Join me as I service what I think is one of the most beautiful high-performance turntables of all time, the Yamaha GT-2000L.

OK, so what is a Yamaha GT-2000L, I hear you ask. Well, it’s a regular near-30kg Yamaha GT-2000 direct drive turntable, a favourite I’ve written about many times, but with a light (maybe oak) real-wood veneer, as opposed to the classic black veneers we so commonly see from Japan, and Yamaha in particular.

You get the same high performance that wobbly belt drive turntable owners can only dream about, the gigantic and tremendous build, high-mass platter, features we see in cutting lathes, and an elegantly simple, slightly ‘brutish’ design aesthetic, wrapped up in an even more beautiful real wood skin, yeilding this thing of beauty:

Yamaha GT-2000 Specifications & Accessories

Courtesy of The Vintage Knob and adapted by Liquid Mike

So which accessories should you get for a GT-2000 or 2000L? All of them, of course, but the YGT-1 gun metal platter above all others!

Service

This Yamaha GT-2000L came to me in 2023, via a new customer who, as I recall, first purchased an advice consult where we discussed the GT-2000, pros, cons, etc and how to get a good one. That customer found this absolutely pristine example, and booked her in for the standard inspection, service and precision set up, which I was delighted to do for him.

I’ve not heard from that customer since, but in my line of work, that usually means things are going well, and I imagine this turntable has been running flawlessly for him, as good Japanese equipment tends to. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at this beauty, and I’ll try to prepare a video at some point soon, so stay tuned for that.

Results

So, after what was a fairly modest amount of very careful work, and that’s the key, of course, we have a now perfectly running Yamaha GT-2000L, and an absolute bargain for her thrilled new owner. Not only was he a lovely gentleman, but he genuinely appreciated how great a thing this Yamaha GT-2000L is and what it represents. That makes him the perfect owner of such a beautiful piece.

So, should you seek out and buy a Yamaha GT-2000 or 2000L? Well, if you want to step up to what is basically a sensible end-game turntable and you are prepared to hunt one down, yes. I can’t recommend these highly enough.

Whilst not quite at the top of the tree, these decks offer outstanding value for money and bang-per-buck, especially when compared to overpriced new equipment. Let’s not forget that proper turntables like this sound very different from your standard lightweight stuff, kicking around new or second-hand.

If you’ve not heard a really good deck like this, that’s been carefully and correctly set up, you really need to. If you are under any illusion that newer = better in the world of turntables, listening to a piece of equipment like this GT-2000L will quickly dispel that myth for you. Or just speak to people who know about such things.

Thanks

As always, folks thank you for visiting, and I hope you enjoyed reading about another classic turntable. If you’d like me to look at your Yamaha GT-2000L or any other lovely Japanese turntable, you know where to find me.

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Until next time!