how do you know if you need a new needle for turntable?

JP33

anyone know?

wess.c.attle

Yeah, somebody answer this one, I'd really like to know myself. Good question.

javis el errante

if the vinyl is clear and the needle skips "forwards"... it's time to replace it...

if the vinyl is clear and the sound comes with statics... it's high time to replace it...

green mountain man

Google knows all

SemperFi

If the needle looks like it's collapsing, almost just sitting on the record with no gap between the cartridge, needle, and record, it's cashed! Alot of times the needle will seem loose and very fragile, also if the record you're listening to just sounds like crap, with alot of static or just a different sound to the way its supposed to sound...like a "flat" or "dead" sound!

DriftingByTheStorm

javiselerrante wrote:

if the vinyl is clear and the needle skips "forwards"... it's time to replace it...

This could be an "anti-skate" or arm tension problem too, yes-no?

The obvious one, is the other he wrote, when it sounds all static like.
I always had trouble doing visual inspections of needles.

But if you put on NEW records, and they sound "washed out" and garbled by "extra" noise, then yes ... new needle.

Unfortunately for POOR Doomasses like me, when my last player's belt bit the dust... I bought a used old late 70's Bang & Olufsen record player, and found out the hard way that a replacement needle starts out at FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS, going up if you want a "high quality" needle to either $800 or $1200 depending on how stupid you are feeling.
:shock: :shock: :roll: :shock: :shock:
:?:

cowboypjfan

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

Unfortunately for POOR Doomasses like me, when my last player's belt bit the dust... I bought a used old late 70's Bang & Olufsen record player, and found out the hard way that a replacement needle starts out at FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS, going up if you want a "high quality" needle to either $800 or $1200 depending on how stupid you are feeling.
:shock: :shock: :roll: :shock: :shock:
:?:

Yeah, I had the choice between the Bang & Olufsen and a Denon. Chose the Denon for this reason..

DriftingByTheStorm

crazypjfan wrote:

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

Unfortunately for POOR Doomasses like me, when my last player's belt bit the dust... I bought a used old late 70's Bang & Olufsen record player, and found out the hard way that a replacement needle starts out at FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS, going up if you want a "high quality" needle to either $800 or $1200 depending on how stupid you are feeling.
:shock: :shock: :roll: :shock: :shock:
:?:

Yeah, I had the choice between the Bang & Olufsen and a Denon. Chose the Denon for this reason..

I DID NOT GET THAT MEMO!
:( :( :(

Longest Road

OK, I own a 50,000+ record shop, so I may have this one kinda right. It really depends if you take care of your stylus/needle/cartridge, is it a smoke free house (yes, it does matter), speed (again, it matters, are you spinning your prized 1993 X-mas single at 45 on repeat all day?" and if you clean your vinyl with an anti-static like a "Audioquest" anti-static record cleaner PRIOR to spinning the black circle. Is it a bent or straight arm belt drive or a POS Crosley from Target (Sorry to all the Crosley owners, although they make good home record cleaners . I guess if you don't want to get all technical or want a complicated answer (PM me for the complicated answer, with make, model, drive system, etc...)look at the needle. First off, does it have a dust bunny the size of a grape on it (don't laugh, I have had people bring in tables to my shop and say "It just does not sound right!". Well, it could be that HUGE ball of S&%T on your needle. SO Anti-static will save some life. I generally run a Toshiba Belt Drive Fully Auto bent arm SR-F451 in the shop all day. I clean my needle EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS, or I would go bankrupt on needles, and the wife (warden) will NOT be living in an alley. This is not hard, just get a very small brush, (the one that comes in the "Discwasher" record cleaning system is good, and also a cheap way to clean your vinyl. When cleaning the needle, first GENTLY knock off the dust ball, then GENTLY, without disturbing the needle angle, brush the needle IN THE DIRECTION THE RECORD SPINS, or right to left. If you want a good understanding of "Gentle", turn on the turntable first. If it sounds like you are paving a asphalt road when you brush the needle, lay off a bit. This solves about half of all "High Frequency Loss" problems. If its diamond, every 750 hours is OK. Take a look at Needle Doctor's web site, they also will help. Also, and this is obvious, if the needle is "Crushed" or angled too far into the cartridge, it's toast. DON"T bend it back out, total waste of time. Later Skater, I have customers buying Neil Diamond albums that I need to berate.

DriftingByTheStorm

Longest Road wrote:

Later Skater, I have customers buying Neil Diamond albums that I need to berate.

What's up, High Fidelity.
Is this you?


