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GE “Suitcase” Record Player Hummmm

copterske2

copterske2

Active Member
Greetings all, I sell vintage audio out of a space at a vintage shop. Old suitcase record players seem to be rather popular (as are console units as long as they have a cool mid-century cabinet ). I have been stumped by this GE unit. I can’t find the source for the constant 60-cycle hum. I changed out all the non-ceramic caps, reflowed all the solder points and cleaned all the pots. All to no avail. I also made sure the cartridge ground was intact. This hum is slightly affected by the volume control. But doesn’t come near to going away with the volume is at zero. What else should I try? Board pics attached. Many thanks!
Steve
 

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You probably already know this but maybe a reostat light is causing the noise?

I love the suitcase record players, I've been on a hunt for the really nice Crown or Sanyo's from the early 70's with real suitcases. I've also got a pretty impressive collection of turntable boomboxes, some are huge!
Check out this 60's Toshiba, what a beauty, it even has a 007 tie-in!


Toshiba GP-235.jpg
 
Bone Yard said:
You probably already know this but maybe a reostat light is causing the noise?

I love the suitcase record players, I've been on a hunt for the really nice Crown or Sanyo's from the early 70's with real suitcases. I've also got a pretty impressive collection of turntable boomboxes, some are huge!
Check out this 60's Toshiba, what a beauty, it even has a 007 tie-in!


View attachment 2739930
Click to expand...

ohh that’s super cool!
 
cademan said:
Wherever the AC power comes into the board and is converted to DC, the capacitor that is associated with the diodes is most likely the problem.
Click to expand...

ahh ok, both of you seem to be in agreement. So that must be one of the ceramic caps then. I’ll try changing it out. Thanks!
 
Are people coming in and asking for the old TT's? Some of the cool old Japanese Players with bright colors have always been popular but I tend to stay away from the USA Players that are more boxy with one or two colors.
 
Bone Yard said:
Are people coming in and asking for the old TT's? Some of the cool old Japanese Players with bright colors have always been popular but I tend to stay away from the USA Players that are more boxy with one or two colors.
Click to expand...
They do like the colors for sure. Orange, red etc. Also those with gold accents
 
Yes, check the rectifier(Is).

As for me, I would much rather have an American-made record player from the '50's - 60's than one of those toy Japanese deals.

Like this, one of four Voice of Music model 210's I have which is the model I received for Christmas of 1956 at the age of four.

My VM 210 1956 Teal (8).jpg

Doug
 
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copterske2 said:
Greetings all, I sell vintage audio out of a space at a vintage shop. Old suitcase record players seem to be rather popular (as are console units as long as they have a cool mid-century cabinet ). I have been stumped by this GE unit. I can’t find the source for the constant 60-cycle hum. I changed out all the non-ceramic caps, reflowed all the solder points and cleaned all the pots. All to no avail. I also made sure the cartridge ground was intact. This hum is slightly affected by the volume control. But doesn’t come near to going away with the volume is at zero. What else should I try? Board pics attached. Many thanks!
Steve
Click to expand...

Try replacing bridge rectifiers/diodes if you haven't. Seen one or two Trimlines where diodes had to be replaced, and a few GE consoles.
 
Doug G. said:
Yes, check the rectifier(Is).

As for me, I would much rather have an American-made record player from the '50's - 60's than one of those toy Japanese deals.

Like this, one of four Voice of Music model 210's I have which is the model I received for Christmas of 1956 at the age of four.

View attachment 2740250

Doug
Click to expand...

I went away from phonos like this when I turned 9. Had to, due to mono LP discs being hard to find post 1967, mine had to be modified with a Stereo arm. But for records of their time in average condition, fine.

Now for a Voice Of Music, I'd like to own, that would be that "Professional" series changer from the late 1960's. That was the American equivalent of a Dual 1019 in terms of performance. The Glaser-Steers GS-77 would be another American changer on my dream list. My 1967 Philco-Ford has a VM changer, with the 2 gram tracking, medium output Tetrad. I have started restoration on it. And plan on servicing that changer.
 
