Exploring LP’s
Comments
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That cost is probably worth it to somebody who was given a TT for nothing. But to double the cost is kind of borderline acceptable in this case.
I think you'll get it working in no time.
Carbon Fiber huh?
That cost is what I am considering. There are a couple of SL-1400MKII’s for sale asking anywhere from $350 all the way up to almost $500. Would they sell for that? Doubt it but who knows. Investing the money for the new tonearm would put me in those numbers total investment.
I have lots of various carbon fiber bits left over from RC Airplane projects from the past. It’s certainly light enough. The added strength of the rod combined with the epoxy should be capable of handling the weight of the tonearm counterweight. Though this repair will certainly kill any resale value of this table. I wouldn’t buy it after being told of the repair. Regardless of whether it worked or not. The only right way to do this is to replace the arm and weight.
Which sucks because this is a really nice table.
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That does look like new.
I still wonder how that weight stub got broken.
Super glue, maybe?
Plastic modeling cement?
Oh, I've had great success with Aileen's Tacky Glue. Clear.
It starts off white and turns clear in about 24 hrs.
It's some great cement!
Maybe look into that as the adhesive/bonding glue you could use.
I would give it a try myself. It's only 5 or 7.00 at "Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts" store here.
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Forget the Aleene's clear. It says it dries flexable. That it does in the most miniscule form. Maybe one of their other formulas dries hard and bonds plastics.
I saw an ad for Gorilla glue. Maybe that brand? Instead of epoxy.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Here's another Aleen's formula. I'd do more research but this initial page I read has 3 reviews. I like Aleenes a lot, as do others over the years.
https://express.google.com/product/17829481817529722681_9389607612223868050_3122104Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Here's another Aleen's formula. I'd do more research but this initial page I read has 3 reviews. I like Aleenes a lot, as do others over the years.
https://express.google.com/product/17829481817529722681_9389607612223868050_3122104
I’m a firm believer in West System epoxy. I’ve restored two sailboats using it for everything, replacing deck cores, tabbing bulkheads. Second boat was lost in Hurricane Matthew but outside of all the damage, everything assembled using WS is still intact. The stuffs incredibly strong with a high shear strength and excellent adhesive properties. At a C note per quart, it’s not cheap. But I’ve trusted my life to it so I’m sure it would hold a turntable arm, properly done. The issue is the broken dial; which can’t be fixed within this plan.
Ultimately, knowing myself, I’ll buy a new tonearm. Dollar value loses its importance if you plan to keep something. So if I dropped the money to fix this thing, obviously it will become a heirloom item.
I’ve got some feelers out to various used Technics parts stores so maybe they will come up with something in the meantime.
Heartbreak = I had a bunch of vinyl show up today in the mail that I had ordered in preparation for my new table. -
Oh, the agony continues to pile on.
That's some fancy adhesive but if your life depends on, the cost is no object then.
I'm going to check out that Epoxy on the web now.
By the way, I tried to find a web site showing how to repair a auto return on these TT's and could only find one on the hydraulic lifter so far. But I didn't look but for an hour or more the other day.
For that epoxy to hold up through the hurricane is an AWSOME selling recommendation and review.
Off to see that WS epoxy. Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Here's a page I found that has some cheaper sizes that you might like to buy. I don't know though but thought I"d paste it here. It seems like a super bond-all epoxy for sure!!
https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=8694&familyName=WEST+System+G/flex+Liquid+Epoxy+KitsMost people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Oh, the agony continues to pile on.
That's some fancy adhesive but if your life depends on, the cost is no object then.
I'm going to check out that Epoxy on the web now.
By the way, I tried to find a web site showing how to repair a auto return on these TT's and could only find one on the hydraulic lifter so far. But I didn't look but for an hour or more the other day.
For that epoxy to hold up through the hurricane is an AWSOME selling recommendation and review.
Off to see that WS epoxy.
Yeah West System is really that good. High end brands, like Tartan Marine, are using West System instead of fiberglass to do their half million dollar cruising boats. The stuff is magical.
I’m starting to get some read between the lines conformation that the 1500MKII tonearm will be a drop in for the 1400MKII. Apparently the 1500MKII will not accept a 1200mkii tonearm. Which also fits the 1700 and 1800. So the 1400 and 1500 are the odd balls. They look the same as well.
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Interesting.
That's good to know. Maybe the hydraulic lifts are the same for all the models though. Maybe not...
I have a ways to go clearing and organizing again to get back to basics to where I have room to breath out in the cottage, but this year ought to be great. I have some cross-overs that I need to learn audio electrical repair on.
I'll be a happy camper when those days get here.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Doh!!!!
Sitting here it suddenly hit me like a Mack Truck......
Why not just pull up both the SL-1400MKII and SL-1500MKII service manuals and compare the part numbers.......
