Dual 1219 Idler Drive Turntable Major Service & Repair

Every so often, a customer brings me a piece of gear that reminds me how much I love vintage hi-fi. The Dual 1219 idler drive turntable is just such a piece.

The Dual 1219 idler drive turntable is a relic from an era when almost everything was made out of metal and wood. The deck is German, and old, so this type of solid construction should be no surprise.

Specifications, courtesy of the Vinyl Engine

Power supply: AC, 50 or 60Hz, changeable by changing motor pulley
Voltage: 110/117V or 220V switchable
Drive: Synchronous motor with radial-elastic suspension
Platter: non-magnetic, dynamically balanced, 3.1kg
Speeds: 33, 45 and 78rpm
Pitch control variation: 6%
Rumble: -60db (weighted)
Tonearm: extra long, torsionally rigid metal arm, 4-point gimbal suspension, skeletal head design
Cartridge holder: removable, accepts cartridges from 1 to 12g
Weight: 6.8kg
Dimensions: 376 x 334mm

The Dual 1219, ready to receive some TLC.

Likes

There’s a lot to like about the Dual 1219. It’s a very serviceable machine. Those with experience and the correct tools and lubricants should be able to make good progress. The metal and wooden parts respond well to cleaning and lubrication and there are few plastic parts to fail. If you are not sure though, don’t try, there’s a lot to go wrong if you are clumsy.

Bearings and metal parts tend to last and everything is quite robustly constructed. There are no belts of course, another bonus. Drive is to the inside of the platter, via an idler wheel. This is almost direct drive, not quite as direct as direct drive, but more direct than belt drive, if you follow me. Idler drive machines tend to play records very well as a result of the high torque this arrangement delivers, like better direct drive decks.

The motor is likely to last a lifetime and, speaking of the platter, it’s heavy and dynamically balanced. In fact, the platter makes up half of the total mass of the deck, outside of a chassis. The 1219 also plays 78s and can repeat play records, great for parties! Automatic start and stop are bonuses which many people enjoy.

Dislikes

The Dual 1219 and other Duals from this era are complex and need regular maintenance. Servicing a deck like this doesn’t take an hour either. The 1219 needs several hours service time, every five or so years. This allows for careful disassembly, cleaning and lubrication of something like a dozen points. If you are not up for that, this probably isn’t the deck for you.

Some 1219s come in pretty sketchy wooden cabinets, so watch out for that. For more on the 1219, Tone Audio wrote a nice piece about the deck, check it out.

Problems

Synthetic lubricants weren’t really a thing back in 1971. The half dozen or so specific mineral oils and greases used in the 1219 don’t hold up well over 40+ years, nor should we expect them to. These are highly mechanical decks, and all the points specified in the service manual need greasing or oiling with specialist lubricants. I only use synthetic lubricants these days.

Many owners don’t understand the maintenance requirements for decks like the Dual 1219. The result is that they are often partially or completely seized by the time they come to me. This unit certainly was, and it took some methodical service work over several hours to resolve her issues. Is it worth it? Of course it is, nothing like this will ever be made again.

There are also issues with Dual’s ingenious removable cartridge system. The delicate little fingers and spring loaded pins can break. If they do, there is trouble ahead.