We took a trip to the Czech Republic where Pro-Ject opened the doors of its Litovel factory (east of the country) for us. Since the Austrian company owns a record player factory in this region, well known for its beer, Litovel has therefore two local specialities, beer and record players, there will be enough spins for everyone/ a spinning experience for everyone.
Pro-Ject’s SEV factory is situated in a tall Soviet looking building. In other words, an old building in which people work in the old fashioned way, which is why we were so interested in visiting the Pro-Ject factory. While many brands have a tendency to outsource their production to take advantage of cheaper high-tech machinery, Pro-Ject chooses to stay faithful to hand made production. If you are familiar with the Pro-Ject Debut record player and its modern design and beautiful lacquer, you’ve probably just raised an eyebrow. Yet …
The various production lines are organised in small work spaces. Here is the welding workshop.The platters used for the record players are delivered to the factory by a local company. Made out of MDF, these platters are then lacquered at the factory, all by hand.Platters, once lacquered and perforated, are ready for the assembly lineWorking iron, aluminium and brass is at the heart of Pro-Ject craftsmanship.At the Pro-Ject factory, all the parts are created with old machines, which the operators perfectly master/master with perfect control.The centering pieces are entirely built on siteOn the workbench, you can se the aluminium tubes used for tonearms
The assembling of electronic circuit panels requires patience and precisionThe motors are all tested on a specific workbenchThe Pro-Ject tonearm assembly line is filled with a peaceful and studious atmosphere
The acrylic trays, on the other hand, are made by a subcontractorPolishing record players, a real work of artThe mechanic base of the Pro-Ject Signature 12Record players are all thoroughly tested