Confirmed. SL1400MKII and SL1500MKII share the same tonearm and counter weight.
Parts ordered.....from Japan no less. I guess I’d be tearing it down to replace the defective tone arm automation parts anyway. So I’ll do it all at the same time. Gonna upgrade the RCA’s to some KAB’s or Morrows’s while in there as well. As I’ll have the tonearm completely off, makes sense to install Linn tonearm wire as well. One massive rebuild of the whole table.
My audio hobby allows me to pass the time while I shift my entire life onto a new track, so this will provide something to do while I do this.
The way I see it, these upgrades will allow the 1400 to “be the best it can be” so to speak. Certainly allow it to utilize a nice cart like the Dyna.
Just needed to cool down and come up with a plan after all these setbacks. The tables in nice enough condition to deserve it I think. Time will tell I suppose. -
That is awesome.
What a detailed rebuild of the mechanisms you're about to undertake!
I hope you show us pictures and I just might bring my TT into my house and set up a workstation here by my PC to follow your lead.
It also depends if I think I'm capable while or after seeing what might be involved.
I'm skilled but also leery sometimes.
I can't wait.
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
That is awesome.
What a detailed rebuild of the mechanisms you're about to undertake!
I hope you show us pictures and I just might bring my TT into my house and set up a workstation here by my PC to follow your lead.
It also depends if I think I'm capable while or after seeing what might be involved.
I'm skilled but also leery sometimes.
I can't wait.
No worries man. I will definitely post some pictures and document my mistakes as I go. While it may seem counterproductive to upgrade my audio equipment while at the same time selling everything in my house, I have found that I “save” money to accomplish goals better if I have something to do with my time. Buying cheap audio gear that needs repair fills this in nicely. Hadn’t planned on having to rebuild my turntable though.
Not to mention (here’s my twisted justification again lol), most of this gear that I repair is worth far more than what I paid, given that broken equipment is cheap and most repair parts are cheap. This turntable excluded obviously.
For example, I bought a NAD C740 for $25 a few months ago. Only thing that turned out wrong with it was the jumper bars were incorrectly installed. Cheapest repair ever. That receiver is now the center of my gym system. I picked up an old NAD 2700THX, 150w@8 with loads of headroom for $110. Channels were cutting out. $10 in new output relays and two 105C upgraded resistors and it now sings beautifully as my main living room system amp. Snagged a NAD C326Bee for $155, was going into protection mode from time to time randomly. Replaced the protection circuit caps, which due to a diode being to close, had dried them prematurely. Cost me $6. Works beautifully and centers my bedroom system.
Those are my most recent projects. I’m currently doing another 2700 with all new relays and better caps all around. May do the op amps while in there as well.
I justify this because not only do I enjoy listening to the finished product, but I enjoy the work and most importantly in my case, all could easily be sold for more than I have in it if I decide to sell instead of store.
When I leave I’ll be placing important items, like family pictures, in a climate controlled storage facility. Certain components of my audio gear, along with my music collection will go in there as well. Hopefully the controlled climate preserves this equipment. It would be nice to be able to set it all back up when I settle again and call a port home for a while.
As far as the SL1400MKII, I’m going to contact KABUSA and see what they recommend regarding tonearm wire. They offer nicely done kits for the 1200 series but seem to have a wealth of knowledge regarding Technics tables in general. Perhaps they can put together a nice kit using their tonearm wire. I believe it has to be a little longer than the 1200’s.
Something else I may do is line the entire inside of the plithe with a sound deadening material like DynaMat. This table is very solid but the dynamat by design should reduce any internal resonance that may be in there. Will any of this make it sound better? Who knows. But the project will be fun and pass the time. -
You Sir, have some great audio related electrical repair skills! I can only hope to get to your level before exiting from this realm. I wanted to start 10 years ago but never did.
And what amazed me most is your affection for NAD gear. I, myself have been pleased with all my NAD purchases over the years. My main system has that 720 integrated powering it. And my SRS2's are the 4 ohm version. This int. amp doesn't even sweat powering them for hours. It's been a while since I listened to them for hours but I'll get back in there soon.
I asked years ago what would be a good soldering iron / station to start with?
I have went back and looked at some threads a week or two ago but I didn't order one yet.
What do you ( and others can chime in too ) recommend within 150.00 or lower range for me to get started? I have a soldering gun but I'm sure I need a soldering pen and solder sucker thing too.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
You Sir, have some great audio related electrical repair skills! I can only hope to get to your level before exiting from this realm. I wanted to start 10 years ago but never did.
And what amazed me most is your affection for NAD gear. I, myself have been pleased with all my NAD purchases over the years. My main system has that 720 integrated powering it. And my SRS2's are the 4 ohm version. This int. amp doesn't even sweat powering them for hours. It's been a while since I listened to them for hours but I'll get back in there soon.