You said you're in MD?
I used to frequent Vinyl Ink a LOT back in the day.
Your shop is better?
???
:shock:

SKELLER

When all your records tell you "Paul is dead".

cowboypjfan

I've been told that this product works really well to reduce static noise:



Thoughts???

Longest Road

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

Longest Road wrote:

Later Skater, I have customers buying Neil Diamond albums that I need to berate.

What's up, High Fidelity.
Is this you?


You said you're in MD?
I used to frequent Vinyl Ink a LOT back in the day.
Your shop is better?
???
:shock:

My shop is based exactly on the Jack Black character. We sometimes play that you tube clip in the shop as an "Online Learning Course" for new employees. Seriously. And for the record (PUN), don't ask for Tom Jones, Elton John, Tiffany, or Billy Joel either! This is not a F&%#*^G piano bar, it's a record shop.

ItIsAllAboutPJ

Longest Road wrote:

OK, I own a 50,000+ record shop, so I may have this one kinda right. It really depends if you take care of your stylus/needle/cartridge, is it a smoke free house (yes, it does matter), speed (again, it matters, are you spinning your prized 1993 X-mas single at 45 on repeat all day?" and if you clean your vinyl with an anti-static like a "Audioquest" anti-static record cleaner PRIOR to spinning the black circle. Is it a bent or straight arm belt drive or a POS Crosley from Target (Sorry to all the Crosley owners, although they make good home record cleaners . I guess if you don't want to get all technical or want a complicated answer (PM me for the complicated answer, with make, model, drive system, etc...)look at the needle. First off, does it have a dust bunny the size of a grape on it (don't laugh, I have had people bring in tables to my shop and say "It just does not sound right!". Well, it could be that HUGE ball of S&%T on your needle. SO Anti-static will save some life. I generally run a Toshiba Belt Drive Fully Auto bent arm SR-F451 in the shop all day. I clean my needle EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS, or I would go bankrupt on needles, and the wife (warden) will NOT be living in an alley. This is not hard, just get a very small brush, (the one that comes in the "Discwasher" record cleaning system is good, and also a cheap way to clean your vinyl. When cleaning the needle, first GENTLY knock off the dust ball, then GENTLY, without disturbing the needle angle, brush the needle IN THE DIRECTION THE RECORD SPINS, or right to left. If you want a good understanding of "Gentle", turn on the turntable first. If it sounds like you are paving a asphalt road when you brush the needle, lay off a bit. This solves about half of all "High Frequency Loss" problems. If its diamond, every 750 hours is OK. Take a look at Needle Doctor's web site, they also will help. Also, and this is obvious, if the needle is "Crushed" or angled too far into the cartridge, it's toast. DON"T bend it back out, total waste of time. Later Skater, I have customers buying Neil Diamond albums that I need to berate.

Thanks Longest Road,
That is some really great, detailed information and you even succeeded in making me laugh a couple of times. So what do you recommend as the best record cleaner, is it Gruv Glide?
I'm glad you're doing well with the record shop, that's a dream profession.

cowboypjfan

Gruv glide is more for the stylus, I think. Record cleaners are pricey. Gruv glide is like 30 bucks.

Longest Road

ItIsAllAboutPJ wrote:

Longest Road wrote:

OK, I own a 50,000+ record shop, so I may have this one kinda right. It really depends if you take care of your stylus/needle/cartridge, is it a smoke free house (yes, it does matter), speed (again, it matters, are you spinning your prized 1993 X-mas single at 45 on repeat all day?" and if you clean your vinyl with an anti-static like a "Audioquest" anti-static record cleaner PRIOR to spinning the black circle. Is it a bent or straight arm belt drive or a POS Crosley from Target (Sorry to all the Crosley owners, although they make good home record cleaners . I guess if you don't want to get all technical or want a complicated answer (PM me for the complicated answer, with make, model, drive system, etc...)look at the needle. First off, does it have a dust bunny the size of a grape on it (don't laugh, I have had people bring in tables to my shop and say "It just does not sound right!". Well, it could be that HUGE ball of S&%T on your needle. SO Anti-static will save some life. I generally run a Toshiba Belt Drive Fully Auto bent arm SR-F451 in the shop all day. I clean my needle EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS, or I would go bankrupt on needles, and the wife (warden) will NOT be living in an alley. This is not hard, just get a very small brush, (the one that comes in the "Discwasher" record cleaning system is good, and also a cheap way to clean your vinyl. When cleaning the needle, first GENTLY knock off the dust ball, then GENTLY, without disturbing the needle angle, brush the needle IN THE DIRECTION THE RECORD SPINS, or right to left. If you want a good understanding of "Gentle", turn on the turntable first. If it sounds like you are paving a asphalt road when you brush the needle, lay off a bit. This solves about half of all "High Frequency Loss" problems. If its diamond, every 750 hours is OK. Take a look at Needle Doctor's web site, they also will help. Also, and this is obvious, if the needle is "Crushed" or angled too far into the cartridge, it's toast. DON"T bend it back out, total waste of time. Later Skater, I have customers buying Neil Diamond albums that I need to berate.

