In its day it was halfway decent, all four speeds, fully automatic turntable mechanism and stereo and transisterized solid state, The portability and the versatility of it made it more valuable back in those days, take it anywhere and play any record.
If a person grew up in the 70s and 80s they should remember the quality of vinyl. Maybe not from their personal record players or turntables but from FM Stereo broadcast. With a good strong FM signal tuned in on a decent receiver you could actually hear the quality of turntables at radio stations.
@@raidensama1511 In actuality, well-mastered LPs have a larger frequency response than CDs. Of course, there are bad examples of both media also. There's definitely an art to maintaining the equipment (both discs and reproducing machines) to maintain high quality.
@@stirlingschmidt6325 larger frequency response? That’s 🧢. A CD’s frequency response is 20 Hz to 20kHz which is the the same as good human hearing. Towards the center of vinyl the angle of the needle will limit the lower frequency response as well as limit the dynamic range. And then there’s less stereo separation because the centrifugal force will push the needle more to one side of the stereo groove. This is why, usually, there are softer songs at the end of each side of a record.
@The Relaxation Station they may have had better turntables but the radio stations would, and still, compress (reduce dynamic range) the hell out of music for a number of reasons; with the main reason to prevent wattage overages keeping their transmitter costs manageable.
@@raidensama1511 FM stereo circa 2000 (probably not any better since) is about as good as a 96Kbps MP3. Generally, the medium needs to be a little better than the downmix. Records can probably match a 128Kbps MP3. The player definitely makes a difference. Don't forget, records were already compressed and equalized with RIAA curve before pressing. I don't think records actually have better dynamic range but there is a warmness and fluidity to the tone that seems missing to the ear on digital formats. I also think older albums had mixes that were more dynamically thought out than modern stuff which is to compress everything to max volume with very little thought given to the dramatic effects of dynamics.
The turntable was a Garrard 1000, made in the UK, it's an entry level product. The original cartridge would have probably put out about 1 or more volts. These cartridges were made for 1 valve cheapo amplifiers with almost no gain. At the time of early transistor amplifiers these high output cartridges were all that was available. As time moved on, amplifiers became more sensitive, and cartridges became lower output and higher compliance. The speed issue was simply oil and dirt on the idler wheel. As the auto mech put extra strain, the idler would slip on the motor and rubber wheel. Just needed cleaning! To shut the auto function down the record stabilizer arm should be in place over the center spindle. You could not use a mag cartridge, no RIAA correction, way to low an output and the arm is not good enough to track at 2/3 grams. Those crossly cartridges are just crap at any price, probably better to use a nail!!!
@@toddblanks Yes that's very true. The biggest issue is normally the arm, often very high mass and made to track at 5/10 grams. The error most people make is to use a cartridge made for a low mass tone arm and try to track at 2 grams or even less. If you choose a mag cartridge that's made to track at 3/4 grams you can sometimes get away with it. In cheap record players it is normally the cartridge that tends to limit the sound quality, with not much gain from the amplifier you have to use a crystal high output cartridge. The coupling between the stylus and the crystal has to be tight to get the crystal to move to make the high output. This leads to poor compliance, high tracking weight and of course destroys the discs. In the past you could get a few quality ceramic cartridges like the Sonotone 9TA/HC made to track at 3 grams in the better cheap TT it actually had some compliance and sounded good, very close to a low-cost mag cartridge.
Shango,This Capitol Portable is from 1967,model SA-708T. Sams set 886 folder 6. Those Astatc flip overs are nearly always bad. GE used them in some of their portables. As far as portable stereo record players went the Sylvania Exponent series,GE Trimline 500’s and the KLH portables with the Garrard turntables were some of the best sounding units.
I thought similar...also, maybe, to stop the output stage transistors being harmed by transients when the loudspeakers are disconnected and the output transformers would be unloaded...
@@toddblanks That is a class A amplifier. If you cut the power without a speaker load, the back EMF as the magnetic field collapses in the transformer will potentially spike and destroy the output transistor. My Heathkit tube mono block amps have a 50 ohm resistor in series with a small capacitor to damp high frequencies above the audible range. They called it the "tweeter saver".
Garrard put two windings on the synchronous motor stator. You wire them in series for 240v and parallel for 110v. There was also two stepped drive pulley variants. one for 60Hz one for 50Hz. This meant that the British made Garrard turntable could be used in both Europe and the USA. Also, the grease goes hard on those decks. Clean all moving parts with IPA and lube with sewing machine oil and it will run like new. Don't forget to wind out the two transit screws when carrying it around.
I THINK I see a '64 date code on the transformer. Often, the first 3 digits are the EIA number for whoever made the part and the last 4 digits are the date code (6439 would be the 39th week of 1964). I believe that most, if not all, Capitol record players were made by Symphonic Electronics and this one certainly looks like a Symphonic-built set. The original cartridge is going to be in the 2V-3V range, with the Chinese cartridge having an output of .3V-.5V. I believe there is a mounting bracket for these changers that will allow a standard 1/2" cartridge to be installed. With a modern ceramic cartridge that's properly installed and adjusted properly, and a preamp circuit between the cartridge and amplifier, this thing would work well. As far as stereo and mono record players, the biggest advantage to mono record players is you can play mono records (especially old 78s and 45s) and there won't be as much surface noise as what one would hear on a stereo player. This would be way ahead of a Crosley, but the average young person would turn up their nose at it because it's not modern and cutesy enough for them.
