euclid5

I just ran across your post a couple of days ago when I googled "Empire 208" under images. I bought an Empire 208 used about 1973 and have been using it continously since then. All it has required has been a couple of belts, a little oil, and cleaning and lube job a few years ago. It is very well built and simple. I will probably run as long as I can get decent belts for it. When I took it apart for a through cleaning a few years ago, I took pictures of it and its parts and posted them on my site. http://home.comcast.net/~tubes/Empire_208/index.html I have used "gun oil" in the well and for the motor bearings. Another excellent oil for the purpose is "turbine oil" which is sold in one of the harware store chains in the United States as "Zoom Spout Oil". These are both good choices for oiling bronze sleev bearings if you cannot get the manufacture's reccommended oil. The thickness of the belt affects speed. Some of the replacement belts from third parties are too thick. They cause the turntable to run too fast. The original tonearm's effective mass is too high to allow it to track properly with a hi compliance stylus. Shortly after Igot the turntable, I replaced the original arm with a SME 3009 Type 2. I still use the Audio Technica AT15S for critical playback. The combination of the SME cables and the second phono input on my preamp makes a perfect load for this cartrige. For non-critical playback I use a Stanton 680EE. I have several spare stylii for it.