Thanks Longest Road,
That is some really great, detailed information and you even succeeded in making me laugh a couple of times. So what do you recommend as the best record cleaner, is it Gruv Glide?
I'm glad you're doing well with the record shop, that's a dream profession.

For home record aficionados, The best and cheapest record cleaner that actually works is "The Spin Clean Record Washer System" (No, I am not affiliated with them in any way). You can get it for $79.00 at Amazon, don't pay more than that. Ow, and buy some extra fluid, the bottle it comes with is tiny. Now, if you are running a 50,000+ operation like me, you have to spend upwards of $1,400.00 to get anything done with any sort of urgency. Mine was over $1400.00, and has all the bells and whistles, which quite honestly, you don't need unless your mortgage depends on it, and my wife has made it very clear that 1.) this is a business, not a collection, and 2.) We will not be living in an alley, so I better make money. (She is a doctor, so, really, I just kinda keep the employees from burning down the shop.) Most of my friends call me "The International Man of Leisure", which is not too far off base. When Pearl Jam tours, I go, to all! Regarding "Stylus Cleaner", I personally would not waste my money. It's a F%^#*&G diamond, or in some cases a sapphire. There is no reason to spend money on a deodorant stick that will MAYBE give you 2 extra spins. Bottom Line: CLEAN and Anti Static your precious Benayora Hall Wine Vinyl (Mine is 146) and you will be cool. Don't waste precious ticket money on crap. Ow, and if you attempt at any time to put a Britney Spears record in the Spin Cleaner, IT WILL EXPLODE, VOID THE WARRANTY, AND MOST LIKELY TAKE OUT AN EYE. Viva La Vinyl

Longest Road

crazypjfan wrote:

I've been told that this product works really well to reduce static noise:



Thoughts???

Huge waste, just get a Spin Clean Disc Washer and an Anti Static brush (Audioquest is the best). DO NOT SLATHER S%&T ON THE STYLUS. The more you F with it, the greater the chance you will damage it. Just knock off the dust bunny, brush in the correct direction, and spin spin spin the black circle. Trust me, I do this for a living. I won't even carry that product. JUST CLEAN YOUR RECORDS!!!!

DriftingByTheStorm

Longest Road wrote:

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

Longest Road wrote:

Later Skater, I have customers buying Neil Diamond albums that I need to berate.

What's up, High Fidelity.
Is this you?


You said you're in MD?
I used to frequent Vinyl Ink a LOT back in the day.
Your shop is better?
???
:shock:

My shop is based exactly on the Jack Black character. We sometimes play that you tube clip in the shop as an "Online Learning Course" for new employees. Seriously. And for the record (PUN), don't ask for Tom Jones, Elton John, Tiffany, or Billy Joel either! This is not a F&%#*^G piano bar, it's a record shop.

You're hillarious.
PM me your shop name if you don't wanna blab it ... i still have family up in VA, i'd like to swing in and take a look sometime. Last good record shop I've been to was in Richmond (not counting the few i visited in NYC when i went to see Jane's a few months ago) ...

For the record (har har) ... i already have my own copy of Tiffany's 12" I Think We're Alone Now b\w Extended Dance Remix.
woop woop.

Longest Road

What's up, High Fidelity.
Is this you?


:shock:[/quote]
My shop is based exactly on the Jack Black character. We sometimes play that you tube clip in the shop as an "Online Learning Course" for new employees. Seriously. And for the record (PUN), don't ask for Tom Jones, Elton John, Tiffany, or Billy Joel either! This is not a F&%#*^G piano bar, it's a record shop.[/quote]

You're hillarious.
PM me your shop name if you don't wanna blab it ... i still have family up in VA, i'd like to swing in and take a look sometime. Last good record shop I've been to was in Richmond (not counting the few i visited in NYC when i went to see Jane's a few months ago) ...