You joke about the copyright strike for a silent track, a flight simmer here on the Tube got a strike for the sound of wind noise when playing X-Plane 11, no music, just him talking whilst flying a virtual plane. The excerpt that they struck was an outside, third-person view with only the sound of the wind.
Two years ago I installed one of these chinesium cartridges by layering square pieces cut from a bicycle inner tube and gluing everything with super glue. The record player still works like that and sounds fine.
The replacement cartridge is probably ceramic instead of crystal. Ceramic has lower output but is less affected by humidity, which is the bane of old crystal cartridges.
The Astatic 68-TS was a replacement. The Garrard original would have been the GC-2. It is a crystal cartridge, which is why it's dead now. It tracks at 6g and outputs 0.8V per channel. If you can find them, they are expensive. Turntableneedles lists these starting at $77US, NOS.
I would suggest the speed issues and the sticking in auto would be related to the Idler wheel. The rubber is likely rock hard and slipping badly. This would cause the speed variations and the auto functions to not work due to lack of torque. Although not the best quality, with a decent cartridge it could sound a fair bit better. I guess it depends how much a person was willing to do to restore an item that was only ever designed as a portable unit and not high fidelity.
17:30 That stacker spindle is removable, it can be substituted for a single-play spindle(small-centre). Such is the *British* design of these Garrard, BSR and Colaro turntables. It's why Australia's stereogram makers chose the British-made product for domestic players.
Turntable is Garrard, British made by Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company of Swindon, Wiltshire UK. Still in business manufacturing quality turntables today.
My old man ran a Garrard way back when, and it was a great machine! The also made a noise suppressor that cancelled scratches. Friend of mine still runs both.
So true about the various aspects of what makes vinyl sound decent. There is also the quality of the RIAA component in the amp circuit along with the factors that got mentioned.
I got one of those at the landfill back in about ‘73 when I was 13 repaired it and played all my records up to then I had a monaural amp and record player. Loved it!
I think that a lot of record manufacturers put their name on record players like this. I saw something similar with the name “Columbia/Masterworks” on it. I also have seen a player with “Decca” as a name plate.
Decca was an electronics manufacturer as well as a record 'label', well certainly in the UK. At home in the early seventies my family's first colour TV was a 'Decca' !
Hamburger Icon on the phone's screen , sitting on a revolving plastic Coca Cola glass lol , love it! cool record player , disc unit, turntable thingy also!
30:40 Shango: "Sounds like someone who's sick..." George Kainapau (singing on record): "No, I don't (click), No, I don't (click), No, I don't (click)..." That what it sound like to me...
Loving the addition of your new audiophile videos - seriously though - nice to see this unit. Along with BSR these Garrard turntable's really did the job , reliable, tough as old boots and a credit to the British engineers who made them. Regards from a ( biased ) Yorkshire man.
Those Autoslim decks were pretty good for what they were. They morphed into the SP25 which was a very popular entry level hi-fi deck in the UK. Garrard had a monopoly on grease that turns to glue after a while! If epoxy resin doesn't work on something you are trying to glue together just get hold of some old Garrard grease! The idler wheel sometimes responds to being spun on a drill press or similar whilst some glass paper is held against the edge. The second arm needs to be dropped over the spindle to make the deck turn off at the end of a record. I have found the Chinese carts that have a turnover stylus to be quite good. They often come with a mounting clip so you don't need double sided tape!
The SP-25 didn't morph from the AutoSlim, it ran along side it in the catalog. Just not offered in the USA, regrettably. And should have been an option. The last belt drive version was the only SP-25 offered in the USA.
I used to love my Garrard Autoslim deck. It was extremely second hand by the 1980s when I had it but it really worked well and seemed better than the contemporary BSR. I think you've set it to repeat Shango...mine did the same.
I been in Capital Records Tower in L A....I left California in 1995.....but born and raised.... California was the greatest place on earth when I was growing up....U could not beat it
Great music must the new big thing? brought back memories of the past amazing I grew up on this and how times have changed. Not bad for its time affordable unit with stereo made for affordability back then and all transistors new for the 60s standard. Thanks for making this great video each weekend I wait for your videos. Can't wait for the next. Nice change from TVs and Radios. Always give me great enjoyment shango066 your my favorite.
excellent video as always! even if the mourning doves in the BG constantly had me turning around thinking one got into the garage lol. maybe fixing up an ancient psuedo-surround amp for the bench was a bad idea :p
I am 71 been a technician since 1968. I saw many of these record players. This is a Garrard turntable reason a ble quality. I am reasonably sure this is a crystal cartridge. Thanks for your video. Ashleigh 💖🙌
"Let's clean this up a bit" and then proceeds to disconnect the filter cap,😆😆 love it! The rubber on the idler wheel is hard and not gripping the inside edge of the turntable, so as it came to engaging the mechanism to the lift and return the arm there just wasn't the grip, as the reject mechanism is driven by a cog on centre of the platter.
That Garrard changer is seven or eight cuts above a BSR changer. They skimped on the amplifier, but this was early 60s after all. I restored a 1964 GE fold-down stereo record player a while back. GE's own brand changer, ceramic cartridge, solid state amp powered off a winding on the motor. Selenium bridge rectifier (!), capacitor coupled 28 ohm speakers. Schlocky? You bet. Sounded pretty good though.
Hey man, i have had luck mounting those cheap carts using that clear nylon sleeve protector thing that fits over it they come with. You cut that down to shape and glue it with hot glue into the tone arm then mount the cartridge by sliding it into the holder. The hot glue adds weight.
