Know a turntable repair expert?

[gaivs]

Who knows a turntable repair shop?

My turntable has faulty RCA wiring that needs replacing. I'm just beyond my warranty period, so the manufacturer won't help.

A couple months *ago I was trying to figure out why my turntable/receiver weren't working 100% of the time. It took me a while to confirm the diagnosis, but now I know there is an intermittent connection somewhere in the RCA wiring. Kudos to members who helped point me in the right direction (3db, TLS Guy fmw).

* 9-11-08: "Sony (receiver) / Music Hall (turntable) compatibility problem?"

Thanks again.

 

[3db]

Who knows a turntable repair shop?

My turntable has faulty RCA wiring that needs replacing. I'm just beyond my warranty period, so the manufacturer won't help.

A couple months *ago I was trying to figure out why my turntable/receiver weren't working 100% of the time. It took me a while to confirm the diagnosis, but now I know there is an intermittent connection somewhere in the RCA wiring. Kudos to members who helped point me in the right direction (3db, TLS Guy fmw).

* 9-11-08: "Sony (receiver) / Music Hall (turntable) compatibility problem?"

Thanks again.

Where do you live?

 

[gaivs]

Sorry, I live in St. Louis, MO.

PS Missouri loves company

 

[walter duque]

Who knows a turntable repair shop?

My turntable has faulty RCA wiring that needs replacing. I'm just beyond my warranty period, so the manufacturer won't help.

A couple months *ago I was trying to figure out why my turntable/receiver weren't working 100% of the time. It took me a while to confirm the diagnosis, but now I know there is an intermittent connection somewhere in the RCA wiring. Kudos to members who helped point me in the right direction (3db, TLS Guy fmw).

* 9-11-08: "Sony (receiver) / Music Hall (turntable) compatibility problem?"

Thanks again.[/QUOTE
The only one I know is Hollywood Sound in Florida, he is very good.

 

[Haoleb]

Its a simple fix and any electronics repair shop will be able to fix it with minumal fuss. Its probably something you could even do yourself with a soldering iron.

Were you absolutely sure its the wiring in the tonearm/table or RCA jacks and not your rca cables your using to connect it?

 

[TLS Guy]

Who knows a turntable repair shop?

My turntable has faulty RCA wiring that needs replacing. I'm just beyond my warranty period, so the manufacturer won't help.

A couple months *ago I was trying to figure out why my turntable/receiver weren't working 100% of the time. It took me a while to confirm the diagnosis, but now I know there is an intermittent connection somewhere in the RCA wiring. Kudos to members who helped point me in the right direction (3db, TLS Guy fmw).

* 9-11-08: "Sony (receiver) / Music Hall (turntable) compatibility problem?"

Thanks again.

Unfortunately this is often a major problem. The problem is NOT usually in the RCA cabling, but in the fine delicate wires inside the pick up arm. The place of trouble is usually right in the base of the arm at the fulcrum, where the delicate wires are subjected to most stress and flexing. Problems at one other point can be at the cartridge, as the wires are easily damaged connecting and changing cartridges.

Now, another problem with this useless money grubbing age, is that sources of high quality pickup wire are hard to come by.

Once it is confirmed that the problem is in the wire in the pickup, and it almost certainly will be, then usually the arm has to be extensively disassembled and new wires carefully threaded through without stress. The the arm has to be carefully reassembled. This has to be done MOST carefully or the arm will not be to it original tolerance and spec.

Joel Thornton who had Turntable Factory used to be the man for this, but unfortunately he died a year ago, and I know no one else of his capabilities.

Now that fall work is coming to an end, you can send your turntable to me if you get stuck. I have a pretty good supply of turntable wiring both vintage and new. I have repaired mainly SME arms, but I have done others.

 

[galaxyre]

Actually, it does sound like RCA issues. But only a qualified tech could determine which is bad (Tonearm or RCA). The RCA tend to go first, especially if you do not properly plug/unplug your cables all the time. Many people have a bad habit of pulling from the wire, instead of the actual head/plug/connector. Do this a few times, and eventually you'll have some loose connections.

Any competent electronics repair shop should be able to replace RCA cables. The Tonearm is a different story, especially if it's a 3rd party (SME, Origin, Rega) tonearm.

Not sure of anyone in your area, but try Digital Analog Therapy (repairny.com), out in Brooklyn, NY. They offer free return shipping, and warranty everything they touch. I've sent many turntables to them without any issues.

- G

 

[TLS Guy]

Actually, it does sound like RCA issues. But only a qualified tech could determine which is bad (Tonearm or RCA). The RCA tend to go first, especially if you do not properly plug/unplug your cables all the time. Many people have a bad habit of pulling from the wire, instead of the actual head/plug/connector. Do this a few times, and eventually you'll have some loose connections.

Any competent electronics repair shop should be able to replace RCA cables. The Tonearm is a different story, especially if it's a 3rd party (SME, Origin, Rega) tonearm.

