Vintage Turntable help lots of questions!

[TapeMaster]

I just recently bought an old Montgomery Wards BSR Turntable and it buzzes or hums when connected to the phono input Ceramic Cartridge Maybe? Motor runs good platter spins freely. I also don't see any screws holding the cartridge together and it needs a needle. Use exsisting cartridge or new cartridge and needle?

 

[markw]

You don't want to plug a ceramic cartridge into a phono input. IMNSHO, I wouldn't waste any time or money with that turntable

 

[Seth=L]

I second what Mark says, that turntable belongs on the curb.

 

[TapeMaster]

I just purchased this turntable from ebay Motor runs good I want to put a needle on it and at least have a listen. I have a Sony Full Auto Direct Drive from 1978 with a Stanton 681E Cart as my back up. I know not sure what type of cartridge it is. I want to try my aux input.

 

[Seth=L]

I just purchased this turntable from ebay Motor runs good I want to put a needle on it and at least have a listen. I have a Sony Full Auto Direct Drive from 1978 with a Stanton 681E Cart as my back up. I know not sure what type of cartridge it is. I want to try my aux input.

What is the model of the Sony? It's probably better than the Montgomery Ward.

 

[TapeMaster]

The Model # PS-T33

 

[Seth=L]

The Model # PS-T33

Yeah, that table is better.

 

[TapeMaster]

I love it That Stanton Cartridge is like TOTL.

 

[TapeMaster]

Are BSR Turntables Serviceable as far as putting a needle or cartridge on it?

 

[Seth=L]

To my knowledge Stanton makes scratch cartridges only, they are not good for vinyl playback. If they do have a home use line of cartridge I doubt they are in league with other reputed cartridge manufacturers.

 

[highfigh]

I just purchased this turntable from ebay Motor runs good I want to put a needle on it and at least have a listen. I have a Sony Full Auto Direct Drive from 1978 with a Stanton 681E Cart as my back up. I know not sure what type of cartridge it is. I want to try my aux input.

The Sony should be your main turntable if you have these two- it's a lot better than the BSR. What model is the Sony?

 

[TapeMaster]

See my previous post for the model #.

 

[TapeMaster]

My BSR is Model # GEN-6737A It has a ceramic cartridge. Do I keep the Ceramic Cartridge or upgrade to a Magnetic one?

 

[Seth=L]

My BSR is Model # GEN-6737A It has a ceramic cartridge. Do I keep the Ceramic Cartridge or upgrade to a Magnetic one?

Dude, your talking about a turntable that was designed for travel, not quality playback. That thing has virtually no isolution circuitry of any kind. If you're thinking of "reselling" it then I think you made a poor investment. If you were thinking of using for playback, it was a poor investment. If you were thinking "this TT from the 50's is kinda cool and would be fun to tinker with" then I'd say, as long as it didn't cost more than $20 to get it to your door, it might be worth tinkering with (read: not investing money into). Clean it up and display it as an antique item, or Goodwill and write it off on your taxes.

 

[KEW]

I love it That Stanton Cartridge is like TOTL.

In 1977, the Stanton 681EEE was "the best stereo pickup offered by Stanton and certainly one of the very best we have ever tested" by High Fidelity magazine. It cost $82 and replaced the 681EE.
I don't know when the 681E was in production, but in the mid to late 70's, Stanton made great phono cartridges. The 681EEE was generally considered fair competition with the better known Shure V-15, Type III of the same period.
Both of those were models I coveted (along with my neighbor's wife) in high school thru college, but I had to make do with a lowly Shure M91ED which was the best I could afford.

HTH

 

[KEW]

Dude, your talking about a turntable that was designed for travel, not quality playback. That thing has virtually no isolution circuitry of any kind. If you're thinking of "reselling" it then I think you made a poor investment. If you were thinking of using for playback, it was a poor investment. If you were thinking "this TT from the 50's is kinda cool and would be fun to tinker with" then I'd say, as long as it didn't cost more than $20 to get it to your door, it might be worth tinkering with (read: not investing money into). Clean it up and display it as an antique item, or Goodwill and write it off on your taxes.

I agree. BSR turntables were never that great and Montgomery Ward branded stereo equipment was never more than crap!
The Sony is much better.

 

[TapeMaster]

I only bought this because it had a cool early 1970's Retro look to it. Was not designed for travel much to big not a portable turntable. I really don't need antiskate or counterweight just to play back my old albums. Doesn't appear to be from the 50's. I paid $46.99 for it on ebay.

 

[Seth=L]

I only bought this because it had a cool early 1970's Retro look to it. Was not designed for travel much to big not a portable turntable. I really don't need antiskate or counterweight just to play back my old albums. Doesn't appear to be from the 50's. I paid $46.99 for it on ebay.

Show me the auction, because I couldn't find yours.

 

[TapeMaster]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190458287886&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[TLS Guy]

Are BSR Turntables Serviceable as far as putting a needle or cartridge on it?

BSR was a junk line and an embarrassment to British Audio. They did make one decent turntable right at the end of their days. All the rest will ruin a magnetic cartridge. There all had robust crystal types. The cartridge will be non working by now due to age. Crystal and ceramic cartridges are no longer made, and no modern gear has the right input. They need a high impedance input of one to two megohms, of about 50 to 100 mv sensitivity. No RIAA Eq is applied as the crystal and ceramic had an inbuilt characteristic that crudely compensated for the RIAA curve.

That turntable is only of use to someone restoring low fi gear of yesteryear, and frankly I have a hard time wondering why they bother.