Immediately after I recognized the Swan Song logo, I thought of "Physical Graffiti". And you hit "Boogie With Stu" right away at 23:18. This was the song I heard on the radio somewhen in the mid 1970s that made me go and buy the album. I still remember the shopping experience, because the guy behind the counter did not let me the specimen which was on display, but went back into the stock and brought me a brand new one, still sealed in the foil from the factory. Very nice. I still have it, not warped, in very good condition. The perfect record for an undertaking like this.
Black country woman and boogie with stu were my favorites on that set by far. BTW: Really like your 2n2222. If I ever change to one it'd probably be 2n3055. Just sayin.
some of those old cartridges could put out a few VOLTS of signal, those new ones maybe 1/2 volt if you're lucky. Hell, with a matching transformer, some of those old cartridges might even drive a small speaker WITHOUT and amp! I'd probably have designed something with CAD and 3D printed a mount for that cartridge.
I had a BSR UA8 with a 3 volt cartridge. It was enough to directly drive the player's 50L6 single output tube. BSR TC-8H. Was mono and tracked at 8g. The stereo version, TC-8S, was only 1 volt at 6g, and had a common negative.
Back in the day, I had a Sears Silvertone branded version version of this, but it had better speakers. It sounded surprisingly quite well for what it was. It had a fragile ceramic stereo pickup, that kept breaking and then you would hear just one channel. Replaced the cartridge more than once, and it still broke again after a short time (Deja Vu on the Astatic cartridge .. looks like that was the one). I think the auto tonearm drop was a bit too fast on 45 singles, breaking the cartridge. PS, I later repurposed the speakers in custom built boxes/cabinets, with car rear deck surface angle speakers on top (with caps for use as a tweeter) for my EL84 based amp (also a Silvertone).. great speakers for the college dorm.
Omg, what a blast from the past! Had a Garrard turntable inside an Aussie made Kingsley RKR AM/phono valve radiogram owned by my parents as a kid. My dad would literally play Greek island music on it most weeknights (Anna Karabesini/Effi Sari) & the Garrard turntable would rarely fail. Not high fidelity as an SL-1200 but we had lots of memorable parties with it playing Dad's Greek records & many English compilations like K-tel's "Dynamite 78", "Knockout", "1982 with a bullet" record compilations as well as MJ's "Off the wall", Kiss "Dynasty" & early AC/DC records with Bon Scott. The Garrard is likely in dire need of a decent cartridge, adjustment, clearing the baked grease & good lube. If my memory serves me correct, the 2 windings on the Garrard motor could be wired up differently for either 110/120v or 240v markets
You must have had 'Ripper 76' ..now there was a cover to read as a teen...! I grew up in Adelaide with many Greek friends in 70's-90's, there was always lots of music and impromptu parties (and great food) Happy days indeed. I spent many years playing in bands there before moving into the production industry, a lot of legends originated from there during that time.
Nice unit. Just brought up an old Tri-O-Matic 556A the other day with my makeshiftlight bulb cord. It's been dormant for 20 years plus. You know it's too bad my relationship can't be reformed the same way vintage capacitors can, that would solve alot of issues..Most likely she would just vent anyway..
Voice of Music made some really nice portables in the mid to late 50’s. I liked their lighted “magic wand” that allowed you to change records without opening the lid. The model I’m still looking for is the 557.
As an avid watcher of this channel and a Chicagoan, I am part of that very limited amount of people that recognizes that dance music (we call it house music) as I grew up on it in the 80s and 90s
The rubber idler wheel has probably lost its grip. During the 80s, I serviced lots of Fisher VCRs that had the same problem, used Regrip for removing dead rubber. Thank God for DVD format!
the original Astatic cartridge ouput was 3 volt... your ChewyourRecords Chinesium cartridges are probably 1.5V that's why the sound is so bad. The turntable surely needs a complete service but would work great after that.
@@d.c.hammond130 Actually, in this case, the issue is not ceramic VS magnetic cartridges, but crystal VS ceramic cartridges. Same basic issue however, ceramic cartridges put out between .5 and 1.5 volts, and the older crystal cartridges put out more like 3 volts.
Hi Shango, I always enjoy your videos! I have had luck resurrecting some of these old astatic or ronette cartridges by injecting them with copious amounts of rubbing alcohol with a syringe through the opening around the stylus. They will work very well for a few hours or a day or two, until the alcohol completely dries. After doing this, the cartridge puts out a signal at or near the correct voltage and you will get plenty of volume (if the method works). This leads me to wonder if there isn't some compound that will make the resurrection permanent, but I haven't found one yet. It doesn't always work, but definitely worth a try for the almost zero effort it takes. I have an Iowa portable phonograph from the late sixties, the plastic kind designed for teenagers and meant mostly for 45's, and it uses a cartridge similar to that one, but it is a ronette. One day a good friend from out of town was visiting. We were having a few beers and I got it out so we could spin some 45's from that era. When he saw me fill a syringe with alcohol and squirt it into the cartridge he laughed and asked what I was doing. I replied that the record player worked very well, I just had to get it drunk first!
Add a quarter or dime on the top of the tonearm and it sounds happy now. Shango UA-cam DJ Sir mixalot. Dripping with sarcasm through whole video and loving every minute of it.
