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Fixing A Silvertone Record Player(circa 40's?) W/ Speaker//Help Me Through

#43
I have an ancient AM tube radio I got for cheap at an antique shop. Has an all metal case painted red, and the dial has a light in it. Got it working, and now I use it every morning. Switch on when I wake up, tubes warm up while I brush my teeth and then I get news and weather while I dress for work. It's a very cool thing to have in the house.

So if you can get the radio to work first, the thing becomes functional for you at least, then you can take your time getting the turntable and other parts fixed.

I can't help you much with any know-how, just here to encourage you to bring old gear back to life if possible. That thing might look really nice in your living room.
 
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#44
I just got back from Electric City Repair in Denver. The guys swears he can get the TT, AM/FM radio, and speaker working for $300. I found it hard to believe so I said, 'Are you sure it won't be around $400-$500". He said, 'No. Should be about $300'.

Sounded like great news to me. He says he's done a ton of similar work.
 
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#46
canteenboy said:
I just got back from Electric City Repair in Denver. The guys swears he can get the TT, AM/FM radio, and speaker working for $300. I found it hard to believe so I said, 'Are you sure it won't be around $400-$500". He said, 'No. Should be about $300'.

Sounded like great news to me. He says he's done a ton of similar work.
Click to expand...

There's a place in my area that fixes all that old stuff, sounds about right. I've had them fix my tube radio, tube guitar head, and old Garrard record player. Most expensive part was a belt for the turntable.

Are they going to replace all the old caps and flakey wiring? Install a 3-prong power cord? Things to ask. It's one thing to get it working; another thing to bring it up to the specs you want.

Are you going to refinish the wood parts or replace the speaker grill?
 
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#47
Spectrum said:
There's a place in my area that fixes all that old stuff, sounds about right. I've had them fix my tube radio, tube guitar head, and old Garrard record player. Most expensive part was a belt for the turntable.

Are they going to replace all the old caps and flakey wiring? Install a 3-prong power cord? Things to ask. It's one thing to get it working; another thing to bring it up to the specs you want.

Are you going to refinish the wood parts or replace the speaker grill?
Click to expand...
I'm gonna bring it in next weekend so he can write up an official estimate. We talked about the general up keep I'll have to do and the stuff he'll have to do to get it working well. We seemed like we were on the same page. I'm thinking of being lazy with the wood and not doing any more work on that end. I'm tired! So much sanding. If I had a power tool, it wouldn't have been too bad.

I was thinking of replacing the screen but I didn't want to replace it with something that doesn't look as good.
 
#51
There might be adjustments that need to be made to the turn table. If that manual matches up, or even if the TT is the same, it should cover adjustments, if any.

I just googled what you called it in the OP, several repair forums came up. If you can dig out a model # you might get some better information.
 
#52
Spectrum said:
There's a place in my area that fixes all that old stuff, sounds about right. I've had them fix my tube radio, tube guitar head, and old Garrard record player. Most expensive part was a belt for the turntable.

Are they going to replace all the old caps and flakey wiring? Install a 3-prong power cord, add a bass jack? Things to ask. It's one thing to get it working; another thing to bring it up to the specs you want.

Are you going to refinish the wood parts or replace the speaker grill?
Click to expand...

:laugh::wacky::p
 
#53
Spectrum said:
I love the fold-out shelf thing for the turntable.

Would be cool to build a cabinet like that for a modern mini-rack system with a shelf like that for a nice Technics turntable.... (must suppress stupid project idea!)...
Click to expand...

The pull out or fold out is very cool. The only issue is the turntable is not well supported.
Technics are very nice but they are much more susceptible to vibration than that old Silverstone.
The technics like a rock solid base under the already heavy base that comes with them.

We used to have Technics at the radio station. We put them on a heavy wood stand and dropped a seventy lb. bag of sand into the bottom of the stand. When the busses went down the street almost a block away, we could hear it just a little in the TT.
 
#54
Old Garage-Bander said:
The pull out or fold out is very cool. The only issue is the turntable is not well supported.
Technics are very nice but they are much more susceptible to vibration than that old Silverstone.
The technics like a rock solid base under the already heavy base that comes with them.

We used to have Technics at the radio station. We put them on a heavy wood stand and dropped a seventy lb. bag of sand into the bottom of the stand. When the busses went down the street almost a block away, we could hear it just a little in the TT.
Click to expand...

I think that'll happen with any TT. I learned how to adjust the anti-skate mechanism on mine to make it all work smoother. I have my dad's old Technics from the late 80s, and his old Garrard record changer from the late 60s, which is my current favorite. Once it's all adjusted right I can stack 3 or 4 records on it and it runs through them all beautifully, and with a modern cartridge, good amp and speakers, sounds divine.
 
#55
Spectrum said:
I think that'll happen with any TT. I learned how to adjust the anti-skate mechanism on mine to make it all work smoother. I have my dad's old Technics from the late 80s, and his old Garrard record changer from the late 60s, which is my current favorite. Once it's all adjusted right I can stack 3 or 4 records on it and it runs through them all beautifully, and with a modern cartridge, good amp and speakers, sounds divine.
Click to expand...
Wow! A Garrard! Pretty much the go to TT from that era.
 
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