For the record (har har) ... i already have my own copy of Tiffany's 12" I Think We're Alone Now b\w Extended Dance Remix.
woop woop.
[/quote]

Well, if you have your own personal copy of Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now, it's probably best if you keep your distance. I have a ferocious shop dog (14 pounds of Jack Russell/Poodle Mix) that will smell Tiffany on you and TEAR YOU UP. I have spent many years training him. It's just like training a drug dog, only with vinyl. Every time I buy a huge lot, there is bound to be 40% Polka/Liberachi/Britney/Tom Jones/Neil Diamond/Elton John....All I do is let him tear these records to pieces and get the scent. Sometimes we even take the crap 45s out and play fetch frisbee in the alley with the little fella. His favorite to destroy is Elton John, which makes me worry about him, just a bit :-) So, in summation, I would shower using some sort of oil lifting soap such as Dawn before visiting my shop, or the little fella will sniff you out and I am not responsible for what happens, NOR DOES INSURANCE COVER ATTACKS DUE TO TIFFANY RECORDS (it's a sort of reverse rider policy). Now, on the other hand, if you walk in wearing a PJ T or ask for PJ, he will be your best friend and personal shopper. I got a good story I gotta find and copy. You will get a good kick out of. Later, Viva La Vinyl

Longest Road

Here you go buddy, this ones for you!!! From the Benayora Hall thread. This was a GREAT day at work!!!:
146 for me, happy to have helped with the Tsunami Relief Auction. I own a Vinyl shop and we keep it in a case behind the counter that says NOT FOR SALE. We generally start the day by spinning the red circle, spin spin. About once a week someone comes in the shop and has a "Holy Shit" moment and begs and pleads, but I shall never break! One dude brought in $1,500.00 CASH, put it on the counter and said "I want That" and pointed at my Benaroya. I politely slid the money back to him and told him he could use that money to buy some Neil Young or The Band. He huffed and pulled out ANOTHER thousand, making it $2,500.00. I kindly told him that I would crack open the safe and sell him a Beatles Mono First State Butcher Cover of Yesterday and Today. He took his $2500.00, had a few choice words about "never coming back" and F this and F that and then departed empty handed. As he was kicking open the door to my shop, I kindly mentioned to him that $2500.00 would go a long way towards drowning his sorrows at the bar across the street. Well, he didn't find that too funny....The Police arrived about 3 minutes later to retrieve the gentleman from underneath my boot. He got charged with Felony Battery (he tried to hit me with the "Take a penny, leave a penny jar" and destruction of property. He did 90 days, all over a record. How silly. More consumption at any cost. I bet he works for the Government and buys $500.00 toilet seats and $200.00 pencils. I'm pretty sure he had Green Disease. So now the sign above the display says "NOT FOR SALE" and just below that it says "This is what happened to the last guy that asked", with an arrow pointed at the mug shot (public record) of the aforementioned gentleman. It gets a laugh from people, especially the PJ people. I have the best job ever! Viva La Vinyl

Longest Road wrote:

What's up, High Fidelity.
Is this you?


:shock:

My shop is based exactly on the Jack Black character. We sometimes play that you tube clip in the shop as an "Online Learning Course" for new employees. Seriously. And for the record (PUN), don't ask for Tom Jones, Elton John, Tiffany, or Billy Joel either! This is not a F&%#*^G piano bar, it's a record shop.[/quote]

You're hillarious.
PM me your shop name if you don't wanna blab it ... i still have family up in VA, i'd like to swing in and take a look sometime. Last good record shop I've been to was in Richmond (not counting the few i visited in NYC when i went to see Jane's a few months ago) ...

For the record (har har) ... i already have my own copy of Tiffany's 12" I Think We're Alone Now b\w Extended Dance Remix.
woop woop.
[/quote]

Well, if you have your own personal copy of Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now, it's probably best if you keep your distance. I have a ferocious shop dog (14 pounds of Jack Russell/Poodle Mix) that will smell Tiffany on you and TEAR YOU UP. I have spent many years training him. It's just like training a drug dog, only with vinyl. Every time I buy a huge lot, there is bound to be 40% Polka/Liberachi/Britney/Tom Jones/Neil Diamond/Elton John....All I do is let him tear these records to pieces and get the scent. Sometimes we even take the crap 45s out and play fetch frisbee in the alley with the little fella. His favorite to destroy is Elton John, which makes me worry about him, just a bit :-) So, in summation, I would shower using some sort of oil lifting soap such as Dawn before visiting my shop, or the little fella will sniff you out and I am not responsible for what happens, NOR DOES INSURANCE COVER ATTACKS DUE TO TIFFANY RECORDS (it's a sort of reverse rider policy). Now, on the other hand, if you walk in wearing a PJ T or ask for PJ, he will be your best friend and personal shopper. I got a good story I gotta find and copy. You will get a good kick out of. Later, Viva La Vinyl[/quote]

