If you are attempting to service the bearing well on a Thorens in the14X or 16X line, and the drive platter will not lift out, you need to remove the bottom of the turntable (just four screws, one at each foot) and then find the clip next to the bearing well that is pictured above.   Fully unscrew the screw which also holds a ground wire in place.  Keep track of the screw.  Next, gently pry the clip so it moves in the slots you see pictured at each side.  That movement of the clip in the direction away from the bearing well, will release the platter so it can be serviced.  Reverse the procedure when finished.

NOT AN ENDORSEMENT! AVOID THIS COMPANY. At the end of December, I ordered some nice quality headshell leads.  After some very confusing telephone conversations, I finally received my package, but it was not what I ordered. They were extremely inferior leads, not as advertised.  The representative asked me to send a picture of what I got, which I did immediately.  Knowing that pictures sometimes have trouble getting through, I also sent an e-mail telling them I had sent the pictures.  Days passed. Weeks passed. No word from the company.  Finally, a couple of days ago, I decided to leave negative feedback for Hollywood DJs on several of the feedback sites they themselves promote.  Lo and behold, today I received an e-mail looking into the case!  After a whole month has expired, they are now telling me they cannot deliver the product I originally ordered.  For all this hassle, and lack of attention, they insult me by only offering a refund, nothing else.  Hollywood DJs is obviously a company that only looks out after itself, not its customers. Avoid them, and spread the word.

There are many commercially available cartridge alignment protractors.  However, for the average person, purchase of an expensive protractor is unnecessary.  You can get your alignment very very close with a protractor you print for free on your printer.  The best resource I know of for free protractors is here in the Tool Section of Vinyl Engine.

For those with Iphones or Androids, you won’t want to miss this very cool app.  Using your smartphone’s GPS, it will lickety-split give you a list of all indie vinyl record stores in your area!   Touch that store, and you immediately get a map and, if any have been entered, “Shouts” about the store.   (Disclosure: I have only used the Android version.)  Click the link above to find out more.

The photo actually misrepresents my tip of the week, but I couldn’t resist using it once I saw it.  Many of you in restoring your own turntables may be faced with sticky residue from adhesives left on metal surfaces.  (For example, someone having used a glue to adhere a dust bug to a Thorens metal plate.)  I have found WD-40 to the best at removing that residue.  It takes some elbow grease, but with a clean cotton cloth and judicious use of WD-40, you can remove many types of adhesive residue without harming the surface.  As residue is transferred to the cloth, keep turning the cloth to a clean area.  As always, be careful to keep the WD-40 off of the surfaces of the pulley and drive platter.   And, always test in a small inconspicuous area, if possible.

As you can imagine, shipping vintage turntables is not for the faint of heart.  I have been doing it now for over 10 years.  My practices have gradually changed over time, hopefully all improvements, but one thing that hasn’t changed is I continue to use only FedEx for shipment of my complete turntables.  I don’t know how competitive their prices are, and I really don’t care, what matters is my packages get to where they’re supposed to be in the same condition they left my shop.  That’s been true for 10 solid years. It is also nice to see, via their new commercials, that they are moving towards much greener modes of transportation.

If you have never set-up a phono cartridge before, this guide is a good place to start:  A Beginner’s Guide to Cartridge Set-up by Andrew Chasin.

Not exactly audio-related, but I cannot praise highly enough what this little label printer has done for my shop and my shipping.  It is the Brother QL-570 and is available widely for less than $60.  It plugs into the USB plug of your computer, and it comes with very easy-to-use software.  I have used it for labeling everything in my shop.  It was quick and easy.  Additionally, I use the labeler daily for shipping.  It is recognized by both Paypal and eBay shipping interfaces, and before you know it, you have a self-sticking mailing label printed.  I ESPECIALLY love that you do not have to pay for INK; it operates through “thermal printing”…whatever that is!  I recently discovered you do NOT have to buy Brother labels for it; there are generics that use the Brother plastic roller.  Also, their customer service is outstanding…I had a problem with my first labeler, and it was promptly replaced.