I asked years ago what would be a good soldering iron / station to start with?
I have went back and looked at some threads a week or two ago but I didn't order one yet.
What do you ( and others can chime in too ) recommend within 150.00 or lower range for me to get started? I have a soldering gun but I'm sure I need a soldering pen and solder sucker thing too.
You don’t need anything expensive to do good solder work and replace components. I use cheap ones as long as the temps are accurate and you can change out the tips. Go through them about once a year.
Just use locking forceps as a heat sink and keep your temps as low as needed to flow the solder.
Anyone familiar with Audio-Technica carts? I’m trying to identify this one so I can buy a new stylus for it, or just replace the whole thing with something better and use this one for old or rough records.
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Thanks for your advice about Temp. control being important!
I'll get a Temp. controlled model for sure.
I believe I have an AT cartridge like yours but a different color. I believe I took it off the headshell and there wasn't a model # on top either. I looked on the Needle Doctors website and didn't find a match. I think I still have mine but the needle is broken off.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Thanks for your advice about Temp. control being important!
I'll get a Temp. controlled model for sure.
I believe I have an AT cartridge like yours but a different color. I believe I took it off the headshell and there wasn't a model # on top either. I looked on the Needle Doctors website and didn't find a match. I think I still have mine but the needle is broken off.
Yeah there’s no markings on this one anywhere, just the AT logo. I checked around AT and NeedleDoctor but found nothing like it.
Being this table came with all the original alignment tools and various other bits that I have no idea what they are, it could quite possibly be the original cart that came with the table. It fits in the foam case perfectly. Perhaps I’ll learn more looking for what cart came with these. -
Maybe mine came with my 1400MK2 also. It's been so long ago, I can't remember what was on it. I've changed Cartridges about 3 times since. I guess AT wasn't too proud of it since they didn't want its # known. A disposable one maybe.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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Maybe mine came with my 1400MK2 also. It's been so long ago, I can't remember what was on it. I've changed Cartridges about 3 times since. I guess AT wasn't too proud of it since they didn't want its # known. A disposable one maybe.
That’s what I think too. What I’ll likely do is buy a cart that is somewhat “approved” for lack of a better term, and use it to try and compare the old Audio-Technica to. I hate throwing out things that are still serviceable so maybe I’ll contact AT directly with some pictures and see if they sell a stylus for it.
Whatever cart I start with, it will likely become my reference as it’s the first one I will ever hear in a critical listening environment. Maybe starting with a DynaAudio is not the prudent course, being that I’ll then be forever destined to only enjoy $1000+ carts. Kinda like speakers, I only consider listening to “upgrades” when I’m fully prepared to replace my main system with them. I was forced into making this mistake when a woofer went out in one of my RT600’s. I subbed in my RTiA3’s until I repaired them. The RTiA3’s when combined with the NAD 2700’s 150wpc eclipsed the old RT600’s in almost every way. Especially the soundstage. I couldn’t stand the RT’s anymore in my main system so now they are in the gym. The “lowly” RTiA3’s are now center stage in my main system. Then I messed up again by combining a set of PSB Alpha B1’s with a NAD C326Bee as a a digital only setup in the bedroom. Those PSB’s live up to Stereophiles review and sound really, really good. I’ll likely have to go full on LSIM to surpass them, which if I can find a pair in Ebony that are affordable, will replace the RTiA’s again.
Like I’ve said before, it’s hard to go backwards in audio. Once you’ve tasted something else that’s sweeter, everything else becomes bland.
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No surprise about the synergy between the PSB speakers and the NAD integrated, since they are the same company!
Glad you are finding some combinations that work well together!Then I messed up again by combining a set of PSB Alpha B1’s with a NAD C326Bee as a a digital only setup in the bedroom. Those PSB’s live up to Stereophiles review and sound really, really good. I’ll likely have to go full on LSIM to surpass them, which if I can find a pair in Ebony that are affordable, will replace the RTiA’s again.
Like I’ve said before, it’s hard to go backwards in audio. Once you’ve tasted something else that’s sweeter, everything else becomes bland.
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No surprise about the synergy between the PSB speakers and the NAD integrated, since they are the same company!
Glad you are finding some combinations that work well together!Then I messed up again by combining a set of PSB Alpha B1’s with a NAD C326Bee as a a digital only setup in the bedroom. Those PSB’s live up to Stereophiles review and sound really, really good. I’ll likely have to go full on LSIM to surpass them, which if I can find a pair in Ebony that are affordable, will replace the RTiA’s again.
Like I’ve said before, it’s hard to go backwards in audio. Once you’ve tasted something else that’s sweeter, everything else becomes bland.
Ha! I hadn’t considered that. Makes me wonder though, when NAD is testing out a new integrated, what are they using for speakers?
