Restoring an early Rega Planar 3

I recently had the opportunity to restore and upgrade an early Rega Planar 3 that came in to us looking a little tired and in need of a motor upgrade.

I thought it might be nice to share a detailed look at the process of upgrading the motor and bringing this iconic turntable back to its former glory.

The first step was to remove the platter.

I then turned the deck over to access the old motor and also took the opportunity to tighten the arm which had become a little loose over time.

Next I removed the old motor, circuit board and mains lead in preparation for the new 24v power supply to be fitter.

With the new 24v motor fitted and the protective cover replaced, it was then time to fit the new reference drive belt and check the pulley was aligned correctly.

After a good clean, it was time to clean the bearing and apply some new bearing oil, and finally rebalance the arm.

To check the sound, I gave it a spin with Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours', which came out 45 years ago today.

With the new Rega 24v Motor Upgrade Kit fitted, the speed was stable and it was sounding great. I also offered the customers a chance to fit the optional Rega Neo PSU which allows speed switching and greater speed stability. 

It was a real pleasure to bring this deck back to its former glory and my thanks to the customers who allowed me to use photos of their turntable to create this blog. I hope it brings them many more years of pleasure.

If you would like us to have a look at your turntable for you or do any upgrades then please give us a call on 01507499047 to book a time to drop it off at our Lincolnshire showroom or send us an email: humans@expressiveaudio.com.

Check out the most recent model of the Rega Planar 3 here!