For years, I have been urging buyers of my turntables to purchase one of these handy devices.  Instead of “balancing out” your tonearm” this simply designed Shure SFG-2 Tracking Force Gauge is a more straightforward way to set tracking force.  To me, it takes all of the guesswork out of the process.  Some folks promote digital scales of all sorts, but I still love this simple gauge. For under $30, it’s a stocking stuffer for any analog lover.

Every hobbyist and homeowner seems to have their own favorite metal polish/tarnish remover.  After using many products over many years, Maas Metal Polish is my favorite.  First of all, it works with the least amount of effort. I am not saying NO effort, but the least amount of effort.  It is less messy than many others and less pungent.  Two ounces will set you back less than five bucks, and one tube lasts a long time.  Literally, “a dab will do ya” in most cases.  Please note this is NOT intended for brushed aluminum.

Recently traveled to Virginia and picked up this Rolling Stone special edition in the airport. Fascinating stuff…I read it cover to cover over the course of three days.  Whether you are a casual Beatles’ fan or a devotee, I think you will enjoy it. It has been especially satisfying to now listen to the albums with this background knowledge.  Available for a limited time.  As I type this, copies still available at Amazon.

If you are looking to block spam, don’t use the service called Spam Blocker by Earthlink.  EarthLink’s Spam Blocker forces the person replying to your e-mail to go to a webpage and fill out information and one of those code boxes.  I just spent a half hour trying to reply to a customer’s e-mail looking for my help.  I tried five times to complete the information/code box.  Each time it failed.  Then I called customer service.   There was just one number listed on the site, and that turned out to be sales.  That person directed me to call another number.  That turned out to also be sales.  That second person gave me a number to call, but it was the number I had previously dialed twice.  I told him that, and they transferred me to customer service instead.  The representative I spoke with finally told me it was up to the person who sent the e-mail to unblock me.  How Completely Ridiculous!  I had just finished telling them I could not reach the person at all, so how could I tell them my e-mail was not getting through!   Unfortunately, due to this Spam Blocker program I am unable to help someone who e-mailed me.  If you are an EarthLink user, I feel badly that there could be many people who are unable to reach you because they have gone through the same thing I just did.  I recommend without hesitation using Gmail…it does an amazing job limiting spam not only from my Gmail account, but also my two business accounts that I filter into Gmail.  There is no need for a ridiculous spam blocker that requests a person you are trying to contact to return an e-mail.  Give Gmail a try…having used most of the major online  e-mail services, I find it to be the best.

If you own a vintage turntable, you no doubt on a dust cover that is showing its age.  Whether there are scratches or scuffs, the best products I have used over the years to bring a dust cover back to life, are made by Novus.  Pictured above is a kit that is sold in various places on the Internet, that will give you a great start.  I am not saying the Novus products are miracle workers, there is still a lot of elbow grease that must be applied…but truly, for most light scratches and scuffs, you will have great success.

We have all heard horror stories about experiences on eBay.  The good news is for the most part, over the last 10 years, eBay has become a pretty safe environment for buyers.  One way you can make it even more safe is to look for sellers with the above logo/status.  Top Seller Status is reserved for eBay sellers that consistently receive the highest scores in a number of areas related to customer satisfaction.   Up until a few months ago, I didn’t even know what the logo meant…it just got lost in the barrage of images on the typical eBay listing.  However, since I made Top Seller Status myself in July, I have begun to look for the logo, and if I have a chance to buy an item from more than one seller, now I will always choose the one with Top Seller Status.