You’re comparing apples to oranges. They had some fantastic turntables in the late 50’s and 1960’s such as the Thorens Td-124, and even Garrard made serious equipment and had their 301 series, and there were all manner of high quality tone arms to choose from. The portable in this video was never intended for the serious hi-fidelity enthusiast. There were some very decent sounding portables back then though,and even the Capitol blows anything crosley away.
I like the ones with the speakers on the sides and a drop-down turntable, or even the ones with the speakers that hinge out from the sides, a little better than this style; with these you have to arrange the speakers each time you take it out. Also, the single-ended class A amplifiers fed by a power transformer seem a bit odd; they must run a little hot even at low volumes. Of course there's no cutover distortion, but the DC-biased saturation of the output transformers must limit the bass a little. Still, it seems reasonably well made. With a reconditioned turntable and a full recapping it would probably sound almost respectable.
Reminds me of an Ultra 6026 (BRC/ Thorn) I inherited as a kid, which also featured a Garrard (CC10) changer..but then again what didn't, back then. I used it for a while as an amplifier, as it had a DIN input on the back, and the detachable speakers could be swapped out for something nicer. No point-to-point wiring (PCB). I recall I accidentally blew it up wiring 8 Ohm speakers to it..
Well, you did manage to get it to sing again. If someone took the time to fully clean and lube it up and put a good cartridge into it, it would sound as good as the day it was brought home. I never even knew Capitol made their own record players (turntable!)
Could be operator error, i seem to recall that leaving the record support arm up and set to the right side. caused the record to repeat over and over. In at least some brands did. but it has been a few decades since i used one this old. Great Video as always Shango!
A former roommate of mine was an AM Pop Rock station disk jokey in the mid 70's and one Saturday morning while the boss was out of town he played Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the moon (complete side one)..... About mid week his boss returned and said someone called in and really enjoyed that. When asked if he'd done that he denied it and all turned out fine............... No, he didn't chance it again.....but he did prove to us he had the stones to do it. You are correct. When and if you have the right equipment to play vinyl.....there's nothing that can come close to its quality. 😉
I'm a vinyl junkie from the stone ages. Nothing sounds like the old vinyl from the 1950's, 60's and 1970's. The Decca or London I think sound the best, RCA shaded dog too.
In its day it was halfway decent, all four speeds, fully automatic turntable mechanism and stereo and transisterized solid state, The portability and the versatility of it made it more valuable back in those days, take it anywhere and play any record.
plus it looked, very cool.
Shango, a tiny bit of my soul returns every time one of your phonograph videos includes TR-808+TB-303 goodness. Don't ever change.
If a person grew up in the 70s and 80s they should remember the quality of vinyl. Maybe not from their personal record players or turntables but from FM Stereo broadcast. With a good strong FM signal tuned in on a decent receiver you could actually hear the quality of turntables at radio stations.
The audio quality of vinyl is hideous the fact that one could hear the turntables is more a testament to the broadcast quality.
@@raidensama1511 In actuality, well-mastered LPs have a larger frequency response than CDs. Of course, there are bad examples of both media also. There's definitely an art to maintaining the equipment (both discs and reproducing machines) to maintain high quality.
@@stirlingschmidt6325 larger frequency response? That’s 🧢. A CD’s frequency response is 20 Hz to 20kHz which is the the same as good human hearing. Towards the center of vinyl the angle of the needle will limit the lower frequency response as well as limit the dynamic range. And then there’s less stereo separation because the centrifugal force will push the needle more to one side of the stereo groove. This is why, usually, there are softer songs at the end of each side of a record.
@The Relaxation Station they may have had better turntables but the radio stations would, and still, compress (reduce dynamic range) the hell out of music for a number of reasons; with the main reason to prevent wattage overages keeping their transmitter costs manageable.
@@raidensama1511 FM stereo circa 2000 (probably not any better since) is about as good as a 96Kbps MP3. Generally, the medium needs to be a little better than the downmix. Records can probably match a 128Kbps MP3. The player definitely makes a difference. Don't forget, records were already compressed and equalized with RIAA curve before pressing. I don't think records actually have better dynamic range but there is a warmness and fluidity to the tone that seems missing to the ear on digital formats. I also think older albums had mixes that were more dynamically thought out than modern stuff which is to compress everything to max volume with very little thought given to the dramatic effects of dynamics.
The turntable was a Garrard 1000, made in the UK, it's an entry level product. The original cartridge would have probably put out about 1 or more volts. These cartridges were made for 1 valve cheapo amplifiers with almost no gain. At the time of early transistor amplifiers these high output cartridges were all that was available. As time moved on, amplifiers became more sensitive, and cartridges became lower output and higher compliance.
The speed issue was simply oil and dirt on the idler wheel. As the auto mech put extra strain, the idler would slip on the motor and rubber wheel. Just needed cleaning!
To shut the auto function down the record stabilizer arm should be in place over the center spindle.
You could not use a mag cartridge, no RIAA correction, way to low an output and the arm is not good enough to track at 2/3 grams. Those crossly cartridges are just crap at any price, probably better to use a nail!!!
@@toddblanks Yes that's very true. The biggest issue is normally the arm, often very high mass and made to track at 5/10 grams. The error most people make is to use a cartridge made for a low mass tone arm and try to track at 2 grams or even less. If you choose a mag cartridge that's made to track at 3/4 grams you can sometimes get away with it.
