The Ear, Michell Keeps On Keeping On

When John Michell passed away at the age of 67 after a short illness it was left to his daughter Julie and her husband Steve Rowland to pick up the business that he had started in 1967. J.A. Michell Engineering Ltd was officially incorporated 1973 and started out making parts for all manner of applications when John was based in Edgeware, these included the model spaceship in 2001 a space Odyssey and OEM work for Proac and Transcriptors turntables. Michell made the early Hydraulic Reference models for that company until it moved to Ireland and carried on making them under licence with the Michell Engineering badge. He also provided many costume parts including parts used for cap badges and was commissioned to make C-3PO’s eyes in the first Star Wars films, apparently fans of the genre still turn up hoping to buy authentic components for their cosplay outfits.

The first Michell turntable proper was the Electronic Reference in 1976, this was essentially an upgrade to the Transcriptors design but had a more accurate controllable motor, the following year this evolved into the Prisma and used a similar platter to the Electronic Reference, it was the first turntable to use a thick clear acrylic base. Two years later John created the Focus One with its distinctive suede mat and aluminium platter on an acrylic and wood base with sprung feet, acrylic has since become a signature Michell material found in all the company’s designs….