I have been a lover of vintage SME tonearms for a long long time. At first, I admired them from afar, but after I owned my first, I realized that were not all just great looks…they were also great at reproducing sound.  Over the past ten years since I owned my first, I have seen the prices on these vintage arms almost double.  Now, with prices averaging close to $600 for a complete arm in the revered 3009 Series II (et al) , I have come to the realization that it’s now better to spend your money on a new SME arm, in the M2 line-up.   This fact was driven home to me recently when I spent $350 dollars to have one refurbished and rewired.  When all was said and done, I’d invested close to $900 dollars in an arm that was 30 years old.  So…lately I have begun recommending to customers coveting a vintage SME to investigate the M2-9 line instead.  If you shop shrewdly, they can be had for around $1000.  That’s NEW. It’s hard to argue with that price given the M2-9 comes with many of the features best loved in the 3009 Series II lineup, but it also adds better wiring,  better design, and a WARRANTY.  Having installed and tested four of these arms in the past few months, I can say unequivocally, they are a better arm than the 3009 Series II, even after “upgrading.”

Many of my customers are already vintage audio aficionados.  However, many only know a little bit about vintage audio, and they are hoping to create the best possible vintage system.   If you have read my blog, you know that before I concentrated on turntables only, I was also a huge fan of Marantz equipment.  In particular, their integrated amps, tuners, and receivers.  Part of my love is their great looks… I completely swoon for the brushed aluminum  front plate and those signature blue lights.  In addition, however, they are extremely well-made and very easy to work on for the do-it-yourselfer.  Also, like the ARs and the Thorens, there is a lot of information out there to help you.

If you are looking to purchase a quality vintage Marantz receiver or other component, I highly recommend this seller on eBay.  He has been  restoring and selling for well over a decade, and you can see by his feedback, he does it right.  I have not personally bought from him, but I have recommended many folks to him over the years, and all have been satisfied.  If he doesn’t have a Marantz listed when you visit the link, you can always contact him via the eBay mail system, and ask him what he has coming up.

You need to protect your records.   If you’ve been putting off getting new sleeves, go here now.  I love this place.  They have been around since 1976.  One great thing (of many) about the company is their prices almost always include shipping.  There are other places that sometimes offer things more cheaply, but once you figure in Bags Unlimited gives you free shipping, they almost always come out on top.   Also, they offer collection protection for other hobbies in which you or your family might partake.

If you are doing a tonearm upgrade on one of the Thorens in the TD 160 lineage, you can either make an armboard yourself, or get one pre-made.  If you go the pre-made road, I highly recommend this outfit out of the UK.  Their products are first quality, and their service is also first-rate.   Sound Supports

I read this on a forum years ago.  It’s especially helpful if you have a dark plinth that shows dust easily.  About once a week, instead of dusting my turntable with a cloth and risking catching the stylus, I use the duster pictured above instead.  Never directly aim it at the stylus itself, but blowing the dust off of your dust cover and your plinth is done in seconds using one of these cans.

Some people also use a duster to remove dust from an LP, but I would worry about the sandblasting effect happening at a microscopic level.  Therefore, I don’t advise that.  However, I’ve read so many stories over the years about people catching an expensive stylus in their dust cloth, that using this device instead certainly makes a lot of sense. It will also save getting those swirl marks on your dust cover, if you happen to own a new one.

I have been using Magic Eraser as a stylus cleaner for about 2 years. Here is a great link with an explanation of why and how: Magic Eraser as Stylus Cleaner

Finding a reliable source for belts for your vintage turntable is sometimes challenging. I sell replacement belts for AR turntables that I have thoroughly tested. They are available on my Upgrade/Replacement Parts page.  However, there is still difficulty in finding reliable Thorens belts. There is always the choice of buying a Thorens-made belt with their logo. They are available from a place in Boston called Q Audio:  http://www.qaudio.com/fthorens.html You will notice the price is high, but their price is actually very competitive. Another alternative, if you wish to save a little money, is to go to eBay and buy belts from one particular seller whose eBay ID is “tableterner”  I have tried belts from various sellers over the years, and the belts sold by this individual (whose name is PJ) are consistently reliable and work exactly like the Thorens-made belts without fail.  You will notice the price on eBay is very attractive compared to buying a stock belt. If you do decide to buy from “tableterner” be sure to let PJ know that Dave at Vinyl Nirvana sent you. http://www.ebay.com/sch/tableterner/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

One of the most helpful resources for the vinyl enthusiast is the Vinyl Engine website. I use some aspect of this website daily. The forums are a wealth of information and are filled with wonderfully detailed exchanges. However, the most valuable resource is the library (http://www.vinylengine.com/library.shtml) which contains literally hundreds of manuals, templates, and info sheets on just about every turntable or tonearm out there. It is free to join, and by becoming a member, you can download all of this information in PDF form free of charge.  When you go, be sure to bookmark…you will be back.