F5AgainstOne

Longest Road wrote:

ItIsAllAboutPJ wrote:

Longest Road wrote:

OK, I own a 50,000+ record shop, so I may have this one kinda right. It really depends if you take care of your stylus/needle/cartridge, is it a smoke free house (yes, it does matter), speed (again, it matters, are you spinning your prized 1993 X-mas single at 45 on repeat all day?" and if you clean your vinyl with an anti-static like a "Audioquest" anti-static record cleaner PRIOR to spinning the black circle. Is it a bent or straight arm belt drive or a POS Crosley from Target (Sorry to all the Crosley owners, although they make good home record cleaners . I guess if you don't want to get all technical or want a complicated answer (PM me for the complicated answer, with make, model, drive system, etc...)look at the needle. First off, does it have a dust bunny the size of a grape on it (don't laugh, I have had people bring in tables to my shop and say "It just does not sound right!". Well, it could be that HUGE ball of S&%T on your needle. SO Anti-static will save some life. I generally run a Toshiba Belt Drive Fully Auto bent arm SR-F451 in the shop all day. I clean my needle EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS, or I would go bankrupt on needles, and the wife (warden) will NOT be living in an alley. This is not hard, just get a very small brush, (the one that comes in the "Discwasher" record cleaning system is good, and also a cheap way to clean your vinyl. When cleaning the needle, first GENTLY knock off the dust ball, then GENTLY, without disturbing the needle angle, brush the needle IN THE DIRECTION THE RECORD SPINS, or right to left. If you want a good understanding of "Gentle", turn on the turntable first. If it sounds like you are paving a asphalt road when you brush the needle, lay off a bit. This solves about half of all "High Frequency Loss" problems. If its diamond, every 750 hours is OK. Take a look at Needle Doctor's web site, they also will help. Also, and this is obvious, if the needle is "Crushed" or angled too far into the cartridge, it's toast. DON"T bend it back out, total waste of time. Later Skater, I have customers buying Neil Diamond albums that I need to berate.

Thanks Longest Road,
That is some really great, detailed information and you even succeeded in making me laugh a couple of times. So what do you recommend as the best record cleaner, is it Gruv Glide?
I'm glad you're doing well with the record shop, that's a dream profession.

For home record aficionados, The best and cheapest record cleaner that actually works is "The Spin Clean Record Washer System" (No, I am not affiliated with them in any way). You can get it for $79.00 at Amazon, don't pay more than that. Ow, and buy some extra fluid, the bottle it comes with is tiny. Now, if you are running a 50,000+ operation like me, you have to spend upwards of $1,400.00 to get anything done with any sort of urgency. Mine was over $1400.00, and has all the bells and whistles, which quite honestly, you don't need unless your mortgage depends on it, and my wife has made it very clear that 1.) this is a business, not a collection, and 2.) We will not be living in an alley, so I better make money. (She is a doctor, so, really, I just kinda keep the employees from burning down the shop.) Most of my friends call me "The International Man of Leisure", which is not too far off base. When Pearl Jam tours, I go, to all! Regarding "Stylus Cleaner", I personally would not waste my money. It's a F%^#*&G diamond, or in some cases a sapphire. There is no reason to spend money on a deodorant stick that will MAYBE give you 2 extra spins. Bottom Line: CLEAN and Anti Static your precious Benayora Hall Wine Vinyl (Mine is 146) and you will be cool. Don't waste precious ticket money on crap. Ow, and if you attempt at any time to put a Britney Spears record in the Spin Cleaner, IT WILL EXPLODE, VOID THE WARRANTY, AND MOST LIKELY TAKE OUT AN EYE. Viva La Vinyl

Good Info, thanks.

ItIsAllAboutPJ

Longest Road wrote:

ItIsAllAboutPJ wrote:

Longest Road wrote:

