Author: DOuG pRATt

Max GPM

The Symmons shower head in the master bath was shot. The adjustment knob wouldn’t turn, and water was spraying from only part of the nozzle.

As I recall, it cost upwards of $200 when the bathroom was remodeled over 15 years ago. Off to Lowe’s I went, with no intention of spending that much again. Ten bucks was more like it, with thread tape included in the package.

As mentioned a while ago, my last home heating oil delivery was a budget-destroying $6/gallon. With that in mind, and my hot water maker coming from a zone on the boiler, I chose the 1.8 gallon per minute max option over 2.5 GPM, and it works nicely.

https://www.epa.gov/watersense/showerheads

By the way, I had some trouble removing the Symmons shower head. It was metal-on-metal, and not enough thread tape had been used, so it didn’t extend past where the shower head and pipe met. The result was rust, and after applying 3-in-1 oil to the seam I carefully used a crescent wrench until the fitting finally loosened. I cleaned off the threads of the pipe with silicone lubricant before applying a couple wrappings of thread tape. When I had the new shower head installed, I said this to myself.

Happiness in the Pipe

“The Fat Angel”, Donovan’s song named for Mama Cass, is on his Sunshine Superman album, released in August ’66, only days after the Beatles’ Revolver. Relax and float downstream indeed.

Was anybody in the audience not stoned, listening to the Jefferson Airplane performing this live version of the song at the Fillmore East in New York?

The final track on Sunshine Superman is the superb “Celeste”. As perfect an example of what made the Sixties special as anything can be. Donovan was turning 20 during the production of the album.

Going Straight and Pivoting

Long ago I bought a Sony linear tracking turntable as a present for my buddy Denro, fitted with a Grado P-Mount cartridge. Plugged into his Sony stereo receiver, that was one of the few times I heard a phono setup with no hum at all, when the volume was turned all the way up while not playing a record.

At that time my primary turntable was the Thorens TD-166 MKII, and it continues to be my main table. I have done some minor servicing on it with parts purchased from Dave Archambault at Vinyl Nirvana, up in New Hampshire.

Although I never owned a linear tracking turntable, their potential for zero geometry tracking error has always intrigued me. This setup — which is not P-Mount — looks and sounds very good.

Other than linear tracking, the smallest potential geometry error is with a properly mounted 12-inch tonearm, as seen in this video, playing the other side of the same record.

Dave at Vinyl Nirvana recently offered six high-end vintage Thorens turntables, each with a new 12-inch tonearm. There is only one left, available for more than $4000 with cartridge options starting at a grand.

https://vinylnirvana.com/vintage-turntables-for-sale/2022-the-legend-thorens-td-125-long-base-turntable

That’s the way to go for those who insist on the absolute best, and can afford it. I’m doing okay with my Thorens, purchased 40 years ago next Spring.