New (old) Garrard RC98L

[J0hannB]

Hey guys, I'm a beginner here and I have a few questions about a turntable I recently acquired.

I started collecting vinyl about a year ago when I received a cheap Crosley turntable for Christmas. I fell in love with the physical and tactile nature of the format along with the full-size album art. I started doing a little research a few months ago, however, when my Crosley's sound quality started to get pretty bad and learned what you guys already know: Crosleys are pieces of crap. For fear of damaging my records even more, I haven't really touched the thing since and started looking for a replacement.

While on my local Craigslist last weekend I came across a 1956 Garrard RC98L. Based on this thread, I figured it decent and picked it up for $40. It needs a new headshell and cartridge, as well as a thorough cleaning. Again, I'm a beginner so I have a lot of questions.

- First off, did I make a mistake buying this thing? I'm mostly looking to play 33's.
- Any recommendations for cleaning / lubricating? The idler wheel seems to be in good condition (no cracks). The turntable powers on and the platter turns well, but I'm sure it the bearings could use a little grease. Are there any types of grease I should avoid?
- I bought what appears to be an OEM headshell on ebay last night for $20, but I still need a cartridge. The thread I linked above contains some suggestions, but they all seem to cost > $50. I'm really not much of an audiophile and don't have much cash to put toward this thing. I just want something that sounds halfway decent to the untrained ear and won't destroy my growing record collection. Any recommendations?
- Anything else I should know?

Photo

Thanks,
Jonathan

 

[charlesdemar]

- First off, did I make a mistake buying this thing? I'm mostly looking to play 33's.

Short answer? Yes, probably.

It's a high-quality machine, but it's so old that it wasn't really designed for modern records. It's most likely mono, so it would probably need to be re-wired for true stereo. The tonearm is very heavy and I don't think it's really designed to track under 5 grams, although it could possibly be made to track down to 3.5 or so. So it's not going to be any more gentle than a Crosley. It most likely will need an idler wheel rebuild (~$40) for the auto functions to work reliably, even after a thorough cleaning and relubrication.

If you like working on mechnical stuff, could be a fun project. The auto mechanism is really neat. And it would be nice for playing old records on. But it isn't a modern turntable.

 

[J0hannB]

Short answer? Yes, probably.

It's a high-quality machine, but it's so old that it wasn't really designed for modern records. It's most likely mono, so it would probably need to be re-wired for true stereo. The tonearm is very heavy and I don't think it's really designed to track under 5 grams, although it could possibly be made to track down to 3.5 or so. So it's not going to be any more gentle than a Crosley. It most likely will need an idler wheel rebuild (~$40) for the auto functions to work reliably, even after a thorough cleaning and relubrication.

Ah, that's what I was afraid of...

Is this, like, something I would never want to play any 33 that I care about on? Or just something I wouldn't want to use 50x on the same record?

I don't really care that much about stereo right now (although I may in the future, and rewiring would probably be a cool learning experience)

If you like working on mechnical stuff, could be a fun project. The auto mechanism is really neat.

I'm a 3rd year engineering student, and I was actually looking for a good project this break. Sound's like I've got one.

 

[charlesdemar]

Is this, like, something I would never want to play any 33 that I care about on? Or just something I wouldn't want to use 50x on the same record?

I think more that it would just wear records faster over time. But it depends on how well you get it working and what cartridge you use. If you use an old mono cartridge it'll destroy your stereo records. An old Pickering V15 or a Shure SC35C might work well with it. (Disclaimer: I have no personal experience with this particular old Garrard. I've worked on a few others but not one quite this old.)
You'll have to wire the left and right channel pins on the cartridge together.

My advice with restoring is: take lots of pictures as you go so you remember how things go back together. Take it apart a bit at a time, clean off ALL old grease, and relubricate with a white lithium grease or similar. Look out for loose ball bearings in the platter bearing if it's like some of the other Garrards I've worked on.

 

[J0hannB]

Great, thanks for all the advice! I hope to be able to dedicate a lot of time to this thing after my finals are finished.

 

[J0hannB]

Also, how do you recommend cleaning off the old grease?

 

[charlesdemar]

I use 91% isopropyl alcohol and lots of q-tips.

 

[J0hannB]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I also bought a Shure SC35C that should be here by Monday. Hope I can get things working by then!

 

[NoTransistors]

I have a reprint of an old ad for that machine. Tonearm has jewel bearings. Stuff like this permits low tracking force, but would the return mechanism trip at the end of the record, or simply cause the arm to stick?

 

[gadget73]

Probably won't trip or it will stick. I have its slightly lesser brother, the RC-88/4. Its not a bad machine but the trip is a bit on the clunky side. Under 4 grams probably just won't get it done. Honestly thats not the end of the world though if you have a cartridge that runs at that weight.

Don't be scared of higher tracking force, its not the instant death knell to your vinyl that people make it out to be. 4-5 grams isn't going to bother anything.

 

[charlesdemar]

The SC35C tracks between 4-5 grams. I think if you clean and adjust the trip mechanism enough, it should work. If it's trip pawl is anything like the 210, I can get that one to trip at 3 grams.

 

[gadget73]

I want to say they're basically the same trip mechanism.

 

[jeffpaletz]

I have a Garrard RC88/4 too. The model you have is a slight step up. As the person above said, it's a decent unit once you get the old lube out and replace it with new lubricant. Mine is in an old mono Magavox HiFi and it sounds darn good for what it is. I have a stereo ceramic cartridge on it so it won't damage stereo records and it works great. I believe it's tracking at about 4-5 grams and tripping the auto sequence at the end of a record is not a problem. Records can be tracked at that weight without damaging them at all. The cartridge you are getting should work well. Below is a link to a video on youtube of a restored model playing a variety of records.

 

[Juva]

I have a Garard model RC 88/4 that has accelerated rotation, can anyone help me? thanks

 

[gadget73]

have the motor mounts collapsed? That may put the idler on the wrong step. 33 would run at 45, etc.

otherwise the only thing that would make it run fast is using a 50hz unit on 60hz. It would run right about 20% over-speed.

the 88/4 does everything on line frequency, so the motor runs at the speed it runs at based on the mains, and 50 vs 60 hz involves a different motor pulley.

 

[Juva]

here in Brazil it is 60hz

 

[Juva]

the automatic doesn't work either

 

[gadget73]

auto functions are usually gummy lube

What color is the motor pulley? I want to say silver is 50hz, brass is 60, but its in the service manual.

 

[Juva]

Boa noite, veja as fotos do Garard modelo RC 88/4

 

[Juva]

Está rodando rápido, alguma ajuda? obrigado