OK, I own a 50,000+ record shop, so I may have this one kinda right. It really depends if you take care of your stylus/needle/cartridge, is it a smoke free house (yes, it does matter), speed (again, it matters, are you spinning your prized 1993 X-mas single at 45 on repeat all day?" and if you clean your vinyl with an anti-static like a "Audioquest" anti-static record cleaner PRIOR to spinning the black circle. Is it a bent or straight arm belt drive or a POS Crosley from Target (Sorry to all the Crosley owners, although they make good home record cleaners . I guess if you don't want to get all technical or want a complicated answer (PM me for the complicated answer, with make, model, drive system, etc...)look at the needle. First off, does it have a dust bunny the size of a grape on it (don't laugh, I have had people bring in tables to my shop and say "It just does not sound right!". Well, it could be that HUGE ball of S&%T on your needle. SO Anti-static will save some life. I generally run a Toshiba Belt Drive Fully Auto bent arm SR-F451 in the shop all day. I clean my needle EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS, or I would go bankrupt on needles, and the wife (warden) will NOT be living in an alley. This is not hard, just get a very small brush, (the one that comes in the "Discwasher" record cleaning system is good, and also a cheap way to clean your vinyl. When cleaning the needle, first GENTLY knock off the dust ball, then GENTLY, without disturbing the needle angle, brush the needle IN THE DIRECTION THE RECORD SPINS, or right to left. If you want a good understanding of "Gentle", turn on the turntable first. If it sounds like you are paving a asphalt road when you brush the needle, lay off a bit. This solves about half of all "High Frequency Loss" problems. If its diamond, every 750 hours is OK. Take a look at Needle Doctor's web site, they also will help. Also, and this is obvious, if the needle is "Crushed" or angled too far into the cartridge, it's toast. DON"T bend it back out, total waste of time. Later Skater, I have customers buying Neil Diamond albums that I need to berate.

Thanks Longest Road,
That is some really great, detailed information and you even succeeded in making me laugh a couple of times. So what do you recommend as the best record cleaner, is it Gruv Glide?
I'm glad you're doing well with the record shop, that's a dream profession.

For home record aficionados, The best and cheapest record cleaner that actually works is "The Spin Clean Record Washer System" (No, I am not affiliated with them in any way). You can get it for $79.00 at Amazon, don't pay more than that. Ow, and buy some extra fluid, the bottle it comes with is tiny. Now, if you are running a 50,000+ operation like me, you have to spend upwards of $1,400.00 to get anything done with any sort of urgency. Mine was over $1400.00, and has all the bells and whistles, which quite honestly, you don't need unless your mortgage depends on it, and my wife has made it very clear that 1.) this is a business, not a collection, and 2.) We will not be living in an alley, so I better make money. (She is a doctor, so, really, I just kinda keep the employees from burning down the shop.) Most of my friends call me "The International Man of Leisure", which is not too far off base. When Pearl Jam tours, I go, to all! Regarding "Stylus Cleaner", I personally would not waste my money. It's a F%^#*&G diamond, or in some cases a sapphire. There is no reason to spend money on a deodorant stick that will MAYBE give you 2 extra spins. Bottom Line: CLEAN and Anti Static your precious Benayora Hall Wine Vinyl (Mine is 146) and you will be cool. Don't waste precious ticket money on crap. Ow, and if you attempt at any time to put a Britney Spears record in the Spin Cleaner, IT WILL EXPLODE, VOID THE WARRANTY, AND MOST LIKELY TAKE OUT AN EYE. Viva La Vinyl

You are one lucky man!! Your wife must really love you!

I've printed out all of your great info, thanks again.
I love the Benayora Hall store. I read it on that thread, I knew your avatar looked familiar.
Does your shop have a web site? I know I'll never make it over that way. My brother lives in Maine and that's about as close as I'd get. It sure sounds like a fun place to hang out.

Cheers, enjoy your holiday!

Longest Road

Funny thung, we close the shop every July/August and go to Rockland for Lobster Fest, so chances are good I will be in Maine again this year, barring any unforeseen business. The bar across the street sees a lot of me and my employees, so the trip across the street can sometimes be a bit "Dangerous". But barring any unforeseen vehicular collisions, We will see you in late July. We already have our house reserved, just a short walk to LOBSTER TIME!!!
You are one lucky man!! Your wife must really love you!

I've printed out all of your great info, thanks again.
I love the Benayora Hall store. I read it on that thread, I knew your avatar looked familiar.
Does your shop have a web site? I know I'll never make it over that way. My brother lives in Maine and that's about as close as I'd get. It sure sounds like a fun place to hang out.