In cheap record players it is normally the cartridge that tends to limit the sound quality, with not much gain from the amplifier you have to use a crystal high output cartridge. The coupling between the stylus and the crystal has to be tight to get the crystal to move to make the high output. This leads to poor compliance, high tracking weight and of course destroys the discs. In the past you could get a few quality ceramic cartridges like the Sonotone 9TA/HC made to track at 3 grams in the better cheap TT it actually had some compliance and sounded good, very close to a low-cost mag cartridge.
Shango,This Capitol Portable is from 1967,model SA-708T. Sams set 886 folder 6. Those Astatc flip overs are nearly always bad. GE used them in some of their portables.
As far as portable stereo record players went the Sylvania Exponent series,GE Trimline 500’s and the KLH portables with the Garrard turntables were some of the best sounding units.
The 100 ohm resistors are used as damping on the output transformer. It helped prevent any frequency peaks or self oscillation.
I thought similar...also, maybe, to stop the output stage transistors being harmed by transients when the loudspeakers are disconnected and the output transformers would be unloaded...
@@andic6676 That was my thought, it may go into oscillation with no load.
@@toddblanks That is a class A amplifier. If you cut the power without a speaker load, the back EMF as the magnetic field collapses in the transformer will potentially spike and destroy the output transistor.
My Heathkit tube mono block amps have a 50 ohm resistor in series with a small capacitor to damp high frequencies above the audible range. They called it the "tweeter saver".
Garrard put two windings on the synchronous motor stator. You wire them in series for 240v and parallel for 110v. There was also two stepped drive pulley variants. one for 60Hz one for 50Hz. This meant that the British made Garrard turntable could be used in both Europe and the USA.
Also, the grease goes hard on those decks. Clean all moving parts with IPA and lube with sewing machine oil and it will run like new.
Don't forget to wind out the two transit screws when carrying it around.
I THINK I see a '64 date code on the transformer. Often, the first 3 digits are the EIA number for whoever made the part and the last 4 digits are the date code (6439 would be the 39th week of 1964). I believe that most, if not all, Capitol record players were made by Symphonic Electronics and this one certainly looks like a Symphonic-built set. The original cartridge is going to be in the 2V-3V range, with the Chinese cartridge having an output of .3V-.5V. I believe there is a mounting bracket for these changers that will allow a standard 1/2" cartridge to be installed. With a modern ceramic cartridge that's properly installed and adjusted properly, and a preamp circuit between the cartridge and amplifier, this thing would work well. As far as stereo and mono record players, the biggest advantage to mono record players is you can play mono records (especially old 78s and 45s) and there won't be as much surface noise as what one would hear on a stereo player. This would be way ahead of a Crosley, but the average young person would turn up their nose at it because it's not modern and cutesy enough for them.
I caught that 64 myself and that year sounds spot on for this machine.
Good job, Shango...the dime being dislodged off the tonearm and being shot off the record was classic!
Reminded me of the "events" LOL, that took place on Photonicinduction's "Extreme Speed record player"! Search for it on UA-cam for great laughs.
Radiotvphononut is sounding different today. Oh, wait...
he sound a bit cali.
You joke about the copyright strike for a silent track, a flight simmer here on the Tube got a strike for the sound of wind noise when playing X-Plane 11, no music, just him talking whilst flying a virtual plane. The excerpt that they struck was an outside, third-person view with only the sound of the wind.
Two years ago I installed one of these chinesium cartridges by layering square pieces cut from a bicycle inner tube and gluing everything with super glue. The record player still works like that and sounds fine.
Wow, always a thrill when a new Shango video is available for viewing. Ready to be edutained.
The replacement cartridge is probably ceramic instead of crystal. Ceramic has lower output but is less affected by humidity, which is the bane of old crystal cartridges.
The Astatic 68-TS was a replacement. The Garrard original would have been the GC-2. It is a crystal cartridge, which is why it's dead now. It tracks at 6g and outputs 0.8V per channel. If you can find them, they are expensive. Turntableneedles lists these starting at $77US, NOS.
" It sounds like someone who is sick " I laughed pretty good when you said that. Thanks for another great video dude!
I would suggest the speed issues and the sticking in auto would be related to the Idler wheel. The rubber is likely rock hard and slipping badly. This would cause the speed variations and the auto functions to not work due to lack of torque.
Although not the best quality, with a decent cartridge it could sound a fair bit better. I guess it depends how much a person was willing to do to restore an item that was only ever designed as a portable unit and not high fidelity.
I would actually hold onto this old "gem" as RTVPN would highly prize it. Top quality Saturday morning 'toons here, kids!
It would be cool to see RTVPN convert some of those old school Caliphone record players to stereo.
@@commietube_censorship_sucks Califone, Audiotronics, Newcomb, Hamilton, and VM all made stereo classroom record players.
He may come to visit and you'd need that for him to feel quite at home!
@@radiotvphononut Zenith did too! but, a tube 1. I still have one but the cab was roached. so I burned it.
@@commietube_censorship_sucks Oh yes. I remember the stereo unit we had in our music classroom when I was in the 3rd grade back in 1978.
17:30 That stacker spindle is removable, it can be substituted for a single-play spindle(small-centre). Such is the *British* design of these Garrard, BSR and Colaro turntables. It's why Australia's stereogram makers chose the British-made product for domestic players.
Turntable is Garrard, British made by Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company of Swindon, Wiltshire UK. Still in business manufacturing quality turntables today.
My old man ran a Garrard way back when, and it was a great machine! The also made a noise suppressor that cancelled scratches. Friend of mine still runs both.
Swindon, home of UK The Office?