Synergy. Something I would have never thought about until I had acquired a bunch of different amps, transports and speaker sets. Funny how we end up with so much gear. I think we become accustomed to our own particular “house sound” based on what we started out with, or ended up with that takes the gear out of the equation and allows us to focus on the music. Which is the point. As I’ve said before, my passion is music, how I listen to it is my hobby. The hobby part being trying different combinations until I’m overwhelmed and mesmerized by the music. I know my personal tastes have started favoring certain brands. For example, I like Marantz transports for some reason. I have a lot of NAD amps, so naturally I picked up a few broken NAD CD players to repair. I ended up selling all of them and keep coming back to a mildly modded Marantz CD5001. So I picked up a Marantz CD6004. Liked it immediately. Perhaps it’s the DAC they use? I “borrowed” an Oppo something or other which supposedly had the same brand DAC that was used in the 6004 but it sounded different to me nonetheless. I preferred the Marantz. Can’t explain it but I guess it doesn’t matter, I’m paying for it so is what it is.
I’m dying to try out some LSIM’s in my main system. The RTiA3’s do no favors to naturally bright recordings. The PSB’s could use a little more top end to reproduce the decay of cymbals IMO within my setups. Supposedly the LSIM series are a little less bright than the RTiA so if they fall in between the RTiA and PSB’s, they very well might be my perfect speaker. My biggest challenge is deciding between the 703’s or the 705’s. I run dual stereo subs so I don’t really need floorstanders.
Back to the SL-1400MKII-
I’ve been cruising the Audio Technica website and a particular cartridge has my attention based on reviews. The AT VM750SH. Price is reasonable and a lot of guys running Technics tables seem to really like it. Synergy perhaps. I’m thinking it will be a good entry level reference cartridge that I can then use as a solid baseline until I figure out what sound I like the most. I’ve got a few weeks until my new tonearm gets here so I’m starting to collect parts for when I tear this thing apart.
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That's an AT72E, or a variant of it. The replacement stylus would be an ATN72E.Anyone familiar with Audio-Technica carts? I’m trying to identify this one so I can buy a new stylus for it, or just replace the whole thing with something better and use this one for old or rough records."This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon -
Yup. It sure is. Bravo @jdjohn.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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That's an AT72E, or a variant of it. The replacement stylus would be an ATN72E.Anyone familiar with Audio-Technica carts? I’m trying to identify this one so I can buy a new stylus for it, or just replace the whole thing with something better and use this one for old or rough records.
Thank you! -
Finally!
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NICE.
It looks brand new.
But is the weighted donut included?
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
NICE.
It looks brand new.
But is the weighted donut included?
Yeah it sure does. It came with the weight as well. Along with the circuit board and rca cables. I guess this makes up for the price I had to pay. Hopefully I’ll get to at least listen to this thing before packing it away. I bought a NOS stylus for the cart that came with it. So waiting on a few parts to arrive before digging into it.
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SCompRacer wrote: »I bought this on ebay to fix a friends table. A Kenwood, can't recall model, but his looked like new. I insulted the seller asking if it would be packed properly (platter removed, etc). I was scolded and told he has been shipping turntables for years...I got it cheap in the end.
I always ask about packing and shipping for heavy/fragile items. If the seller gets insulted or does not provide a detailed answer...I move on. Any good seller would be happy to describe to a prospective buyer how his investment will be protected against shipping damage.
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
DarqueKnight wrote: »SCompRacer wrote: »I bought this on ebay to fix a friends table. A Kenwood, can't recall model, but his looked like new. I insulted the seller asking if it would be packed properly (platter removed, etc). I was scolded and told he has been shipping turntables for years...I got it cheap in the end.
I always ask about packing and shipping for heavy/fragile items. If the seller gets insulted or does not provide a detailed answer...I move on. Any good seller would be happy to describe to a prospective buyer how his investment will be protected against shipping damage.
The table I bought was disassembled and packed in its original box. Looking back, and too late now to matter, the mistake the seller made was not removing the tonearm weight. It was wrapped in foam but that didn’t prevent the shock from shipping snapping the weight off the plastic part of the arm. Ended up costing me a hundred and seventy dollars to fix it, and that’s with ME doing the labor. It certainly deflated my enthusiasm for this deal. Kinda like a bad one night stand, it wasn’t ALL bad but I won’t be calling her back. -
After you fix her broken bones, and she heals, I think you might call her back.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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Lol. Hope so bud , hope so. Looking forward to taking this table apart. Still debating with myself what cables I’m going to install on this TT. I’m very partial to Kimber. But Morrow and KAB is in the mix as well. At the very least I want a good, dedicated low cap cable running from the table to the phono pre.
Oh and I haven’t forgotten, I’ll post some pictures and “hey watch out for this” comments as I go.
