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Total newb question

guitarplyr

guitarplyr

Active Member
I recently scored a free Pioneer PL-516 turntable that does need some work but I'm willing to try to bring it back to life. My question is about the tonearm: The end of the tonearm is completely empty and I know that it needs three things-a headshell, a cartridge and a stylus. Do I need to buy all three of those as seperate peices, or do they come as an 'all in one' package? I know it's a stupid question, but I'm new to reviving turntables. Thanks
 
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Cartridge and stylus are sold as one unit - you purchase a cartridge new you get the stylus. Used off of the auction site and you may not get the stylus. The head shell is just that, just a head shell.

I'm not familiar with that turntable. Post a picture of it cause there were some turntables that used a "P" mount cartridge (http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=LG&Category_Code=T4P) that did not use a head shell.

Good Luck with it.
 
Yep, I already downloaded the manual. I recently put a new belt (maybe two months ago) on my Kenwood BPC turntable. Is it ok to just take that one off and use it on the Pioneer? The store I bought it from told me it was one size fits all. I'll post photos tonight when I get home from work. I also scored some other freebie tt's that I can't remember the model #s.
 
The belt from your Kenwood may work on the Pioneer. If you have to stretch it more than just a little, it's too small and will be hard on the motor. Obviously, if it's too big it will just fall off.

The "one size fits all" story kinda scares me a little. While there were probably lots of Japanese turntables with the same size belts, there are probably just as many that had different sizes.

Jeff
 
If I were you I'd get a belt that is specifically for the Pioneer. They still sell the original belt:

http://parts.pioneerelectronics.com/part.asp?productNum=KEB-004

With shipping it's a little expensive, but believe me, it's worth it to know the sound and operation will be right on the money.

As for the headshell, $40+ is ridiculous for the original and it's not necessary. This one works great for the Pioneers of the mid to late 70s:

http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/mer...&Product_Code=PTS004&Category_Code=HEADSHELLS

They sell it in black, too, but I figured the silver would go better with the PL-516.
 
Here are some shots of the Pioneer. The other freebies I got are a Hitachi HT 40S, Dual CS 508 and a Technics SL Q303. All of them need new cartridges, belts, speed adjustments, etc. The reason I picked the Pioneer to restore is because it's the only one I could get the manual.

IMG_0936.JPG

IMG_0937.JPG
 
And while you're on the LPGear website, they have a nice deal on the Audio Technica AT-95E cartridge, which will sound very nice on this unit. Or, you could spend a bit more on an AT-120, or even an AT-440MLa. That will set you up very nicely.

The silver headshell would look more at home on the 516 than the black one, IMO. And ditto on what Hakaplan said about ordering the OEM belt -- that's your best bet, although since the 516 has a pitch control and strobe, it's not as crucial as a TT without one.

When your package arrives, get a small machinist's ruler like this one, most hardware stores have them:

93684.gif


Then set the little right angle thingy to 1 59/64 inches strong, which is the equivalent of 49 mm. Rest the right angle against the gasket on the headshell and mount the cartridge square to the sides of the headshell with the diamond tip even with the very end of the rule. This is the spec for Pioneer arms.

Most Audio Technica (AT) cartridges are color coded, so just connect the headshell wires red-green-blue-white to the appropriate pins after mounting, connect headshell to tonearm and rock n roll.
 
Aww nice, it's got an S shaped tonearm. I love the look of those S tonearms, because I personally think the straight tonearms look cheap.

And you can find headshells and cartridges all over ebay.
 
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