Does anyone have experience with a Sugden Connoisseur Idler Drive Turntable. Trying to work out if it would be worth rebuilding - cheers 

Ive got a review of one from a really old issue of HiFi news ! Were well thought of at the time (Mid 50's )being seen as a competitor to the Garrard and Thorens models. At one stage I used to see them about fairly regularly but havent seen one for a while now, must be getting fairly rare.

You have a little gem, there. It is highly rated by those who have one. It is also rare which explains the lack of popularity.

Worth a rebuild! Happy to help if you need it.

Wow, didn’t even know Sugden was producing that. What a great hifi firm!

Its not current manufacture, they were made in the fifties, not sure for how long but I suspect gone by the mid sixties ? Also a different company to the current one making the Sugden amplifiers I believe ?

Aug 24, 2020 8:11:47 GMT 12 cartridgeguyonline said:

Its not current manufacture, they were made in the fifties, not sure for how long but I suspect gone by the mid sixties ? Also a different company to the current one making the Sugden amplifiers I believe ?

Yes, I know the time of idle drives is long gone! The A21 is one of my favorite solid state amplifiers, would be interesting to find out if it’s the same company.

Google says unrelated and sometimes confused as they both had factories in Yorkshire, only about 4 miles apart.

A.R Sugden made the Connoisseur in Brighouse, Yorkshire and J.E Sugden (who makes my Masterclass PA-4 Phono) had a factory in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire.

Thanks Citroen, Thought I had read somewhere that they were unrelated. Have fond memories of an old AR Sugden valve amp I used to own.

Beeman, this might be of interest as well:

www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=35956.0

Especially the Sugden decks at the start!

Thanks Jon - as I currently have a Dac that is on its way from Taipei to me & has ended up in the Netherlands I dont think I will risk shipping the Sugden (or anything else) internationally at the moment. Happy to put you in touch with the seller if your interested?

Regretfully I will have to decline, I have too many turntable projects on the go at the moment.

But I am touched by your kind offer. Thank you!