hmm by stripping a PYE G63 could i use the valve amplifier

[dantheman91]

Hi

recently bought this for the valve amplifier it has a garrard turntable lead solidered on to the amplifier is there a way i can take the lead of a plug a cd player onto it any thoughts it probobly a stupid question :mental:.

Dan

its the same as this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160648379799?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[Rare Bird]

The Garrard in the Black Box 'G63E' was an 'AT6', i'm not sure about this mod as the radiogram was ment for records..

[dantheman91]

hmm thought so i dosent matter i just wondered thats all its going up for sale anyway as i got a headshell for the garrard but no cartridge


Dan

never mind

[DSJR]

The amp should be fine for line level sources, as the input ompedance should be usefully extremely high, to cater for ceramic cartridges. What Garrard deck is it? Some of the better ceramic cartridges are quite acceptable still, if not as smooth and cultured as a good budget mm cart. I've recently used the BSR SC12M into a 1.5M load (similar I suspect to the Pye) and it tracks well and sounds fine-n-crisp with a period Garrard AT6 deck running it at 4g tracking force. Don't despair...

Depending on the state and model Garrard you have, a simple phono stage for mm cartridges could be used and the Garrard should happily take a Stanton 500V3, Ortofon OM Pro ot GT or one of the Shure M44 series, which are still current at a silly price new.

Pics of the deck would be nice please, as I can make more thorough recommendations regarding lubing and cleaning out the "Garrard Glue," which is what the grease turns into after 50 or so years :lol:

P.S. - It's an AT6 I think you have. I know these intimately, thanks to Beobloke in recent times and have had the one I bought from him last years in bits a number of times, researching this and that. It still works well too and the arm is fine once the mech is fettled with the carts I mentioned, despite not having bias correction :)

Here it is, with a Stanton 500A -

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/6e2c108e.jpg

[dantheman91]

Very bad pics from a webcam the best i can do


Dan

[DSJR]

Oh, it's an earlier one - the one I saw pics of used an AT6, which came in round about 1962 I think...

The Garrard headshells are available on ebay and the arm will track a BSR SC12M without difficulty I think. The main bottleneck will be rumble, mainly from the ancient idler wheel, which is related to the one in my lab 80. A kind soul sent me an idler from a deck like yours (209? - edit, it's confirmed as a 210 model) and although it looked the same, the rubber compound was harder and it sounded awful in the Lab 80..

You know, I think it may be better to restore the record player as a complete entity and forget about using the amp outside. The mono Pye Black Box had some sort of loudness compensation built in to the volume control as well (I don't know if the stereo one is the same), valve base contacts on the late 50's models could crumble and there will be caps needed too. The Garrard will need a full lube job but will work well once done and fitted with a semi-decent ceramic cartridge such as I've suggested (what was in there originally I wonder - probably a Sonotone or Ronette I suspect)?

[dantheman91]

the cart on there was a sonotone bent beyond repair bugger. thanks for the advice.

[SPS]

the cart on there was a sonotone bent beyond repair bugger. thanks for the advice.

is it the goldish one.. 9ta ? its probly worth the cost of a new needle to hear it.. i may have a stylus
i heard one and was very suprised.. been meaning to try some of mine

i have some spare headshells somewhere too.

cheers
steve

[Rare Bird]

Very bad pics from a webcam the best i can do


Dan

Looks like a Garrard '210' player, never seen one of those fitted in that Pye unit before

[Marco]

Nice old thing, that! :)

Marco.

[Rare Bird]

There's a time where folk have to get off that Hi Fidelity horse & just admire the sound of these old boyz.

[DSJR]

If the Sonotone cartridge is intact, a new diamond stylus should be fine for it. The 8T model (a fugly red thing I think, which may be later than this player...) was highly thought of for its type, but like the 9T series, it was a flip-under and may have gone into the BSR UA15 the later transistorised? Pye stereogram used (I had relatives with one), long and slim in profile as this one seems to be.

[dantheman91]

Hi,


well the clip that holds the stylus in place has snapped of and it look like the cart is fooked aswell and the stylus


Da

[DSJR]

OK.. The Garrard will work with a modern ceramic and I personally suggest you don't get a jap copy of either the Sonotone 9TA or Garrard KS40A. Both are too low in compliance, track at far too high a weight compared to the originals IMO and don't sound as good either, especially for the prices asked. The BSR SC12M (or H if you need more output) is surprisingly good, very well mannered and fitted with the single stylus it tracks well too. You ought to buy a vintage Garrard stylus pressure gauge too - one which can accurately set 4 - 6g downforce.