Thorens TD124

[MaxFischer]

Greetings all. New member here. I recently acquired a Thorens TD124. It is in good condition, but appears to have been out of use for a little while.

Can someone provide information about the tonearm? Tonearm says "Japan" on it, but I can't find any other markings.

Also, when I tried to start the turntable, the platter barely moves, so appears to need some service. Can someone recommend a quality service shop in the Atlanta area?

Cheers!

 

[Mister Pig]

Looks like a Sumiko Premier MMT which is reported to be made by Jelco.

I also have a 124, and they can be serviced by their owner fairly easy. If a pig can do it, anyone can. First you need to do an inspection, and see what is and is not working well. Your issue may be as simple as a worn drive belt. A good cleaning and lube is in order, and then you can determine what needs repaired.

On EBAY there is a guy named Jim Campbell who has a lot of 124 service parts. He also does a motor refurbishment. I had him go through my motor, and I bought all the motor and suspension bushings/grommets and replaced them. There are some good people here on AK that can walk anyone through the basics of working on a 124. Heck if they can teach a pig, I am sure they can teach you.

PS wonder where the plinth came from, does not look to be stock.

Regards
Mister Pig

 

[MaxFischer]

Thanks for the information, Mister Pig. It does look like a Sumiko tonearm - good eye. That is good to know about service. I'm somewhat handy so might take a stab myself. Thank you for the information regarding Mr. Campbell as well.

Good question about the plinth. The TT came as part of a set of components, each of which had a wood base. Perhaps it was custom made to match?

Thanks again,
Maxy

Looks like a Sumiko Premier MMT which is reported to be made by Jelco.

I also have a 124, and they can be serviced by their owner fairly easy. If a pig can do it, anyone can. First you need to do an inspection, and see what is and is not working well. Your issue may be as simple as a worn drive belt. A good cleaning and lube is in order, and then you can determine what needs repaired.

On EBAY there is a guy named Jim Campbell who has a lot of 124 service parts. He also does a motor refurbishment. I had him go through my motor, and I bought all the motor and suspension bushings/grommets and replaced them. There are some good people here on AK that can walk anyone through the basics of working on a 124. Heck if they can teach a pig, I am sure they can teach you.

PS wonder where the plinth came from, does not look to be stock.

Regards
Mister Pig

 

[Ohighway]

That is good to know about service. I'm somewhat handy so might take a stab myself.

If you're even reasonably handy I'd suggest doing it yourself. Everything is pretty logical on the Thorens which makes it a snap to work on, even without a manualT. he build quality is really nice. A joy to work on (versus cheaper stuff)

Biggest problem I ran into was the speed selector was 'stuck'. The culprit was old dried up grease in the mechanism. Once cleaned and re-lubed it worked smoothly. Motor is easy to disassemble, clean, lube and re-assemble. Just keep an eye on how everything is wired....

 

[MaxFischer]

Thank you, sir. My speed selector is very nearly stuck, as it takes a lot to move it. Where's the best place to start for basic information about disassembly, cleaning and lubing? This would be my first foray into servicing electronics, so I don't even know what lube to use. Thanks for your patience.

Max F

If you're even reasonably handy I'd suggest doing it yourself. Everything is pretty logical on the Thorens which makes it a snap to work on, even without a manualT. he build quality is really nice. A joy to work on (versus cheaper stuff)

Biggest problem I ran into was the speed selector was 'stuck'. The culprit was old dried up grease in the mechanism. Once cleaned and re-lubed it worked smoothly. Motor is easy to disassemble, clean, lube and re-assemble. Just keep an eye on how everything is wired....

 

[Br1ck]

There is a clutch mechanism that decouples the top platter from the main platter. I may be stating the obvious, but try switching the lever. My local used dealer wasn't aware of this feature. If it is out of adjustment, it would maybe have the symptoms you describe.

You will want to rebuild the motor. Mine worked fine, but the bearings were gunked up and the felt oil pads were hard as a rock. The table is well worth the investment.

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

Excellent table! Good luck with getting yours into proper running order.

 

[Ohighway]

Thank you, sir. My speed selector is very nearly stuck, as it takes a lot to move it. Where's the best place to start for basic information about disassembly, cleaning and lubing? This would be my first foray into servicing electronics, so I don't even know what lube to use. Thanks for your patience.

Max F

If it's stiff/stuck, whatever you do DO NOT try and force it from the speed selector lever. Look underneath, and a thin metal band from the speed selector drives a cam underneath the unit. You can try grabbing that cam and rotating it. If you try and force it at the lever, you'll likely break the lever. Something else that will help is if you can get some thin oil up above that cam where it rides on the shaft to try and loosen that old grease. Ultimately you're gonna' want to take it apart, clean and re-lube.

Here's a thread documenting some of my experiences....

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=429871

Fast Eddie has a thread with lots of pix. Post #6 should be of immediate interest to you.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=406703