I’m on an attempted roll, so join me as I repair and service this beautiful vintage Pioneer PL-11 idler drive turntable.

That’s right, another article, it’s madness here @ Liquid Audio! In the interests of bringing you things you may not have seen before and not just epic high-end gear either, let’s look at a beautiful turntable I’ve just finished bringing back to life, this gorgeous Pioneer PL-11 idler drive deck from around 1970. Hint: If you are looking for an affordable idler drive deck, this could be perfect.

The Pioneer PL-11 is a basic turntable and about the oldest I work on, but it’s a proper hi-fi turntable, with a good arm, fully manual operation and excellent performance when properly maintained. I’d rather have this than any cheap new turntable, and the fact that it is still running well, after careful service, some 55 years after it was made, speaks volumes about why I love equipment like this, and want to share it with you.

Background

Idler drive turntables are less common than belt and direct drive types, but typically sound really good. Even modest machines like this Pioneer PL-11 demonstrate a solidity and stability to the sound more commonly found with expensive, heavy belt and direct drive decks.

That said, the noise performance is often worse than either belt or direct drive types, and there is more maintenance involved, too. This maintenance tends to be more specialised and less commonly performed. Many turntables like this gorgeous Pioneer PL-11 are given up dead, when all they need is a little TLC to perform at or near their best, once again.

Decks like this Pioneer PL-11 have moving parts that need periodic cleaning, lubrication and after this amount of time, deeper service if they are to be kept running properly. There are no belts, but there are the idler wheels, and replacements are difficult or sometimes impossible to find. That said, there are various ways we keep decks like this alive, however.

Features

Ah, yes, features! Well, the Pioneer PL-11 has very few, other than spinning vinyl at nearly the correct speed! The PL-11 is basic in the sense that it has a voltage selector, combined power/speed selector switch, jammed in this case, arm lift/lower lever, and that’s it.

There is no auto-lift, no auto-return, no strobe, nothing beyond the most basic controls. Mind you, the very best turntables lack these features too, so PL-11 owners will feel like they are in good company. For a look at another classic idler drive turntable, check out my article on the beautiful Dual 1219.

Pioneer PL-11 Specifications

Courtesy of our friends at Vinyl Engine

Drive method: idler wheel

Platter: 300mm, 1Kg aluminium alloy diecasting

Motor: 4-pole synchronous

Speeds: 33 and 45rpm

Wow and flutter: 0.12%

Signal to noise ratio: 40dB

Tonearm: static balance type, pipe arm

Dimensions: 420 x 333 x 162mm

Weight: 7kg

Year: 1971

BTW, those looking at these specifications might think: “Meh, this thing measures poorly compared to other machines.” This observation is correct; the PL-11 does measure rather worse than some other decks, but keep in mind that the specifications don’t tell the whole story, nor do they describe the sonic character of a piece of gear.

Specifications certainly do tell us something about the absolute performance limits of a piece though, no doubt about that. Folks looking for a high-end turntable killer will not find it here

Issues

This Pioneer PL-11 was delivered non-functional and needed some TLC. It belonged to the owner’s father, and so it has sentimental value, something I absolutely understand. The owner wanted an assessment and, if possible, for the deck to be made fully functional again, without going crazy. I was thankfully able to achieve those goals.

The main issues here are related to a lack of service. Bits were partially or completely seized. The motor ran so slowly that one could be forgiven for thinking it was knackered. But of course it wasn’t. Issues included:

• The platter was seized to the spindle
• The motor shaft was partially seized and only barely turned
• The entire drive train and speed change mechanism was partially seized
• Various other minor setup and speed issues

Repair and Service

As always, we start at the top, literally, and work down. There are numerous lubrication points, everything needs inspection and cleaning to determine what additional work might be needed. We progress from there.

Results

I can honestly say that, despite some of the crazier high-end turntables I work on, this Pioneer PL-11 repair is a job I found particularly satisfying. Not only is it great to have this deck back up and running, but the owner was on the cusp of ditching this and getting a different turntable.

I’m pleased to say that all of the issues to deck came to me for are resolved. Her owner now plans to listen to her and decide on how he wishes to proceed. This might include some new feet, and new headshell and cartridge, for example.

Reviving this classic turntable not only brings joy to her owner, but it keeps a piece with great sentimental value in the family, for others to enjoy. My suggestion here, as usual, was a conservative approach that minimises initial expenditure and allows the owner to evaluate the deck as a whole, without going crazy. Then, if he decides he likes what he hears, he can bring the deck in for additional work that suits his use case, budget, etc.

Regulars here will know I generally favour this conservative, staged approach. I think it yields the greatest enjoyment at each stage of service and improvement, and allows customers to hear and appreciate the suggested improvements and what they yield at each stage. I see this is educational too, as it helps guide future decisions, with different gear.

Well, that wraps up another article. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. If you’d like me to look at your Pioneer PL-11 or any other lovely Japanese idler drive turntable, don’t hesitate to let me know.

Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe, too. I’ll see you again, soon.