Just bought this, ok or crap ?

[mikeyb]

Hi,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Super-Rare-JVC-Superdeck-QL-YF5-Turntable-and-arm-See-description-/252044905999?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=CnCZsQnEmGngg4c2yh0URnozVnY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I bid on this and ended up winning it for £140, seller is meeting me tomorrow to handover.

I was just looking for a cheapie to tide me over until I can afford a decent replacement for the Gyrodec I had to sell.

I realise the arm is defective so will be manual only, but I thought at the price it was worth a punt. Will my Goldring 1012GX cart be ok on it or do I need something else to match the arm, I don't know much about older tt's so any help would be appreciated.

New more authentic headshell perhaps?

Thanks,

Mike.

[The Black Adder]

Looks nice to me. JVC were Victor?... in Japan. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Roy S]

The drive unit looks similar to the one on my QL-A7 & that's pretty good :)

[Gordon Steadman]

Hi,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Super-Rare-JVC-Superdeck-QL-YF5-Turntable-and-arm-See-description-/252044905999?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=CnCZsQnEmGngg4c2yh0URnozVnY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I bid on this and ended up winning it for £140, seller is meeting me tomorrow to handover.

I was just looking for a cheapie to tide me over until I can afford a decent replacement for the Gyrodec I had to sell.

I realise the arm is defective so will be manual only, but I thought at the price it was worth a punt. Will my Goldring 1012GX cart be ok on it or do I need something else to match the arm, I don't know much about older tt's so any help would be appreciated.

New more authentic headshell perhaps?

Thanks,

Mike.

Wow, if that works as stated then it looks like a terrific bargain. I would prefer manual anyway and it would be easy enough to fit a lift if the electrickery gubbins are AWOL. let us know how it sounds.

[mikeyb]

Hi,

thanks for the replies, I'll let you know later on how it sounds IF I can get the cart set up correctly.

Mike.

[Wakefield Turntables]

joe,

Japanese Victor Company (JVC).

andrew

[Barry]

Looks nice to me. JVC were Victor?... in Japan. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Taken from http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?19962-Audio-Abbreviations:

JVC

Victor Company of Japan, Ltd (日本ビクター株式会社 Nippon Bikutā Kabushiki-gaisha), usually referred to as JVC, is an international Japanese consumer and professional electronics manufacturer based in Yokohama, Japan. Founded in 1927, the company is best known for introducing Japan's first televisions, and developing the Video Home Sytem (VHS) video recorder. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JVC

[PaulStewart]

The drive unit looks similar to the one on my QL-A7 (in my Avatar) & that's pretty good :)

It's not quite the same, the TT71, 81 and 101 were all transcription motors originally for broadcast use. The QL-Y5F is a TT with controls intergrated into the housing and a servo controlled arm. This was launched as I left JVC, I dealt with the first samples that came over. The arm should be servo/computer controlled, like the Sony Biotracer and was , when coupled with the JVC MC-1 cartridge one of the best vinyl players around at the time. The servo arm worked well tracking the warped records that were quite prevelent at the time.


The problem is that if the electronic raise/lower and auto controls are not working, then the servo system is probably not working either. That does not mean it's not a good deck, it is. It may be possible to remove the arm and put a new manual arm in it's place. It may well work well as a manual arm, though if IIRC, the bias is applied through the servo system. Best of luck.

[mikeyb]

It's not quite the same, the TT71, 81 and 101 were all transcription motors originally for broadcast use. The QL-Y5F is a TT with controls intergrated into the housing and a servo controlled arm. This was launched as I left JVC, I dealt with the first samples that came over. The arm should be servo/computer controlled, like the Sony Biotracer and was , when coupled with the JVC MC-1 cartridge one of the best vinyl players around at the time. The servo arm worked well tracking the warped records that were quite prevelent at the time.


