AR XA Overhaul Time
- Thread starter pworm14
- Start date
pworm14
Active Member
Thank you Sir!
Right!!?! GAS is definitely a thing.
Now I'm going to keep an eye out for a cheap XA or XB to build up for my son and his wife.
He's a HUGE vinyl fan (I guess I did something right)! I gave him my Lab 420 when I picked up the Ar. Had already given him some kind of Yamaha receiver, some kind Gerard table, and my JBL Lx55's when he was still a punk kid here at the house. He's hooked!
He's in ABQ for some pilot training but I've been sending him progress updates and he'd be blown away if I handed one off to him when they return to AZ.
Last edited:
pworm14
Active Member
I got a couple other nit-nigglie things done on the XA.
@TomD62 was kind enough to send me an extra AR badge he had laying around. Not quite the right one but I think it looks pretty good.
After doing the headphone test suggested by @Mr Boochie and getting zero noise a friend brought over his Dr wife's stethoscope. I listened to every inch of the top plate, motor running, platter turning, LED lights both off and on, and found this one little spot that had the very faintest hum. I'm not sure if I'll even address it TBH. Maybe when I build the new base I'll glue some plywood under there like Marc had done.
My dust cover was not in the best shape so I wet sanded down to 5000 grit and buffed it out. It's not perfect but it certainly looks much better than it did.
I also got my tonearm lift squared away and it works great. In the up position it clears the record by about 3/16 of an inch. I do need to either put more magnets on the base or change the protective surface on the bottom to something a bit more grippy. It currently has 2 layers of golf glove leather glued to the bottom and it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to move it around. Something I'll have to think about.
That's it for now.
Although, I'm going to meet a buddy later today to shop for wood for the new base.
@TomD62 was kind enough to send me an extra AR badge he had laying around. Not quite the right one but I think it looks pretty good.
After doing the headphone test suggested by @Mr Boochie and getting zero noise a friend brought over his Dr wife's stethoscope. I listened to every inch of the top plate, motor running, platter turning, LED lights both off and on, and found this one little spot that had the very faintest hum. I'm not sure if I'll even address it TBH. Maybe when I build the new base I'll glue some plywood under there like Marc had done.
My dust cover was not in the best shape so I wet sanded down to 5000 grit and buffed it out. It's not perfect but it certainly looks much better than it did.
I also got my tonearm lift squared away and it works great. In the up position it clears the record by about 3/16 of an inch. I do need to either put more magnets on the base or change the protective surface on the bottom to something a bit more grippy. It currently has 2 layers of golf glove leather glued to the bottom and it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to move it around. Something I'll have to think about.
That's it for now.
Although, I'm going to meet a buddy later today to shop for wood for the new base.
Try this. Do you have one of those record weights people often put on records (the turntable's spindle)? Or use any small, heavy weight you happen to have lying about.After doing the headphone test suggested by @Mr Boochie and getting zero noise a friend brought over his Dr wife's stethoscope. I listened to every inch of the top plate, motor running, platter turning, LED lights both off and on, and found this one little spot that had the very faintest hum. I'm not sure if I'll even address it TBH. Maybe when I build the new base I'll glue some plywood under there like Marc had done.
Place it on top of where you are hearing the noise. Then, use a stethoscope to see if it reduces the noise.
Remarkably, it works sometimes.
pworm14
Active Member
Good idea!! I'll give it a try.
Oh well, worth a try and it's free!
If the noise isn't heard during playback, don't worry about it.
Rock on!
pworm14
Active Member
Thank you Pat!
I appreciate the offer but my bushings were pretty supple when I took it apart. I ended up tossing them in a jar of Aerospace 303 for a few days and that helped them a bit more. Not even close to being hard. Also, when I took my switch apart it was look brand new. Zero arcing in there. Cleaned and lubed the contacts and put it back together.
Which thrust plates are you referring to?
pworm14
Active Member
Ok, but they're no where near 3/8 of an inch. The one in my platter well is the original, flipped over now, and it might be a 1/16", tops.