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It's not a matter of being "childish". It's a matter of interest in the past and history and restoration.

You don't seriously believe this is the sum total of my endeavors playing vinyl records, do you?

Doug
 
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Doug G. said:
It's not a matter of being "childish". It's a matter of interest in the past and history and restoration.

You don't seriously believe this is the sum total of my endeavors playing vinyl records, do you?

Doug
Click to expand...

No. But I refuse to play my better records on equipment like 1950's suitcase models. As I hate replacing records more often than necessary. And require something which will play Stereo discs without harm. I repair these oldies for people who use them for records which lived their lives on one, and for 78 RPM use and for the retro crowd. Still superior to any Crosley.

I like good old American made things myself. A VM changer from the middle 1960's or their school phonos (with the single play manual version of their changer mechanism) would be my choice for a player you can play with less record wear. Voice Of Music happens to be my favorite American record changer company ever. They built good things. I love the history end of this. But also believe in keeping pristine records, cared for, and played on equipment which will preserve their history.
 
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Doug G. said:
Yes, check the rectifier(Is).

As for me, I would much rather have an American-made record player from the '50's - 60's than one of those toy Japanese deals.

Like this, one of four Voice of Music model 210's I have which is the model I received for Christmas of 1956 at the age of four.

View attachment 2740250

Doug
Click to expand...
Ok great, and the rectifiers would be the items like in the second photo marked with “4349” correct?
 
I've got multiple copies of Beach Boys, Monkees and similar 60's bands that look like they were mostly played on the little portable wonders, I don't have an issue using these to live out whatever life they have left.

I love both the mechanical and design aspects of the little guys but the bright colored European/Japanese Models hold a special place in the design world. They really embraced plastics and injection molding when over here we were still building big bulky equipment. Living in Michigan at the time it was drilled into us how crappy these import products were but in hindsight, some of it was truely amazing.

Good luck with the repair, post photos of the unit when your done.
 
KentTeffeteller said:
No. But I refuse to play my better records on equipment like 1950's suitcase models. As I hate replacing records more often than necessary. And require something which will play Stereo discs without harm. I repair these oldies for people who use them for records which lived their lives on one, and for 78 RPM use and for the retro crowd. Still superior to any Crosley.

I like good old American made things myself. A VM changer from the middle 1960's or their school phonos (with the single play manual version of their changer mechanism) would be my choice for a player you can play with less record wear. Voice Of Music happens to be my favorite American record changer company ever. They built good things. I love the history end of this. But also believe in keeping pristine records, cared for, and played on equipment which will preserve their history.
Click to expand...

Well, we are then pretty much in agreement, then. VM changers have always been my favorite. I still have records that were played on a 1962 model and they are pretty much free of audible wear. It had a Vaco/Varco cartridge and tracked at 6 grams but didn't mistrack which is much more important than actual VTF. And, BTW, I don't play certain records on such a machine, either.

The 210's I bought have all had the cartridges replaced, out of necessity, because the original crystals in the original Astatic 66-TS cartridges disintegrated. I replaced them with high output (2.5 - 3.0 volt) Varcos and they work fine. Varco evidently discovered and applied the secret to keeping crystals from falling apart over time because they all work after 50+ years. They are also stereo compatible. I actually was going to rebuild the Astatics and I would have in my younger years but with age and reduced dexterity, I decided against it.

Gary at VOM is great and was very helpful in supplying parts to restore the 1210B changer in the VM 1260 I restored. It's just wonderful to hear what one of these machines sounds like again after so long without hearing one.

Doug
 
That part with "4349" on it is most likely a transistor but sometimes, rectifiers are put into similar packaging, although I doubt that's the case, here. Is there another board in there, possibly the power supply board? A schematic would sure be helpful, as always.

Is there a transformer with parts near it? They would be parts associated with rectifying the AC. It's obviously solid state so there must be a transformer someplace.

Doug
 
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