By the mid 90s, the LP12 was 90% sorted, with better plinth construction, the heavier duty Cirkus main bearing/sub-chassis fixing and most samples that came my way simply 'fell together' in a way the 70s and 80s samples rarely did. Some dealers did no tightening at all and fixing nuts underneath could be undone with the fingers on quite a few. Comparing one like this and a properly set-up example was akin to cleaning smear from a window and, after the first year and a check for general tightness, they tended to settle down from then on. The locking nuts may have been good on the springs/ride height adjustment, but could be an effin' nightmare to wind all the way on the long-bolts.
The thing was, in 1987 or so, I heard how 'bad' an LP12/Ittok/Troika sounded, comparing with a master tape of said album track (Tinseltown In The Rain [and 'Regret'] by The Blue Nile) using the 12" 45rpm single cut as well as the LP - master was the 12" half inch 30IPS tape as played on an ATR 102 - no noise reduction necessary. This experience nearly put me off vinyl for life, but a couple of years later, I heard a Notts Analogue deck costing around half the price and with Rega RB300 arm and AT-F5 cartridge, it sang out in a very realistic master-like manner and helped to put me in a better vibe regarding the vinyl format. A few years after that, the LP12 had detailed tweaks underneath and the sonics improved hugely, this before the current range of sub-chassis' and yet more internal plinth tweaks. The thing looks the same from the top, but it's a bit different inside now - and so it bloody should be, the price they ask for it these days...
P.S. I did a general check-up on a Gyro/SME V a few years back. I always found the sound of the Gyro a bit 'swimmy' but this one was superb (Lyra Delos cartridge) and the suspension, after much fuss by the original builder, was piston-like for the last few mm of bounce. This aspect can be very difficult to achieve and in my experience and subjective appraisal, is what helped the solid clean sound this deck offered. The Lyra helped too I think. I cringed at the final SME V retail price before it was withdrawn as a separate entity, but in 1985 or so, it was £1250 and over double the price of the Linn Ittok arm, which was from memory, between £500 and £600 I think.