scored a garrard lab series 80 model TT today

[Jcricket]

Hey folks, I found an old packard bell console today ata garage sale. Soiled state, but it had a cool garrard table in it. It is the labratory series model 80. Has the walnut tone arm. Works well.

Anyone know how to convert it to a stand alone unit? It has a green, red, brown, black/white wire. Green is clearly ground, so which is the power supply, which is the neutral, and what is the other wire for??

Thanks in advance,
Mark

 

[Sam Cogley]

It probably has an auto shut-off circuit to turn the console off when the last record is finished.

 

[Jcricket]

I figured it out.
The green is ground. The black/white and the brown wire are teh hot/neutral.

The red wire is a power feed to the amp/preamp/tuner/ This allowed you to use the turntable with out using hte power switch on the unit. SO you could put a record on the turntable, flip the start switch and the unit would play and work.

Then at the end of the record, the turntable and the entire unit would shut off as well.

Now to bang out a plinth for it.

 

[gillsev]

Congrats JC! :thmbsp:
Come join the club ...

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/group.php?groupid=62

 

[Jcricket]

I'll join tonight. Looks like I am going to have a beer or two, listen to some vinyl and spend some time reading a lab 80 forum. Cool.

Any recomendations on a good cart for the unit. I have an extra shure m91 and m95.
Thanks for ther invite.
Mark


Pics to follow soon.

 

[gillsev]

I'll join tonight. Looks like I am going to have a beer or two, listen to some vinyl and spend some time reading a lab 80 forum. Cool.

Any recomendations on a good cart for the unit. I have an extra shure m91 and m95.
Thanks for ther invite.
Mark


Pics to follow soon.

I'm using a Shure M91ED tracking at 1.5g. Excellent cartridge! :thmbsp:

 

[Jcricket]

Here are a few pics of the table. Also are a few pics of the beggining of the plinth. The top and bottom of the mounting board are shown.

 

[NoTransistors]

I had one of these years ago, and what is white on yours was grey on mine. Matter of fact, the chassis on yours seems to be in a lighter shade as well.

Looks great.

 

[Jcricket]

The white is really more of a cream. The other color is a champagne with a little bit of green hugh to it. I am not sure I like the stain on the board. I might just spray paint it a chocolate brown or something. We'll see.............

 

[Arkay]

VERY nice catch! :thmbsp:

I love the "vintage" look of those wooden tonearms... and some of them, when paired with a suitable cartridge, actually sound pretty darned good, too! :yes:

Oh, and I'd agree that you might want to paint that plinth. Not all wood used for plywood looks nice. The ones you see stained and left looking like ply are usually marine-grade Baltic birch ply, and often the builder has selected an especially nice-looking piece for the top. Marine-grade ply has no "holes" (where knots were). Real Baltic birch ply is more expensive than regular ply (usually fir or pine or similar softwood), which is what your board looks like. I used regular ply, stained reddish with cherry stain, for my lab table years ago, for a plinth, where you look closely at it, I'd probably paint it, too! :yes: