TURNTABLE REPAIR

 Vinyl is back!  Of course, in our world it never went away.  At the Electronic Center, we've been servicing, repairing and restoring turntables since we opened for business back in 1982.
 

We can service just about any make and model, including idler drive,  belt drive and direct drive units.  Common problems with older turntables include:
 

• Speed problems...running too slow or too fast
• Tonearm problems, including failure to start or return correctly, sticking, or dragging across the record
• Loss of signal, or intermittent signal from one or both channels
• Motor noise and/or mechanical noise (rubbing, grating, etc)
• Issues with the cueing mechanism...dropping too fast, not lifting up high enough, etc.
• Faulty switches
• Damage to interconnect, power or grounding wires
• Bad sound quality due to faulty cartridge and/or stylus

We've got the experience and expertise to properly diagnose the problem, track down the necessary parts, and get your table running right again.
 

We can correctly service and repair both modern and vintage tables, including console units.  Parts and needles are getting harder and harder to find for some of these older record players, but we know just about every source here in the USA, and many international suppliers.  If anybody can fix it, we can.
 

Turntable Do It Yourself
 

For best performance, it's important to assure the correct tracking weight and cartridge alignment for your turntable.  See your User Manual for instructions - if you don't have one, you may be able to find a copy at www.vinylengine.com,  which has user and service manuals for thousands of turntables. You will need to register as a member, but the manuals are free.  This site also has a very active forum for discussion, questions and answers, etc.
 

In addition to set-up instructions, the manuals often have information regarding preventive maintenance and troubleshooting.
 

Also, you may want to become an Electronic Center Newsletter subscriber and download the third edition from our Newsletter Archives.  It includes an article about vinyl record production, an extensive overview  of turntable technology, and a detailed guide to proper turntable  set-up (including cartridge alignment).  Click here to subscribe.
 

Sometimes all your turntable needs is a new stylus (needle).  Even a diamond stylus gets worn down after years of use - generally, after 800-1000 hours of playing time a diamond tip has been worn enough to have a noticeable effect on sound quality.  Many older record players - especially from the console units popular in the 50's and 60's - have higher tracking weights and used sapphire tips, thereby requiring more frequent replacement.  You can often replace your own stylus, and there are several good sites on the internet for identifying and purchasing the correct one...including www.lpgear.com, www.turntableneedles.com and www.needledoctor.com.
 

Finally, for you die-hard vinyl fans...click here to see some of the turntables we've worked on recently.