by Rob-NYC »
Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:50 am
Darrell, I've owned all the models mentioned and have V,Vl,K and 201 in revenue service.
From a purely technical standpoint once Seeburg established the direct operation of the Tormat system (TSR-3) all the subsequent models were very reliable -in the context of their time.
The use of tubes in control circuits was a weak point, but that was a tradeoff for eliminating a mess of coils, points and relays. You only have to look at Wurlitzer's first 200 (the 2000) to see how impractical and bizarre it was to stretch the old methods into the "mega-selection" era.
From a commercial standpoint my favorite is the 201. 200 Selections. NO drum. No curved glass.
The fast scanning mech beginning with the K placed an added strain on the clutch and Tormat contacts, but cleaning and oiling mitigate that. The K&L also had the problematic printed boards but unless badly carbonized they can be reworked with some point-to-point wiring and are OK for home use.
When I started to operate the old machines in 1985 the intense use they got on location quickly boiled out the weak spots and I began developing modifications to keep the machines from driving me crazy. I was a theater tech off 'n on B-Way and had a full 7 day schedule, so even one troublesome machine was a problem.
The requirements for home use are so much more lenient that the choice can be based on one's own technical acumen and aesthetics.
Buy what you can handle and enjoy.
Rob/NYC
"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities" -- Voltaire
