Eat your heart out vinyl lovers

[Gordon Steadman]

I recently put out a request on our local Google Group for old record players. I was actually looking for something specific but got the usual Fidelity all in ones!! However, one guy had a Dual which I bought from him and he threw in his old Garrard SP25 for free.

The plinth had seen better days so I bunged it in a spare after hacking it a bit and plugged it in to see if it still worked. Yup perfectly. Anybody that was around in the 60s probably had one of these at one time. I need to clean it up a bit and check the idler wheel.

I can now record all the old 78s onto the Mac - oh goodie:rolleyes:

[Audio Al]

Gordon

The plinth is er! , well lets say well below your usual high standards :( , Is it just temporary ? ( Say yes now ) :)

[DSJR]

I think you can still obtain 78 styli for the G850 fitted.

You know, these decks aren't hifi by modern standards, yet the previous owner/user never heard how good this deck could be, since the G850 doesn't 'do' treble very well at all. An AT91 tracking at a smidge under 2g would transform it IMO (once the Garrard glue is removed...).

[Firebottle]

:eek::eek::eek:

Such memories of life in digs with fellow students gear.
One of them (can't remember his name) in the house backing on to ours had Quad IIs.

SP25 it was in ours, thank goodness we can appreciate better now:)

[Gordon Steadman]

Gordon

The plinth is er! , well lets say well below your usual high standards :( , Is it just temporary ? ( Say yes now ) :)
Are you suggestin' I'm a bodger Mr Wells? Its a piece of kitchen worktop with a lid stuck on it. I routed it out freehand and the notches are from a previous lash up!!

YES:lol:

[Gordon Steadman]

I think you can still obtain 78 styli for the G850 fitted.

You know, these decks aren't hifi by modern standards, yet the previous owner/user never heard how good this deck could be, since the G850 doesn't 'do' treble very well at all. An AT91 tracking at a smidge under 2g would transform it IMO (once the Garrard glue is removed...).

The cartridge was bugger*d as was the arm wiring!! Goes round OK though:) Obviously not worth mucking about with it so, sorry to the sensitive amongst you, the arm and its associated bits now lie in the rubbish sack in the workshop. In its place is an arm off an old Sony TT, not really much better but at least it works well enough to do the 78s. Pity I have to get a cartridge for it but I'll see what eBay throws up.

[Gordon Steadman]

:eek::eek::eek:

Such memories of life in digs with fellow students gear.
One of them (can't remember his name) in the house backing on to ours had Quad IIs.

SP25 it was in ours, thank goodness we can appreciate better now:)

I had a friend at the Beeb who had the SP25 with a Rogers Ravensbrook and Goodmans Maxims. I remember being pretty impressed at the time.....then I got the 301/SME:eek:

[thinker10]

Give the deck a chance !!!

Maybe some other low compliance stylus/cartridge

A real vintage Shure M44 with a C stylus

I am pretty sure hearing one in my younger days ....

In a console of some kind

It boogie up good , compared to what was coming ---> BSR plastic platter and ceramic ....

Quite musical for what it is

[Gordon Steadman]

Give the deck a chance !!!

Maybe some other low compliance stylus/cartridge

A real vintage Shure M44 with a C stylus

I am pretty sure hearing one in my younger days ....

In a console of some kind

It boogie up good , compared to what was coming ---> BSR plastic platter and ceramic ....

Quite musical for what it is

Hi Jean,

I have tried it with the 'new' arm and, as you say, its surprisingly OK. Not exactly the last word in detail retrieval but OK. The arm is a bit longer than the original which seemed to be a bout 6" long!@!

I still haven't got the right cartridge for 78s but will sort that in due course. Just need to pretty up the plinth and clean the deck a bit and I won't feel too embarrassed by it.