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About Thorens
FOUNDED : 1883
LOCATION : Head Office: Basel, Switzerland
MANUFACTURING : Goppingen and Iffezheim, Germany
For the past 100 years, Thorens has been one of the leading turntable manufacturers in the world. Very well known masterpieces with worldwide recognition have been produced by Thorens in the past. All of them with legendary reliability. Thorens is quality made in Germany for decades.
1883 Trade registration of the family-business of Hermann Thorens, established in St.-Croix / Switzerland, with the purpose of manufacturing musical boxes and movements.
1903 Manufacturing of Thorens' first Edison-type phonograph.
1906 Change-over to the manufacturing of horn-gramophones for shellac records.
1913-1964 Manufacturing of cigarette lighters.
1914-1952 Manufacturing of harmonicas (except for the time from 1921-1938)
1927 Conversion of the family business to a joint-stock company (AG)
1928 Development of the first electric motor (direct drive) for gramophones.
1929 Development of the first electric phono pick-up (employing a magnet principle).
1933 Manufacturing of wireless appliances, partly in cooperation with the Strassfurt-Imperial Company of Germany.
1940-1950 Production of professional disc-cutting lathes and phono pick-up cartridges.
1943 Production of the first record changer.
1954-1960 Production of the mechanical razor "Thorens Riviera".
1957 Introduction of the TD124 Hi-Fi record player. It came without tonearm but with arm board during this first year. Destined to become a classic, the success of this player had an enormous effect at Thorens, shaping the future direction for the company into that of a worldwide manufacturer of high quality stereo record players.
1958-1961 Introduction of the models TD184, TD134 with BL104 tonearm, the TD135 and the BTD-12S tonearm. These turntable models were simpler and less expensive offerings designed to fill out price points within the product line. The BTD-12S tonearm was well received at its introduction and was the company's top tonearm offering until it was superceded by the TP14 in 1966.
1962 Introduction of the unique TD224 HI-Fi record changer. Based on the TD124 but with smaller spindle bearing and shaft, additional gears, pulleys and levers, this 'record changer' stored it's stack of 8 records away from the player so that only one LP rested on the platter at any one time. An arm would pluck the record off the platter, then transport it to the side position, pick a new record from the top stack and place this record on the platter. This is quite unlike the traditional record changer that stacks one LP disc upon the next until you have a stack of 5 or six and spins the whole lot. As that stack of records on the platter rises, so changes the vertical tracking angle and correct arm cartridge alignment is lost. This complexity of changer operation, while extreme, ensured that the all important vertical tracking angle on this Thorens remained unchanged in play. The introduction of the TD121. A TD124 without strobe speed control. Marketed as a 'slightly' less expensive but high quality table. The introduction of the TD111.
1963 The Thorens company merges with Paillard SA, St.-Croix / Switzerland. Paillard SA manufactured Bolex cameras and Hermes typewriters at the time. This merger would last three years. Legal requirements and differing goals between upper management of the Paillard Group and Thorens resulted in a loss of cooperation between the two groups.
1965 Introduction of the TD150 with TP13 tonearm. This player featured a new 3 point suspended subchassis that carries both platter, bearing and arm. Fixed to the main chassis is a 16 pole, 2-phase synchronous AC motor. A two- piece 7 pound balanced platter system exists with the inner platter being driven by way of an elastic belt. Platter material is die cast zinc alloy. Platter bearing is a hardened stainless steel shaft of 10mm diameter with a captive ball bearing tip and running in sintered bronze bushings. The ball tip carries the vertical load from the platter. This new suspended layout presents a significant step forward in efforts to reduce rumble noise.
1966 Effective July 1st, 1966, the Swiss Thorens-Franz AG took over the entire business concerning Thorens record players and together with EMT Wilhelm Franz of Germany, they established a new business for research, development and manufacturing in Lahr / Germany, located in the foothills of the Black Forest.
Revision of the TD124 into TD124 II with TP-14 tonearm. Changes from the TD124 include change in paint color from cream white to medium-grey. The iron platter of the TD124 is changed to heavy aluminum (non-magnetic). Minor changes in the controls. Also revised was the TD135, now TD135 II.
1968 Introduction of the TD125 electronically-controlled (Wien Bridge Oscillator) turntable equipped with the TP25 tonearm. This table replaces the TD124 II as the flagship of the product line. The TD125, like the TD150, is belt driven and suspended via a 3 point suspension and like it's little brother, the TD150, it too is a "purists" model with all manual controls.
Early production units also share the same platters and bearing shaft with the TD150. Early models will be found with the captive ball on the spindle shaft tip. Later production models replaced this with a solid steel conical shaped tip to carry the vertical thrust load. The bearing housing on the early models differed from later production models. Early model platter bearings were housed in a large cast aluminum housing featuring a 3 bolt hole pattern for attachment to the subchassis plate. Later production bearings were of the press-in variety with a much slimmer machined steel housing.
Unlike the TD150, this model features a much more substantial and solid construction throughout. The motor function offered 3 speeds: 16, 33-1/3 and 45. This table was also offered in an optional "LB" edition. The "TD125 LB" featured a longer cabinet and armboard to accommodate longer 12 inch tonearms. For more info on the various options offered with the original TD125 see this link.