Not sure of anyone in your area, but try Digital Analog Therapy (repairny.com), out in Brooklyn, NY. They offer free return shipping, and warranty everything they touch. I've sent many turntables to them without any issues.

- G

Your luck is better than mine! I find tonearm problems more prevalent, especially these days, as "funny wire" is often involved, to get liquid mid range or some other BS. Properly annealed copped wire is best. However I suspect the art of properly annealing the pickup arm wires has become lost. I try and snatch up vintage pickup wiring looms whenever I get a chance.

 

[galaxyre]

There are some good tonearm wire out there, unfortunately, not many to choose from. A search on ebay yielded a few results. Cardas makes some very high quality tonearm wires, and affordable, running about $3.00 a meter - which is a great price for Cardas wire.

The problem with salvaging old tonearm wiring is the 'frail' factor. I've seen some wire just crumble at first touch. Of course, I've also come across some high quality stuff for practically nothing. So, be prepared for it to go either way.

BTW, what kind of turntable do you have?

- G

 

[TLS Guy]

There are some good tonearm wire out there, unfortunately, not many to choose from. A search on ebay yielded a few results. Cardas makes some very high quality tonearm wires, and affordable, running about $3.00 a meter - which is a great price for Cardas wire.

The problem with salvaging old tonearm wiring is the 'frail' factor. I've seen some wire just crumble at first touch. Of course, I've also come across some high quality stuff for practically nothing. So, be prepared for it to go either way.

BTW, what kind of turntable do you have?

- G

I only salvage the good stuff, and I have a good inventory of Cardas wire. But the best vintage stuff is finer.

These are three of my turntables.

This is the fourth.

 

[galaxyre]

Very nice indeed. What are the modules under each unit? Pre-amps?

 

[TLS Guy]

Very nice indeed. What are the modules under each unit? Pre-amps?

From left to right the first is a Quad 22 (Acoustical Manufacturing Company, Huntingdon Cambs.) tube preamp mid sixties vintage. It has all the replay curves for just about any 78 rpm disc made. The middle one is the Quad 44. That was the last preamp to be designed by Quad founder, Peter Walker OBE. That is quite the best LP preamp of all. Input sensitivity and capacitance are selectable as well as impedance for low output moving coils. The right one is the Quad 34.

The 22 and 44 have Peter's wonderful slope controls with selectable turn over frequencies. Absolutely indispensable for disc playback and also useful for vintage prerecorded tapes.

Also Peter's bass and treble controls are configured differently from the rest. His tilt controls, as he called them, are actually usable.

The preamp just visible in the fourth turntable picture, is the Quad 33 preamp. That was Peter's first transistor preamp. It superseded the 22 and was matched to the Quad 303 power amp. That was the first transistor amp that was any good, and there are lots still in use. They are absolutely bullet proof and trouble free, and still sound excellent. No apologies need to be made for them. They are unconditionally stable under all loads.

 

[gaivs]

final diagnosis: probable intermittent RCA connection

Suspecting an intermittent connection caused by a taught cord, I moved the turntable closer to the receiver. Lo and behold, the problem is not as frequent.

Prior to this, I had the cord relatively tight, but not firm. I now realize the RCA jacks were at a relatively sharp angle with their cord (turntable was 2-3 feet directly above receiver), so that might have been the last straw.

Now I'm pretty sure this is problem with the RCA end of the cord, not the tonearm. The bad cable (red) still cuts out about 50% of the time. When I unplug, jiggle, and reinsert it, it usually starts working again (!) (there is no manipulation of the cord at or near the tonearm when I do this). So I probably need to have the RCA ends replaced.

Lesson learned: don't put *any* strain (tensile or angular) whatsoever on cords.

 

[TLS Guy]

Suspecting an intermittent connection caused by a taught cord, I moved the turntable closer to the receiver. Lo and behold, the problem is not as frequent.

Prior to this, I had the cord relatively tight, but not firm. I now realize the RCA jacks were at a relatively sharp angle with their cord (turntable was 2-3 feet directly above receiver), so that might have been the last straw.

Now I'm pretty sure this is problem with the RCA end of the cord, not the tonearm. The bad cable (red) still cuts out about 50% of the time. When I unplug, jiggle, and reinsert it, it usually starts working again (!) (there is no manipulation of the cord at or near the tonearm when I do this). So I probably need to have the RCA ends replaced.

Lesson learned: don't put *any* strain (tensile or angular) whatsoever on cords.

That piece of history, confirms that the problem will be just where the cable enters the plug.

Cut off a couple of inches of the cable, with the plugs, and solder on new RCA plugs. If you get a soldering iron and solder at radio shack, I can talk you through it. Don't be afraid to learn to solder.

 

[TheAudioLab]

Turntable Repair Shop

If you need your turntable repaired, then send it to Audio Lab, Inc 36 JFK St, Cambridge, MA 02138. Visit TheAudioLab.com or call 617-864-1144. Audio Lab has been repairing all makes and models since 1965.