapped off.  Axis have a totally different pulley to an LP12 motor.

Lifetime warranty * on the board repair if returned back to me.

*  Please be careful with the switch wiring as the wires can easily get damaged.

*  £99  exc postage to UK addresses only…extra, at cost to other world destinations. (~£20 to the EU or £30 US) US Please ask for guidance to avoid customs charges. You must state ‘For repair & return’

*  To test a motor coil, you can measure the resistance without taking the old motor out. Look for 5Kohms between centre and L or R terminal. If open circuit, it needs fixing. Most but not every motor can be fixed…so far 90% can. Odd coils won’t fix, and those with bearing tightness  or heavy top bearing wear can’t be fixed.

LINN have now stopped official support on the AXIS. I am now the main repairer of these motor drive boards with nearly 800 Axis boards now fixed. So far every board fixed is still to my knowledge working…even the 2 that were struck by lightning.

The LINN AXIS uses a much more complicated power supply than most turntables, with high voltages around 320 volts and a live chassis! so much care is needed when working on these boards. The circuit board is quite special since it runs at high drive torque for the first 10 secs to get the platter up to speed, then backs the drive power down (like easing back an accelerator) to keep it just on speed. This is kinder to the belt (most still have their 30 year old belts !) and less jitter or vibration is passed from the motor.

I am happy to just get the circuit board to repair. With a bit of care you too can remove and refit a board- no soldering required. Please see video further down… but if you daren’t try this yourself.. please contact me and ask to see what options we might have…

Normally the 1980’s capacitors start to leak and you get speed issues of various sorts… not starting, speed wandering, not stopping etc and the most common is the Linn axis won’t go to 45 rpm.

Although speed problems will normally show up well before the outputs will blow, occasionally the Axis will pop a few transistors etc when they fail,, and there’s then quite a bit of work to get it right…but I’ve got every one going.

The comprehensive fix changes the high voltage 350/450 volt capacitors, plus the other 12 smaller capacitors and several resistors… of which all are around 30 years old don’t forget!.  A full board refurb like this is £95 which includes me soak testing it in my deck for reliability.

You can post the board to me for fixing. I get boards from the USA, Canada, Europe and even Israel.

(Do not however post the complete deck.. without taking the arm off! Its plastic is too fragile if the box gets bounced).

If brought to my shop, for the same £99 cost , Ill remove the board/ repair then re-install it all and set up the arm/deck afterwards as a bonus, plus you can audition the deck in our dem room too when you come to collect if you like….

Why not also look at upgrading the stylus or cartridge at the same time?…. We have plenty of new cartridges and also stock the 3  Audio Technica special stylii they make to fit the original Linn K5 K9 K18 body with elliptical, line cut and Shibata tip cuts.

If you have replaced the capacitors yourself  and your Linn Axis won’t run, or runs but very weak  and probably run backwards won’t stop or turn off, I am willing to help sort these out too. Please make contact to discuss …..  One thing.. double check the polarity of the 33uF caps, you may have one the wrong way round.. it’s easy to misread the markings.

Occasionally a motor will fail. This may be because the faulty capacitors have distorted the drive voltage and burnt the motor coil out, or just because the copper has corroded through. So be careful testing it when it hasn’t run for many years.  Occasionally Used motors are available at around £80,  new ones are NOT available.  An LP12 motor at £180 does not easily work in an Axis as the pulley is in the wrong position, you need a 6mm spacer making and the coil resistance is different , so the drive hasn’t enough power !

I am happy to repair just the board if you or your local dealer send it to me. Note…I do not advocate you have a go at removing the board yourself unless you are comfortable with doing this safely etc. Please unplug the mains before attempting to go inside it!

Above: The Linn Axis drive controller board.

Below: I have made this video demonstrating how to remove the circuit board from a Linn Axis turntable, enabling it to be posted to minimizing  damage.

LINN AKITO arm repair

I have now acquired the correct bearings to replace the original bearings on these arms, which often ‘stick’.  You will get tight spots on the horizontal movement and the stylus will jump back. The ball bearings inside their cages deform and therefore the arm sticks at several points across the record….usually just at the start of a 12″ LP  and again on the run-out groove.

These bearings were extremely tightly pressed in… with application of ‘loctite’ sometimes too, so a full strip and careful rebuild is needed.

I have successfully replaced the bearings on around 40 arms so far.

You can easily remove an arm.. Pliers underneath to wriggle the connector off, then allen key on the side of the collar to release the arm complete

£95 Arm repair service.

LINN LP12 repair, setup, upgrades and Servicing

There are several versions of the LP12, which has had quite a few upgrades over the 40 years it’s been available.

1st Gen LP12 (with the orange power switch) . These may have a Basik Linn LVX arm or a Mission or SME arm fitted.  33rpm only.  These are still a fantastic starting point to build an LP12 platform…upgrading as you wish.

Valhalla LP12  (small clicker power switch) Still 33rpm only, but softer electronic torque drive with lower resonance and background noise.

If you have the ‘VALHALLA’ power board then, like an Axis, the high voltage capacitors etc will be leaking. There are other components that have run hot for 30 years and we do see board damage due to baking itself. A refurb/repair on a Valhalla board is £75.

As an upgrade option I recommend  either the Valhalla electronics Minos board for £295 or the Herkules 2  board from Stamford Audio £260 which we stock and can fit for you brings the deck up to date and allows 45 singles to be played too. Cost  £50-80 for fitting and a service (includes deck suspension check/adjust and sonic test) New springs/rubbers is also a good idea… and not expensive at all.

LP12  with a Lingo  power supply.  This has a separate box for the power supply, lowering noise even further. The Lingo 1 is worth also re-capping due to it’s age and this is around £90

Ultimate LP12  … There are many newer and more expensive versions of the LP12 available now….   Although we are not Linn dealers we can sometimes supply and /or fit new Linn parts if asked, and also recommend 3rd party specialist upgrades.

LP12 Service, suspension setup etc  £80.  (+£75 Valhalla board refurb)

LINN BASIK

The most simple deck Linn made.

Came with the AKITO or Basik LVX arm.  The bearings they used in a large batch of the Akito seize up over time. You can tell if they have seized…as you move the arm across the record you will feel it cogging. I’ve now got the correct bearings and can repair the AKITO arm for £95…. see above.

Odd occasions the motor can seize. Normally this is not recoverable, but worth me checking first to see if I can free them off.

Linn Basik or Axis Hinges: The strong spring breaks through the weak rear plastic. In most cases I can cheaply fix these with a strong metal pin drilled into place. Only if the plastic side has cracked can I not sort them out.