One of the other threads got me thinking about this today . . .
While I genuinely love fixing vintage turntables, there are a few that just aggravate the heck out of me. Some of these are due to general design issues. Some of them are because my batting average in getting them operational isn't what I'd like.
This may also be helpful to people trying to decide what to buy. I imagine I'm not alone in NOT wanting to see these decks walking in my shop.
-- Bang and Olufsen -- pretty much any of them.
They look fabulous, and they sound great when working well. No question about either of those facts. But I hate telling customers, "the cartridge alone is going to set you back at least $100." And that's the tip of the iceberg. Everything about B&O's from a design standpoint is just plain weird. The wiring is weird. The mechs are weird. And why would you design a turntable with a proprietary -- and very fragile! -- MC cartridge and not give it a f***in' armrest??? What were those crazy Danes thinking?
-- Dual 12xx belt drive units -- the incredibly weak link on these units is the "accordion" motor spindle pitch control. It's a stupid design to begin with -- the cone up top spreads out the flanges on the expandable spindle pulley. Who the heck thought that was a good idea? And to make matters worse, the bracket that holds that whole contraption together is cheap plastic and VERY prone to breaking. And that little ribbed belt . . . just bad decisions all around.
-- Zenith changers circa late '60s early '70s -- Here's a brilliant idea -- enclose the tricky little spring-loaded power switch in the most brittle plastic available. What could go wrong?
Honorable mention (as this is a particular design ailment and not a specific model issue): Direct drives with runaway motor issues. I've seen these on Technics, Pioneers, Sansuis, etc. Seems 75% of units with this issue are linear trackers. They are a bear to fix, IMO. If someone knows the secrets (besides bad solder joints), please spill the beans. Those make me very sad.
Who else has some un-favorites they'd like to share?
While I genuinely love fixing vintage turntables, there are a few that just aggravate the heck out of me. Some of these are due to general design issues. Some of them are because my batting average in getting them operational isn't what I'd like.
This may also be helpful to people trying to decide what to buy. I imagine I'm not alone in NOT wanting to see these decks walking in my shop.
-- Bang and Olufsen -- pretty much any of them.
They look fabulous, and they sound great when working well. No question about either of those facts. But I hate telling customers, "the cartridge alone is going to set you back at least $100." And that's the tip of the iceberg. Everything about B&O's from a design standpoint is just plain weird. The wiring is weird. The mechs are weird. And why would you design a turntable with a proprietary -- and very fragile! -- MC cartridge and not give it a f***in' armrest??? What were those crazy Danes thinking?
-- Dual 12xx belt drive units -- the incredibly weak link on these units is the "accordion" motor spindle pitch control. It's a stupid design to begin with -- the cone up top spreads out the flanges on the expandable spindle pulley. Who the heck thought that was a good idea? And to make matters worse, the bracket that holds that whole contraption together is cheap plastic and VERY prone to breaking. And that little ribbed belt . . . just bad decisions all around.
-- Zenith changers circa late '60s early '70s -- Here's a brilliant idea -- enclose the tricky little spring-loaded power switch in the most brittle plastic available. What could go wrong?
Honorable mention (as this is a particular design ailment and not a specific model issue): Direct drives with runaway motor issues. I've seen these on Technics, Pioneers, Sansuis, etc. Seems 75% of units with this issue are linear trackers. They are a bear to fix, IMO. If someone knows the secrets (besides bad solder joints), please spill the beans. Those make me very sad.
Who else has some un-favorites they'd like to share?
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Too bad you are at the other end of the world from me. That is very nice. :yes:
). The trick is finding tape of the exact thickness to get you on pitch. Like I said, this is a last resort. It does work. When I do a repair like this, I'm sure to let the customer know so that they can bring the deck back for remediation maintenance if/when the tape comes off.