The problem is that if the electronic raise/lower and auto controls are not working, then the servo system is probably not working either. That does not mean it's not a good deck, it is. It may be possible to remove the arm and put a new manual arm in it's place. It may well work well as a manual arm, though if IIRC, the bias is applied through the servo system. Best of luck.
Hi Paul,

Thanks for the info, the Servo is working, as is the auto lift at end of the LP, only thing that doesn't work is the auto raise/start/return on the arm. If I lift the arm onto the LP myself you can feel the servo working, it also starts the turntable rotating. Seller said some parts were missing that must be to do with the arm raise issue but everything else works well.

Couple of other drawbacks is that someone has glued a dustbug to the plinth, I'd rather it wasn't there but I think trying to remove it will do damage to the plinth so I'm just going to leave the fitting there but leave off the bug itself. The cover is badly yellowed almost like it's been used by a heavy smoker but it smells clean, I don't suppose there is any cure for that?

So all in all, £162 hand delivered (seller came up from Preston on the train as he was visiting friends near me anyway), I don't think I've done too badly.

Report on how it sounds to be done later once I've had a play :)

https://mikeyb.smugmug.com/Other/Odds-and-Sods/i-RBb8vVT/0/2880x2160/IMG_20150806_180450-2880x2160.jpg

Mike.

[Gordon Steadman]

The cover can be polished OK. I do mine on the lathe with the usual wood polish but there is stuff on eBay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390932408864?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Await review!!

[oscarsaudio]

I re housed mine in a stacked ply plinth , Pictures in the gallery of my website . I'd say you got a bargain very good turntables.

[struth]

this one Oscar?

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/07/9722c5b248bf4502f8320a81afd44784.jpg

[oscarsaudio]

Thanks Grant , yes that's the one

[struth]

very nice..love the centre puck

[jandl100]

A friend of mine had one of those JVC YF5 decks - it wasn't just OK, it was actually pretty darn good!

[PaulStewart]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the info, the Servo is working, as is the auto lift at end of the LP, only thing that doesn't work is the auto raise/start/return on the arm. If I lift the arm onto the LP myself you can feel the servo working, it also starts the turntable rotating. Seller said some parts were missing that must be to do with the arm raise issue but everything else works well.

Couple of other drawbacks is that someone has glued a dustbug to the plinth, I'd rather it wasn't there but I think trying to remove it will do damage to the plinth so I'm just going to leave the fitting there but leave off the bug itself. The cover is badly yellowed almost like it's been used by a heavy smoker but it smells clean, I don't suppose there is any cure for that?

So all in all, £162 hand delivered (seller came up from Preston on the train as he was visiting friends near me anyway), I don't think I've done too badly.

Report on how it sounds to be done later once I've had a play :)

https://mikeyb.smugmug.com/Other/Odds-and-Sods/i-RBb8vVT/0/2880x2160/IMG_20150806_180450-2880x2160.jpg

Mike.

Hi Mike, if thecservo is working,myou have an absolute winner on your hands. That arm will track just about any quality cartridge, back in the day we would dem it with JVC's MC and MM carts. I also remember Angus MacKenzie of HFN trying out the then new Denon 103 on it and even a Decca London. The London to me sounded a bit strident, but everything else was great. Congrats, real top spot.

[flapland]

I had one of these and it was good although I didn't have the kit to perhaps really appreciate it at the time. Sold it on Wigwam for £60 I think to a chap in Bristol.

[fordy]

https://mikeyb.smugmug.com/Other/Odds-and-Sods/i-RBb8vVT/0/2880x2160/IMG_20150806_180450-2880x2160.jpg
Mike.

Lovely looking thing!

[Gordon Steadman]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:


Did I hear mention of a review?

[Floyddroid]

:popcorn:Howay man, what's it like?

[Reffc]

I stripped and serviced one of these last year. It was a well made deck and sounded very good. The only issue with them (and it is the only one I'm aware of) is that the servo mechanism control circuit for the arm controls is very sensitive to drift of component values and the difference between not working at all and working perfectly can be down to a very slight maladjustment or drift of one of the controlling pots (there are several which need checking and altering if required). If the circuit ever requires new components, then almost certainly, there will be some adjustment to do unless you are very lucky! Once set up, these perform very well indeed.