Little Fwend Disco Mk2 Automatic Tonearm Lifter for Technics SL-1200, SL-1300 - NEW VERSION

Free Shipping on *ALL* Electronics (Excluding Speakers, Contiguous 48 US States Only)

New Version - Just Released. 

These come in and out of stock routinely.  New batches arrive every month or so, pre-order now to get yours. 

General:
The product that many Technics aficionados have been asking for is finally here!

This beautifully built gadget engineer instrument will automatically lift your tonearm at the end of the record.

It does it without batteries or power of any sort. It simply detects the minute force applied from your tonearm and releases a spring loaded and finely dampened lifter to safely and quietly lift your tonearm. Might be the best way to extend the life of your stylus.  

Link to Installation Video:
Click Here

Link to Installation Instructions:
Click Here

More from Little Fwend:
Custom machined to fit the new SL-1300G and every Technics SL-1200 version from the 1979 Mk2 and up to the latest high end models.

The new upgraded Disco is no longer made from lightweight aluminium but machined from solid brass and then nickel plated. The functional upgrade is that it now comes with a magnet mount instead of a double-sided adhesive. You can just lift it off the mounting platform to readjust the trigger point or height level.

The hex set screw dimension is also changed to the larger M3, so if (or when) you loose the Allen key in your long-haired rug, you can use a standard 1.5mm Allen key instead of the original 0.9mm very non-standard size.

The adjustable height range is based on use with the standard 5.8mm rubber mat and Technics tonearm.

If you have modified your turntable or use other configurations, there is an extra double-sided adhesive in the toolkit so you can go lower by omitting the 0.5mm mounting platform. 

Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Does the magnetic field around the base of Little Fwend affect my MC cartridge?

A: No, the magnet is magnetized through the length, and the magnetic force is too weak.

Q: I want to remove the mounting disc from my plinth. How do I do it?

A: The adhesive under the mounting disc is pretty strong, but it is possible by using your fingernail or a thin blade to pry it up at the edge (careful not to scratch the finishing of your plinth). A trick that often works pretty smooth is to blow heated air from a hair dryer or heat gun for 30 seconds (remove the record from the platter first, so it doesn’t deform), then pry it up with your fingernail. Any residue from the adhesive can be removed with a damp cloth.

Q: What is the transparent plastic dot enclosed in the toolkit?

A: There was a customer a few years back that was very concerned about his piano lacquered finish and refused to use any form of adhesive stuck to the plinth. That piano lacquer is way harder and the lustre won’t be affected by the chemicals in the adhesive of the steel mounting disc, but anyway…… 

We started to include a Scotch 3M Restickable Dot in the toolkit. I don’t think many people use it as it’s a bit impractical…. It has some sort of nano-tech pattern making it stick without any form of adhesive. What you do is that you remove the covering from the plastic dot on one side, remove the covering from the adhesive side of the steel mounting disc and stick the sticky sides together. Remove the remaining covering from the plastic dot and mount that to the plinth so the steel disc is on top facing up.
 
Q: Eternal lifetime warranty?

A: Our track record is very excellent, we had extremely few returns after over 5000 sold. However, like all things (and life itself): nothing lasts forever. It might need maintenance at some point, or it might wear out. A Rolex should be serviced every 10 years, but you never send in your Swatch for maintenance (unless you are crazy). They both tell the time reasonably accurate. A coffee maker can make you happy, morning after morning, but you don’t write angry letters or return it for a rebuild when it has run its course? (unless you are crazy).

For the reasonable lifetime of Little Fwend, we will work with you if any issues should arise down the line (even if you are crazy).

Q: Do I need to lubricate my Little Fwend?

A: No, oil or grease will clog up and damage the mechanism. It is pre-lubricated with a static gel that is guaranteed to work for 20 years without re-lubrication.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
We are two kinds. The other kind is fine with the sound from delicate styli trapped in the dark inner circle of a vinyl record. Once upon a time in Japan, there was a device that took care of business. This device is now long gone, disappeared into the twilight of the black market. We wondered. Why? It was not an aesthetic masterpiece, but the mechanics functioned reasonably well.

Inspired by this servant of the peaceful mind, we set out on a journey to design an automatic tonearm lifter that filled the void - and then some.

We reverse-engineered the cheapish moulded plastic and aluminium lifter and found that their design had user adjustable triggering sensitivity, which in this case is a short cut in the design process. Why not aim for designing the perfect sensitivity? Maybe they gave up and just let the customer end up with the responsibilty of tweaking this parameter?

We made seven prototypes with various spring forces vs the frictional relationship between moving surfaces. Not to go all the way down into the wabbit hole, but we ended up with a good compromise: Your cantilever and stylus assembly will meet as little lateral resistance as possible, then trigger. At the same time, it needs to stay loaded and ready for action without triggering prematurely.

This balance is very delicate, and we could have played it safe and made it harder to trigger and hence, the chance of premature triggering would be zero. We went for the risky option for us and the best for your cartridge. In 99.9768% of the cases you will never experience this, but there have been a handful of cases along the years (of 4000 sold) where this have happened resulting in a return for replacement and still a happy customer. Every single unit is assembled and fine tuned by hand in Norway and tested for function before shipping out. I personally do the quality control and testing on every unit, but now & then there is the odd black sheep.

We could have made a cheap plastic knock-off or a garage made one that customers hate a few months down the line, but then I would not sleep well at night. We have thought about designing other products for turntables, but often come to the conclusion: why (try to) make a tonearm / weight / brush / etc etc that is not special or not the best in its class? Why make a copy of a copy without bringing some form of progress to the table or look at a problem in a new light? Might as well design toilet paper. OK, these are first world problems, it´s only Audiophilia Nervosa and will certainly not save the world, but the point being:

We wanted Little Fwend to be as thoughtfully designed as possible, feel smooth and safe and be as user-fwendly as a mechanical gadget can be. You will get from A to B in the Toyota, but the (fill in Premium German Brand) might make it a more enjoyable ride. 

Disco Mk2 Technical specifications:
Model:
Disco Mk2

Base material:
Nickel plated brass

Top material:
Nickel plated brass, stainless steel

Rubber material:
Neoprene 70 Shore

Magnet:
Neodymium N35

Set screw:
Steel Hex M3 x 3mm

Damping gel:
Fluorocarbon

Weight: 
41g

Dimensions:
N/A

Included Toolkit: 
Eklind 1.5mm allen key, magnetic mounting platform, and extra 3M 300LSE double-sided adhesive.