Cheers, enjoy your holiday! [/quote]

cmalisze

As a very new vinyl collector and owner of a pretty sweet 1960's Sears Silvertone Hi-Fi I do not think that it is running all the best. I took it to a local electronics repairman and he cleaned the knobs and what not and said it was ready to go. So, I went to a local antique dealer here in Iowa City and purchased what seemed to be an original print of "Ten" took it home and it skipped badly. He has a guarantee on all his vinyl and before I gave it up for the return he played it on his turntable and of coure no skips. So, I kept it. It was only $10 and I was excited. I am contemplating purchasing a new turntable for my receiver. But, now I am listening to The Band's "Greatest Hits" and it is not skipping. Please any suggestions? Thanks

cmalisze

cmalisze wrote:

As a very new vinyl collector and owner of a pretty sweet 1960's Sears Silvertone Hi-Fi I do not think that it is running all the best. I took it to a local electronics repairman and he cleaned the knobs and what not and said it was ready to go. So, I went to a local antique dealer here in Iowa City and purchased what seemed to be an original print of "Ten" took it home and it skipped badly. He has a guarantee on all his vinyl and before I gave it up for the return he played it on his turntable and of coure no skips. So, I kept it. It was only $10 and I was excited. I am contemplating purchasing a new turntable for my receiver. But, now I am listening to The Band's "Greatest Hits" and it is not skipping. Please any suggestions? Thanks

Somebody.....Anybody

DriftingByTheStorm

cmalisze wrote:

As a very new vinyl collector and owner of a pretty sweet 1960's Sears Silvertone Hi-Fi I do not think that it is running all the best. I took it to a local electronics repairman and he cleaned the knobs and what not and said it was ready to go. So, I went to a local antique dealer here in Iowa City and purchased what seemed to be an original print of "Ten" took it home and it skipped badly. He has a guarantee on all his vinyl and before I gave it up for the return he played it on his turntable and of coure no skips. So, I kept it. It was only $10 and I was excited. I am contemplating purchasing a new turntable for my receiver. But, now I am listening to The Band's "Greatest Hits" and it is not skipping. Please any suggestions? Thanks

check the tracking weight?
weight adjustment

just skip to 3:30 ... it's not as hard as he babbles for three minutes about.
Maybe Mr. High Fidelity can chime in here a bit on this.\

to TRY and take a stab at WHY one album would skip and another album would not ...

an older album ... (particularly if it was played a LOT or played by someone who did not set his tracking force correctly) is subject to having the grooves worn out ... which could lead to aggravated skipping.

Mr. High Fidelity?

Longest Road

cmalisze wrote:

As a very new vinyl collector and owner of a pretty sweet 1960's Sears Silvertone Hi-Fi I do not think that it is running all the best. I took it to a local electronics repairman and he cleaned the knobs and what not and said it was ready to go. So, I went to a local antique dealer here in Iowa City and purchased what seemed to be an original print of "Ten" took it home and it skipped badly. He has a guarantee on all his vinyl and before I gave it up for the return he played it on his turntable and of coure no skips. So, I kept it. It was only $10 and I was excited. I am contemplating purchasing a new turntable for my receiver. But, now I am listening to The Band's "Greatest Hits" and it is not skipping. Please any suggestions? Thanks

The old Sears Silverstone, to the best of my knowledge, has a bent, flat top arm. I am going to get a bit complicated now....so hold on tight. Is the arm counterweighted??? If you google a pic of a Toshiba SR-F451, you will see a counter weight at the end of the arm (not the stylus end, the other end), which adjusts stylus weight. If I have a valuable record in the shop, which I have quite a few since I own the place, I will back the counterweight off to a -2 so the stylus very lightly touches the vinyl, to test for skip, scratches, ditches, gun shot holes, etc....So, if you adjust the counter weight, JUST A BIT heavier, you will put a tiny bit more pressure on the needle, eliminating skipping. DO NOT CRANK IT ALL THE WAY IN....WE ARE NOT TRYING TO REPRESS THE RECORD WITH YOUR NEEDLE OR GROOVE A DITCH TO CHINA. Now, If you have no counterweight, your rig is a bit out of tune. Your local antique dealer IS NOT a record shop, nor will blowing the dust off the knobs do S%&T for your problem. Go get your $ back. Later pressings of Ten were not pressed the best, and are not 180G. I'm speculating that your Ten flexes like a wet napkin, whereas The Band (Awesome album, play it almost every day in the shop, is 180G, or at least mine is.) The difference here being groove depth. So, the bootleg, cheapest, and effective way to fix this is to reach into your pocket, pull out some change, and go get the SCOTCH TAPE, NO GLUE, from the junk drawer. Start with the dime. GENTLY tape the dime to the flat side of the stylus arm,(The Top) just above the needle. Spin, Spin, Spin, the black circle and see what happens. If this fixes it, bueno. If not, move on up to the penny. Again, give it a shot and see what transpires. If the penny is no good, move on up to the BIG B&%#H, the nickel. If this does not fix it, STOP. Again, anything more than a nickel and you risk digging the aforementioned ditch to China. When the nickel fails, go get your phone book, look up record shops, pack up the old girl and take a road trip. If you are near Baltimore/Washington/Annapolis, PM me and I will fix it for you, free. You are always welcome in my shop if you love The Band. Listen to The Last Waltz, it's The Band with Clapton, Dylan, Van Morrison, Uncle Neil, Muddy Waters, etc....THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE GUY WITH THE TIFFANY RECORD, STAY OUT

