PRO-JECT SCORPIONS TURNTABLE LAUNCHES WITH BLACKOUT ARTWORK
Pro-Ject Audio Systems has announced the Pro-Ject Scorpions Turntable, a limited-edition model featuring artwork from Scorpions’ 1982 album Blackout.
The release marks Pro-Ject’s first Artist Collection turntable of 2026 and is available to order in the UK through Henley Audio.
PRO-JECT SCORPIONS TURNTABLE AND ICONIC BLACKOUT COVER ART
The turntable’s visual design is built around the Blackout album sleeve, created by Vienna-born artist Gottfried Helnwein. The image, a staged self-portrait exploring themes of pain and identity, was not originally commissioned for the album. Scorpions band members discovered it in Stern magazine in the early 1980s and later received permission from Helnwein to adapt it for the LP cover, with only minor changes made for the format.
Formed in Hanover in 1965, Scorpions are one of Germany’s most internationally successful rock bands, with more than 100 million albums sold worldwide. Blackout was the band’s eighth studio album and has since become a key release in their catalogue. In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked it 73rd in its list of The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time. The album’s title track was inspired by events recalled by guitarist Rudolf Schenker during a period of touring and recording in the early 1980s.
PRO-JECT SCORPIONS TURNTABLE BASED ON THE T2 PLATFORM
The Pro-Ject Scorpions Turntable is based on Pro-Ject’s T2 turntable platform. It uses a belt-drive system with electronic speed switching for 33 and 45rpm playback. According to Pro-Ject, the design focuses on mechanical precision and consistency, drawing on the same core engineering principles used across its wider range of analogue products.
The turntable features a CNC-machined plinth that has been enlarged for added stability. Pro-Ject states that the plinth construction avoids plastic components and internal hollow spaces to help reduce unwanted resonance. A 10mm-thick, 1.7kg glass platter is used, paired with vibration-absorbing feet intended to isolate the deck from external interference within a HiFi system.
TONEARM AND CARTRIDGE
Fitted to the deck is a straight 9-inch aluminium tonearm with low-friction bearings. The one-piece arm includes an integrated headshell, designed to minimise vibration compared with detachable alternatives. Anti-skating is handled via an adjustable spring-based system. The turntable is supplied with a factory-fitted and pre-adjusted Pick it 25A moving magnet cartridge, allowing it to be used straight out of the box.
PRO-JECT’S ARTIST COLLECTION
The Scorpions model forms part of Pro-Ject’s ongoing Artist Collection, which highlights musicians and visual artworks that have played a significant role in music culture. Like other models in the range, the Pro-Ject Scorpions Turntable is handmade in Europe and combines a themed visual design with an established Pro-Ject turntable platform.
PRO-JECT SCORPIONS TURNTABLE PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The Pro-Ject Scorpions Turntable is available now by special order in the UK via Henley Audio, the exclusive UK distributor for Pro-Ject. UK pricing is set at £629.
HiFi PiG Says: The Pro-Ject Artist Collection are a great way for fans to show their love of great bands and musicians.