The phone listens and shows climb the ass. I lost it there laughed too hard. Such intelligent software
So true about the various aspects of what makes vinyl sound decent. There is also the quality of the RIAA component in the amp circuit along with the factors that got mentioned.
I got one of those at the landfill back in about ‘73 when I was 13 repaired it and played all my records up to then I had a monaural amp and record player. Loved it!
I think that a lot of record manufacturers put their name on record players like this. I saw something similar with the name “Columbia/Masterworks” on it. I also have seen a player with “Decca” as a name plate.
Decca was an electronics manufacturer as well as a record 'label', well certainly in the UK.
At home in the early seventies my family's first colour TV was a 'Decca' !
That was the best use of a rusty nut, ever.
I’ve read that two heavy pieces of glass, a paper sleeve, and an oven on low can fix warped records. One of these days I’m going to try it.
Hamburger Icon on the phone's screen , sitting on a revolving plastic Coca Cola glass lol , love it! cool record player , disc unit, turntable thingy also!
30:40
Shango: "Sounds like someone who's sick..."
George Kainapau (singing on record): "No, I don't (click), No, I don't (click), No, I don't (click)..."
That what it sound like to me...
I thought I was going to be the only one who caught that haha
copious righted not. that was almost as good as "this is a test"....
Loving the addition of your new audiophile videos - seriously though - nice to see this unit. Along with BSR these Garrard turntable's really did the job , reliable, tough as old boots and a credit to the British engineers who made them. Regards from a ( biased ) Yorkshire man.
Those Autoslim decks were pretty good for what they were. They morphed into the SP25 which was a very popular entry level hi-fi deck in the UK. Garrard had a monopoly on grease that turns to glue after a while! If epoxy resin doesn't work on something you are trying to glue together just get hold of some old Garrard grease!
The idler wheel sometimes responds to being spun on a drill press or similar whilst some glass paper is held against the edge.
The second arm needs to be dropped over the spindle to make the deck turn off at the end of a record.
I have found the Chinese carts that have a turnover stylus to be quite good. They often come with a mounting clip so you don't need double sided tape!
The SP-25 didn't morph from the AutoSlim, it ran along side it in the catalog. Just not offered in the USA, regrettably. And should have been an option. The last belt drive version was the only SP-25 offered in the USA.
I used to love my Garrard Autoslim deck. It was extremely second hand by the 1980s when I had it but it really worked well and seemed better than the contemporary BSR. I think you've set it to repeat Shango...mine did the same.
thats great Shango, I love your discription of mono. I love your commentary Shango
I been in Capital Records Tower in L A....I left California in 1995.....but born and raised.... California was the greatest place on earth when I was growing up....U could not beat it
There is something very satifying about a rotating turntable with a record on it playing music!
Fortunately this record player was not just a *_monaural doigly skoyvler._*
Great music must the new big thing? brought back memories of the past amazing I grew up on this and how times have changed. Not bad for its time affordable unit with stereo made for affordability back then and all transistors new for the 60s standard. Thanks for making this great video each weekend I wait for your videos. Can't wait for the next. Nice change from TVs and Radios. Always give me great enjoyment shango066 your my favorite.
Very clean sound from the NOS 78.
excellent video as always! even if the mourning doves in the BG constantly had me turning around thinking one got into the garage lol. maybe fixing up an ancient psuedo-surround amp for the bench was a bad idea :p
I am 71 been a technician since 1968. I saw many of these record players. This is a Garrard turntable reason a ble quality. I am reasonably sure this is a crystal cartridge. Thanks for your video. Ashleigh 💖🙌
Thanks. Players of the times; Was Nice to hear no matter how many stacked coins it took.
_never a dull moment, even under California power_
"Let's clean this up a bit" and then proceeds to disconnect the filter cap,😆😆 love it!
The rubber on the idler wheel is hard and not gripping the inside edge of the turntable, so as it came to engaging the mechanism to the lift and return the arm there just wasn't the grip, as the reject mechanism is driven by a cog on centre of the platter.
That Garrard changer is seven or eight cuts above a BSR changer. They skimped on the amplifier, but this was early 60s after all. I restored a 1964 GE fold-down stereo record player a while back. GE's own brand changer, ceramic cartridge, solid state amp powered off a winding on the motor. Selenium bridge rectifier (!), capacitor coupled 28 ohm speakers. Schlocky? You bet. Sounded pretty good though.
Agree with great description to listen to vinyl plastic records
Hey man, i have had luck mounting those cheap carts using that clear nylon sleeve protector thing that fits over it they come with. You cut that down to shape and glue it with hot glue into the tone arm then mount the cartridge by sliding it into the holder. The hot glue adds weight.
Love Led Zeppelin’s boogie with Stu
Immediately after I recognized the Swan Song logo, I thought of "Physical Graffiti".
And you hit "Boogie With Stu" right away at 23:18. This was the song I heard on the radio somewhen in the mid 1970s that made me go and buy the album. I still remember the shopping experience, because the guy behind the counter did not let me the specimen which was on display, but went back into the stock and brought me a brand new one, still sealed in the foil from the factory. Very nice. I still have it, not warped, in very good condition.
The perfect record for an undertaking like this.
Black country woman and boogie with stu were my favorites on that set by far. BTW: Really like your 2n2222. If I ever change to one it'd probably be 2n3055. Just sayin.
@@Rev22-21 I'd be OC171.