Longest Road

Ow, I see I am known as Mr. High Fidelity now You are also welcome in my shop! But i will keep a close eye on you :geek: :shock: I suspect you have some Tom Jones on your iPod, and if you read my earlier post regarding the shop dog, BEWARE I am going to the mountains for the weekend (I meditate (I'm Buddhist) that my employees will not burn down my joint)(Joint being the key word here, they tend to be a bit "eccentric"), so I will return Monday to fix the rest of ten clubs vinyl issues. Seacrest, OUT....

Longest Road

Ow, and you do not have an original copy of Ten (most likely). Hot Topic carries Ten all the time, along with a bunch of other stores. REPRESSES. Ten was originally pressed in 1991 with a matrix of Z 47857 on Epic Associated label, but the US Vinyl was not released until 1994. Since then, there have been additional US pressings, so unless you lived overseas from 1991-1994, you got a first-? pressing. Take the record and wobble it (gently). If it flexes like a bungee cord, later pressing. If it is as stiff as......well, if it's stiff, its 180G, most likely a first press, but I can't confirm or deny any pressings without actually holding the record. NOW, I am off to the mountains to meditate. Try not to break anything until Monday when I return and I will fix more vinyl woes. High Fidelity....OUT

cmalisze

Longest Road wrote:

Ow, and you do not have an original copy of Ten (most likely). Hot Topic carries Ten all the time, along with a bunch of other stores. REPRESSES. Ten was originally pressed in 1991 with a matrix of Z 47857 on Epic Associated label, but the US Vinyl was not released until 1994. Since then, there have been additional US pressings, so unless you lived overseas from 1991-1994, you got a first-? pressing. Take the record and wobble it (gently). If it flexes like a bungee cord, later pressing. If it is as stiff as......well, if it's stiff, its 180G, most likely a first press, but I can't confirm or deny any pressings without actually holding the record. NOW, I am off to the mountains to meditate. Try not to break anything until Monday when I return and I will fix more vinyl woes. High Fidelity....OUT

Thanks for all the help! I will try the suggestions and see what occurs. I may also take a picture of the actual turntable and see what you think. Also, is it possible to drop in a new turntable in to the Hi-Fi? I know I have a lot of questions please excuse me......

DriftingByTheStorm

cmalisze wrote:

Longest Road wrote:

Ow, and you do not have an original copy of Ten (most likely). Hot Topic carries Ten all the time, along with a bunch of other stores. REPRESSES. Ten was originally pressed in 1991 with a matrix of Z 47857 on Epic Associated label, but the US Vinyl was not released until 1994. Since then, there have been additional US pressings, so unless you lived overseas from 1991-1994, you got a first-? pressing. Take the record and wobble it (gently). If it flexes like a bungee cord, later pressing. If it is as stiff as......well, if it's stiff, its 180G, most likely a first press, but I can't confirm or deny any pressings without actually holding the record. NOW, I am off to the mountains to meditate. Try not to break anything until Monday when I return and I will fix more vinyl woes. High Fidelity....OUT

Thanks for all the help! I will try the suggestions and see what occurs. I may also take a picture of the actual turntable and see what you think. Also, is it possible to drop in a new turntable in to the Hi-Fi? I know I have a lot of questions please excuse me......

What do you mean, "drop in a new turntable"?

Start with checking your counterweight like was said.
ALL record players should have a counterweight (though maybe in the 60's they didn't?). If yours doesn't, you can try his (Mr. High Fidelity) jerry-rigged penny\nickle method ... but i would honestly go find a new player if it was missing parts like that.

This SS Hi-Fi you speak of, is it one of those OLD All-In-One wood framed behemoths with stereo, phono, and SPEAKERS all built in?

Man to be honest, if that was the deal (and it was my decision to make) i'd probably scrap it and get a newer system.

I think a system is a system is a system ... i'm not a super Hi-Fi guy ... and i tend to think most people (me included) can't really tell the fidelity difference between most well made component systems ... but with a system that old, you're probably going to be facing a few different problems. One i would be more concerned with given the age, besides the general condition of the electronics, would be the speakers themselves. If they are paper cones, and are from the 60's, they probably are on their way out.

That, however, is the opinion of an ignoramus.

Maybe when Mr.Hi-Fidelity comes back down from his mountain retreat, he can enlighten us all.