....συνεχίζεται
FOUNDED : 1883
LOCATION : Head Office: Basel, Switzerland
MANUFACTURING : Goppingen and Iffezheim, Germany
For the past 100 years, Thorens has been one of the leading turntable manufacturers in the world. Very well known masterpieces with worldwide recognition have been produced by Thorens in the past. All of them with legendary reliability. Thorens is quality made in Germany for decades.
1883 Trade registration of the family-business of Hermann Thorens, established in St.-Croix / Switzerland, with the purpose of manufacturing musical boxes and movements.
1903 Manufacturing of Thorens' first Edison-type phonograph.
1906 Change-over to the manufacturing of horn-gramophones for shellac records.
1913-1964 Manufacturing of cigarette lighters.
1914-1952 Manufacturing of harmonicas (except for the time from 1921-1938)
1927 Conversion of the family business to a joint-stock company (AG)
1928 Development of the first electric motor (direct drive) for gramophones.
1929 Development of the first electric phono pick-up (employing a magnet principle).
1933 Manufacturing of wireless appliances, partly in cooperation with the Strassfurt-Imperial Company of Germany.
1940-1950 Production of professional disc-cutting lathes and phono pick-up cartridges.
1943 Production of the first record changer.
1954-1960 Production of the mechanical razor "Thorens Riviera".
1957 Introduction of the TD124 Hi-Fi record player. It came without tonearm but with arm board during this first year. Destined to become a classic, the success of this player had an enormous effect at Thorens, shaping the future direction for the company into that of a worldwide manufacturer of high quality stereo record players.
1958-1961 Introduction of the models TD184, TD134 with BL104 tonearm, the TD135 and the BTD-12S tonearm. These turntable models were simpler and less expensive offerings designed to fill out price points within the product line. The BTD-12S tonearm was well received at its introduction and was the company's top tonearm offering until it was superceded by the TP14 in 1966.
1962 Introduction of the unique TD224 HI-Fi record changer. Based on the TD124 but with smaller spindle bearing and shaft, additional gears, pulleys and levers, this 'record changer' stored it's stack of 8 records away from the player so that only one LP rested on the platter at any one time. An arm would pluck the record off the platter, then transport it to the side position, pick a new record from the top stack and place this record on the platter. This is quite unlike the traditional record changer that stacks one LP disc upon the next until you have a stack of 5 or six and spins the whole lot. As that stack of records on the platter rises, so changes the vertical tracking angle and correct arm cartridge alignment is lost. This complexity of changer operation, while extreme, ensured that the all important vertical tracking angle on this Thorens remained unchanged in play. The introduction of the TD121. A TD124 without strobe speed control. Marketed as a 'slightly' less expensive but high quality table. The introduction of the TD111.
1963 The Thorens company merges with Paillard SA, St.-Croix / Switzerland. Paillard SA manufactured Bolex cameras and Hermes typewriters at the time. This merger would last three years. Legal requirements and differing goals between upper management of the Paillard Group and Thorens resulted in a loss of cooperation between the two groups.
1965 Introduction of the TD150 with TP13 tonearm. This player featured a new 3 point suspended subchassis that carries both platter, bearing and arm. Fixed to the main chassis is a 16 pole, 2-phase synchronous AC motor. A two- piece 7 pound balanced platter system exists with the inner platter being driven by way of an elastic belt. Platter material is die cast zinc alloy. Platter bearing is a hardened stainless steel shaft of 10mm diameter with a captive ball bearing tip and running in sintered bronze bushings. The ball tip carries the vertical load from the platter. This new suspended layout presents a significant step forward in efforts to reduce rumble noise.
1966 Effective July 1st, 1966, the Swiss Thorens-Franz AG took over the entire business concerning Thorens record players and together with EMT Wilhelm Franz of Germany, they established a new business for research, development and manufacturing in Lahr / Germany, located in the foothills of the Black Forest.
Revision of the TD124 into TD124 II with TP-14 tonearm. Changes from the TD124 include change in paint color from cream white to medium-grey. The iron platter of the TD124 is changed to heavy aluminum (non-magnetic). Minor changes in the controls. Also revised was the TD135, now TD135 II.
1968 Introduction of the TD125 electronically-controlled (Wien Bridge Oscillator) turntable equipped with the TP25 tonearm. This table replaces the TD124 II as the flagship of the product line. The TD125, like the TD150, is belt driven and suspended via a 3 point suspension and like it's little brother, the TD150, it too is a "purists" model with all manual controls.
Early production units also share the same platters and bearing shaft with the TD150. Early models will be found with the captive ball on the spindle shaft tip. Later production models replaced this with a solid steel conical shaped tip to carry the vertical thrust load. The bearing housing on the early models differed from later production models. Early model platter bearings were housed in a large cast aluminum housing featuring a 3 bolt hole pattern for attachment to the subchassis plate. Later production bearings were of the press-in variety with a much slimmer machined steel housing.
Unlike the TD150, this model features a much more substantial and solid construction throughout. The motor function offered 3 speeds: 16, 33-1/3 and 45. This table was also offered in an optional "LB" edition. The "TD125 LB" featured a longer cabinet and armboard to accommodate longer 12 inch tonearms. For more info on the various options offered with the original TD125 see this link.
....συνεχίζεται
