aussievintage Posted April 27, 2024 Posted April 27, 2024 and to further prove it, here's one I restored over the last weeks. The tonearm 'stem' was broken. This is the plastic vertical bit that fits loosely through a plastic grommet in the motor board, held up by a spring (that allows it to collapse when the lid is closed. It also ripped the tonearm wires apart when it broke. So, superglued three pieces of plastic like a 3D jigsaw puzzle, then filed and sandpapered back to smooth. I got some low end replacement wires with cartridge clips from Amazon. A bit short but I used the old wires to extend them. The cartridge was missing, so I used a Garrard ceramic cart I had on hand. It too had a broken clip, which also received some glue. The idler is a bit hard but works fine for now. Oil in the usual spots, and a replacement power cord, and it works. I need a side entry plug so the cord can be stowed and allow the lid to close, and the case is missing the handle. First guess on tracking force was a bit light. Turned out that big bass notes from the speaker cause enough vibration to make it jump when at full volume. Maybe the original cartridge had less bass response. Anyway, a bit heavier tracking, and all is fine. The amplifier is classic. 4 transistors. Schematic pasted inside on the bottom of the case. There's some hum that's probably normal, but I might replace the electrolytics and check the wiring routing. 5
audiofeline Posted April 28, 2024 Posted April 28, 2024 This isn't far removed from my first record player. I'm pleased to know you're not a turntable snob, however, from past experience I wouldn't recommend playing rare valuable records on it. 1
aussievintage Posted April 28, 2024 Author Posted April 28, 2024 12 minutes ago, audiofeline said: This isn't far removed from my first record player. I'm pleased to know you're not a turntable snob, however, from past experience I wouldn't recommend playing rare valuable records on it. It is similar to my first as well. It is surprising how well, records I had back then, still play though. Especially the ones I played often
audiofeline Posted April 28, 2024 Posted April 28, 2024 I have records that I played back then. However, unfortunately no matter how carefully I looked after them (kept them dust, scratch and finger-print free) the heavy tonearm with worn sapphire styli did their damage.
aussievintage Posted April 28, 2024 Author Posted April 28, 2024 48 minutes ago, audiofeline said: I have records that I played back then. However, unfortunately no matter how carefully I looked after them (kept them dust, scratch and finger-print free) the heavy tonearm with worn sapphire styli did their damage. Yes, it's worn styluses that are the worst. I switched to diamond fairly early on, even on ceramic carts. My parent's record players and consoles all had sapphire, and I am sure they were not replaced nearly frequently enough.
BLAH BLAH Posted April 28, 2024 Posted April 28, 2024 6 hours ago, aussievintage said: and to further prove it, here's one I restored over the last weeks. The tonearm 'stem' was broken. This is the plastic vertical bit that fits loosely through a plastic grommet in the motor board, held up by a spring (that allows it to collapse when the lid is closed. It also ripped the tonearm wires apart when it broke. So, superglued three pieces of plastic like a 3D jigsaw puzzle, then filed and sandpapered back to smooth. I got some low end replacement wires with cartridge clips from Amazon. A bit short but I used the old wires to extend them. The cartridge was missing, so I used a Garrard ceramic cart I had on hand. It too had a broken clip, which also received some glue. The idler is a bit hard but works fine for now. Oil in the usual spots, and a replacement power cord, and it works. I need a side entry plug so the cord can be stowed and allow the lid to close, and the case is missing the handle. First guess on tracking force was a bit light. Turned out that big bass notes from the speaker cause enough vibration to make it jump when at full volume. Maybe the original cartridge had less bass response. Anyway, a bit heavier tracking, and all is fine. The amplifier is classic. 4 transistors. Schematic pasted inside on the bottom of the case. There's some hum that's probably normal, but I might replace the electrolytics and check the wiring routing. Seeing that TT for me is like turning up at an unknown mate's BBQ with a 6 pack of nice boutique beer...only to discover that everybody's beer is all out in the open in full view within a large outdoor tub filled with crushed ice...and disappointingly...all you can see sticking out of that tub's ice is necks of VB, Carlton Draught, Heinekenn, and all sorts of low alcoholic no-names! Everybody watches you poking your beer into the ice...(trying to bury them deep!) and you just know your going to get dudded! 2 2
BRN054 Posted July 30, 2024 Posted July 30, 2024 Thanks for the memory . I also had one of these, but an earlier model. Mine had valves - a 6X4 rectifier and 6BM8 triode/ pentode. Who hoo, what class! 1
mattd2308 Posted July 30, 2024 Posted July 30, 2024 Geezuz!!!! This is what we had as a record player, hard to fathom the engineering, production and pressing of an album from the 70's, sound came out of a, pretty much, clock radio speaker!!! A classic.
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