As I point out in the tuneup video on the do-it-yourself page, it is very important to use anhydrous isopropyl alcohol when cleaning the metal parts of your turntable. Using something from your medicine cabinet, it will likely contain water, and why would you attempt to clean your bearing well only to contaminate it?  Tech Spray, in the picture above, sells a pint sized bottle of what you need. (There are other makers.)  As it states on the label, it is also safe on plastics.

When I was at the point where I was still trying to substantially increase my LP collection, every Saturday, from spring through fall, I would head off early in the morning and visit yard sales. I called it “yard-saling.”  I had pretty good luck over a number of years. Of course, I waded through my share of absolutely terrible titles. However, I also had some terrific takes.  For those who are still in the collection phase, I highly recommend yard sales. Most people these days, advertise on Craigslist…so the process begins the night before deciding which sales to visit, and deciding on a route. ( Boy, how I wish I had a GPS in those days!)  For me, I pretty much visited every yard sale in my vicinity, say in a perimeter of up to 10 miles. I would start very early in the morning, and my first stop would be the yard sale furthest away that started the earliest. From there, I would work my way home… again, visiting the sales that started earliest first.

My number one tip to yard sales success is related to the Columbo picture and quote above. For those who don’t know the Columbo character, he was known for always leaving the scene and coming back with the comment, nonchalantly, “Oh, just one more thing….”  Though it seemed like he was a bumblehead, that question when he returned was often the most important question. In terms of yard sales, I would always always always ask the homeowner if they had any LPs they were thinking of getting rid of. I would always word it that way: thinking of getting rid of.  I would wait and asked the question at a point when the homeowner was not busy with a sale or with set up. I would always be dressed neatly and appear very friendly when I asked.  These last two points are important, because in four or five cases over my years of yard-saling, homeowners actually allowed me into their homes to see their album collections. The few times that asking that question worked, were among my most lucrative finds. You will get dozens and dozens of no answers, but the day you are the first to peruse someone’s album collection makes it all worth it. Good luck!

When I started playing vinyl seriously, we all pre-cleaned our records before playing with a Discwasher brush and possibly some fluid. These days, the more common method is to use a carbon fiber brush. (I use the model available by Hunt, pictured above.) The carbon fiber brush doesn’t replace a proper cleaning of your LP, it is just intended to clean off excess dust before a play.  I use mine religiously before each side.

If you work with anything that requires, or would benefit from, magnification, you owe it to yourself to purchase a magnifying visor. A few years ago I used to use a magnifying glass on a gooseneck. It served the purpose, but more times than not, the gooseneck or the magnifying glass was in my way and I was always contorting to get a job done. Next, I bought my first magnifying visor… a cheap all -plastic one from eBay.  I was so thrilled with the hands-free aspect and the ability to change lenses ( magnification) that it was easy to ignore the hard plastic digging into my forehead or how uncomfortable it was on a hot day.  Then last year, I purchased the magnifying visor pictured above made by Bausch & Lomb.  This visor not only features changeable lenses as before, but it is made to be comfortable on your head. There are three points of adjustment, rather than two.  However, most importantly, the parts that are in contact with your head are padded with either real leather or a substance with a real leather feel. Where before I would tear off the old plastic visor the second I had the chance, I now find myself wearing this set for much longer periods of time. Perhaps best of all, my wife no longer makes fun of me for the red indent in my forehead!  (I got my visor on Amazon for under thirty dollars.)

I obviously work with lots of wood and veneer. My favorite wood treatment product is OLD ENGLISH Lemon Oil. It treats the wood and brings out a natural luster. An added bonus is it smells terrific too!