So much of this video is amusing, right down to the 'stupid dime'. 😆
Another great video watched with my sunday tea,better then tv any day.
for me these videos are the best way to start the weekend 👍
I had a similar record player with detachable speakers in the late 60s. Brand name KLH. It was loud enough to disturb the neighbors.
some of those old cartridges could put out a few VOLTS of signal, those new ones maybe 1/2 volt if you're lucky. Hell, with a matching transformer, some of those old cartridges might even drive a small speaker WITHOUT and amp!
I'd probably have designed something with CAD and 3D printed a mount for that cartridge.
I had a BSR UA8 with a 3 volt cartridge. It was enough to directly drive the player's 50L6 single output tube. BSR TC-8H. Was mono and tracked at 8g. The stereo version, TC-8S, was only 1 volt at 6g, and had a common negative.
"NO VACUUM TUBES OR OTHER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE".
Well. at least they're honest about it.
Nothing but the best..
Back in the day, I had a Sears Silvertone branded version version of this, but it had better speakers. It sounded surprisingly quite well for what it was.
It had a fragile ceramic stereo pickup, that kept breaking and then you would hear just one channel. Replaced the cartridge more than once, and it still broke again after a short time (Deja Vu on the Astatic cartridge .. looks like that was the one).
I think the auto tonearm drop was a bit too fast on 45 singles, breaking the cartridge.
PS, I later repurposed the speakers in custom built boxes/cabinets, with car rear deck surface angle speakers on top (with caps for use as a tweeter) for my EL84 based amp (also a Silvertone).. great speakers for the college dorm.
Omg, what a blast from the past!
Had a Garrard turntable inside an Aussie made Kingsley RKR AM/phono valve radiogram owned by my parents as a kid.
My dad would literally play Greek island music on it most weeknights (Anna Karabesini/Effi Sari) & the Garrard turntable would rarely fail.
Not high fidelity as an SL-1200 but we had lots of memorable parties with it playing Dad's Greek records & many English compilations like K-tel's "Dynamite 78", "Knockout", "1982 with a bullet" record compilations as well as MJ's "Off the wall", Kiss "Dynasty" & early AC/DC records with Bon Scott.
The Garrard is likely in dire need of a decent cartridge, adjustment, clearing the baked grease & good lube.
If my memory serves me correct, the 2 windings on the Garrard motor could be wired up differently for either 110/120v or 240v markets
You must have had 'Ripper 76' ..now there was a cover to read as a teen...!
I grew up in Adelaide with many Greek friends in 70's-90's, there was always lots of music and impromptu parties (and great food)
Happy days indeed. I spent many years playing in bands there before moving into the production industry, a lot of legends originated from there during that time.
Nice unit. Just brought up an old Tri-O-Matic 556A the other day with my makeshiftlight bulb cord. It's been dormant for 20 years plus. You know it's too bad my relationship can't be reformed the same way vintage capacitors can, that would solve alot of issues..Most likely she would just vent anyway..
Voice of Music made some really nice portables in the mid to late 50’s. I liked their lighted “magic wand” that allowed you to change records without opening the lid.
The model I’m still looking for is the 557.
Man id love to have some of those House Records
As an avid watcher of this channel and a Chicagoan, I am part of that very limited amount of people that recognizes that dance music (we call it house music) as I grew up on it in the 80s and 90s
Same here. I loved when B96 would play this stuff at night.
Never seen this record player before, but the cabinet needs a full restoration. This is a collectable.
The rubber idler wheel has probably lost its grip. During the 80s, I serviced lots of Fisher VCRs that had the same problem, used Regrip for removing dead rubber. Thank God for DVD format!
Rubbing alcohol might work in a pinch.
@@Kinann I've had reasonable results using Acetone.
With the idler losing it's grip, there wasn't enough torque to drive the changer mechanism when it engaged.
the original Astatic cartridge ouput was 3 volt... your ChewyourRecords Chinesium cartridges are probably 1.5V that's why the sound is so bad. The turntable surely needs a complete service but would work great after that.
CERAMIC versus MAGNETIC cartridges. We used to sell little steel box preamps to interface the older and newer.
Uh, "turntable"????!!
@@d.c.hammond130 Actually, in this case, the issue is not ceramic VS magnetic cartridges, but crystal VS ceramic cartridges.
Same basic issue however, ceramic cartridges put out between .5 and 1.5 volts, and the older crystal cartridges put out more like 3 volts.
@@m.k.8158 yes correct, a magnetic cartridge would probably top out around .5 volts. the astatic Crystal cart at about 3 and a standard ceramic at 1.5
Hi Shango, I always enjoy your videos! I have had luck resurrecting some of these old astatic or ronette cartridges by injecting them with copious amounts of rubbing alcohol with a syringe through the opening around the stylus. They will work very well for a few hours or a day or two, until the alcohol completely dries. After doing this, the cartridge puts out a signal at or near the correct voltage and you will get plenty of volume (if the method works). This leads me to wonder if there isn't some compound that will make the resurrection permanent, but I haven't found one yet. It doesn't always work, but definitely worth a try for the almost zero effort it takes. I have an Iowa portable phonograph from the late sixties, the plastic kind designed for teenagers and meant mostly for 45's, and it uses a cartridge similar to that one, but it is a ronette. One day a good friend from out of town was visiting. We were having a few beers and I got it out so we could spin some 45's from that era. When he saw me fill a syringe with alcohol and squirt it into the cartridge he laughed and asked what I was doing. I replied that the record player worked very well, I just had to get it drunk first!
🤣🤣🤣🍻🍺🍻
Add a quarter or dime on the top of the tonearm and it sounds happy now. Shango UA-cam DJ Sir mixalot.
Dripping with sarcasm through whole video and loving every minute of it.
Great video ! Led Zeppelin is ALWAYS a fine selection to mellow out to on a nice evening...... thanks Shango
Great video never a bad one!!
Thank you
Dig those 78’s. But please be careful they shatter so easy. I cringed when you slammed that thing down.
Appreciate the help.
You definitely gave it a shot!
I grew up with a Technics SL1900 - I am glad I was spared atrocities like the one you showed here.
You’re comparing apples to oranges. They had some fantastic turntables in the late 50’s and 1960’s such as the Thorens Td-124, and even Garrard made serious equipment and had their 301 series, and there were all manner of high quality tone arms to choose from. The portable in this video was never intended for the serious hi-fidelity enthusiast.
There were some very decent sounding portables back then though,and even the Capitol blows anything crosley away.
@@Suddenlyits1960 you're right, silly me.
"Is this a 78?", "The sound that nightmares are made of" LMAO 🤣😂
when it was skipping on the "i don't know i." i was just waiting for the dance beat to drop in. there might be something in that track lol
I like the muzak record. I would buy it and shamelessly listen to it in the living room. 😄
I like the ones with the speakers on the sides and a drop-down turntable, or even the ones with the speakers that hinge out from the sides, a little better than this style; with these you have to arrange the speakers each time you take it out. Also, the single-ended class A amplifiers fed by a power transformer seem a bit odd; they must run a little hot even at low volumes. Of course there's no cutover distortion, but the DC-biased saturation of the output transformers must limit the bass a little. Still, it seems reasonably well made. With a reconditioned turntable and a full recapping it would probably sound almost respectable.
Those old Garrard made in england turntables were good quality
Good stuff my friend! Don't change a thing!
Reminds me of an Ultra 6026 (BRC/ Thorn) I inherited as a kid, which also featured a Garrard (CC10) changer..but then again what didn't, back then. I used it for a while as an amplifier, as it had a DIN input on the back, and the detachable speakers could be swapped out for something nicer. No point-to-point wiring (PCB). I recall I accidentally blew it up wiring 8 Ohm speakers to it..
I had that same turntable in 1967 to 1975. playing Iron Butterfly In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
top quality stuff, as always...
I work on Saturdays. Your vids make my slow mornings.
Awesome video! 👍
Well, you did manage to get it to sing again. If someone took the time to fully clean and lube it up and put a good cartridge into it, it would sound as good as the day it was brought home. I never even knew Capitol made their own record players (turntable!)
are you not missing the point that mono players were around when we only had mono 7" Nice player, sweet garrard changer.
Kinda expected Shango to safely discharge the big-ass capacitor with a screwdriver at the end of the video.
Dang! I was SO hoping you'd roll with Mrs. Miller on this one! Well, I got youtube so I'm off to get my fix-LOL!!!!!
We audiophiles keep the coin atop our tone arms using a small wad of chewing gum.
Brand of gum is critical
@@d.c.hammond130 True! Juicy Fruit provides more accurate sound stage imaging, while Doublemint improves fundamental bass reproduction.
That was good fun! I guess the original filters formed when you removed the giant "hum helper" momentarily.
Could be operator error, i seem to recall that leaving the record support arm up and set to the right side. caused the record to repeat over and over. In at least some brands did. but it has been a few decades since i used one this old. Great Video as always Shango!
Correct.
Agreed - having the support arm up made the changer think there was another record. But without anything to whack the finger, it thought it was a 7".
@@russellhltn1396 That's why later models did away with the index finger and made the user set a size selector instead.
A full restoration of the deck and a recap, and it would sound brilliant.
Love that big
Hum~B~Gone mega cap.
VWestlife could certainly work out the date for you, I'm sure! Nice unit, shame it has seen better days, but you got it working somewhat fine.
A former roommate of mine was an AM Pop Rock station disk jokey in the mid 70's and one Saturday morning while the boss was out of town he played Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the moon (complete side one)..... About mid week his boss returned and said someone called in and really enjoyed that. When asked if he'd done that he denied it and all turned out fine............... No, he didn't chance it again.....but he did prove to us he had the stones to do it.
You are correct. When and if you have the right equipment to play vinyl.....there's nothing that can come close to its quality. 😉
The Hollywood company I worked for at the time pressed the remastered DSMoon SACD before the economy took its toll on us.
Dad had quite a few records stamped mono back in that time.
I'm sitting here laughing so hard, the female voice on the 2nd and last tracks of that Hawaii LP, kinda sounds like Mrs. Miller! 😄😀😆
I'm a vinyl junkie from the stone ages. Nothing sounds like the old vinyl from the 1950's, 60's and 1970's. The Decca or London I think sound the best, RCA shaded dog too.
When that got stuck playing i dont know over and over, that would be cool mixed with a dance track
I have a couple stereo portable record players, and a couple of those "monaural doigley-sqoiblers" too! 🤪😄😄
Damn, I had one of these when I was a kid. only it was black not yellow, I miss it so much never could find the needles untill now LOL.
Need some tuner spray to clean them pots & radiotvphononut lol -Cheers!
idk, the club/dance music is some of my favorite music of the 90s.
Oh some Mrs. Miller.......
what a nice dime-thrower...
My dad once taped nickels on top of the tone arm of my cheap mono record player.