FAQ

where can I get my stereo fixed?
Try http://www.stereorepair.com/ for possible local listings in your area.

Belts:

How do I install my belt?

Visit the Belt installation page.

Will your belts last a long time like my original did?

Yes! But, you need to clean the belt path! You must use household rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) or a similar solution to clean the old belt residue from your unit so it doesn't contaminate the new belt.
Also note that original genuine belts are no longer exist & if they were, they'd be too old to sell. The original belts were outsourced to a specialist manufacturer, like ours are today. Our belts are of recent manufacture. They are made using state-of-the-art vulcanization chemistry to form highly crosslinked polymetric structures which ensure long-term elastic stability even under the harshest conditions.

My turntable turns slow, what gives?

Usually the belt needs to be replaced. But if you just replaced yours and it's still slow, then sometimes there is dried lubricant at the center spindle that binds and increases resistance on the rotation of the platter. See our belt installation page for detailed instructions about how to remove the platter. You can test for this by removing the belt then reinstalling the platter and giving it a spin with your finger. If it spins a long time then the platter is free of excess resistance. If it slows down in just a few seconds, then it likely the dried up grease. Remove platter and use isopropyl 70% solution alcohol to clean the spindle and the hole at center of platter. Then replace it with the best grease you can find around the house. There is no need to go out n try to find special turntable grease unless you have a $500 or more turntable.

My turntable turns fast, what gives?

Sometime a belt that's too w-i-d-e will 'ride up' on the brass pulley spindle of the main drive motor. You will need a narrower belt.

I cannot get my platter off to replace the belt.

Often the platter is held in place with a retainer clip which may be hidden by an aluminum disc. Once you remove the cosmetic disc from around the base of the spindle, then usually a flat blade screw driver is needed to remove the 'Jesus clip' (cause he would be the only one to know where it flies off to if you don't cover the area with a towel). Once the clip is off, the platter should come off. If not, you may need to lightly tap the top of the spindle with a hammer while someone else lifts up simultaneously on the platter.

Idler Wheels:

My record player turns slow, what gives?

A record player is loosely an older term for a turntable but is usually built-in to a system and often refers to players that are early 70s and older. Platters on players this old are often driven by a phono idler wheel rather than a belt like a turntable. So once you remove the platter per belt section above, look for a tire/wheel on the left side. The rubber fails and turns the platter slowly or sometimes is involved in running the mechanism slowly. If the rubber seems decent as in not hard as a rock, not cracked nor a flat spot from sitting against the motor for decades, you might limp it along with a small amount of alcohol on a cloth on the edge driving surface. If that improves the symptoms, we can chemically and physically rejuvenate it for a lasting repair. Another common cause of a sluggish player is dried grease that the motor and idler wheel cannot over come. The platter spindle and the idler wheel spindle would be the prime suspects and you would need to remove the old grease and install new grease and probably do the same in other areas of the mechanism as well. In all cases NEVER EVER EVER spray WD-40 all over the place.

Do you have a dust cover for my turntable?

The answer is no. They are obsolete. The only place you might be able to get one might be Ebay. We also have one suggestion for making your own! This video will show you what you would be getting into if you wanted to tackle the job yourself. However you can hire TapPlastics.com to complete the project for you.
Basically you would just have to visit or call the store with your dimensions of the top of your turntable and tell them you need a cover a couple of inches high or so. Have them make the back side a little thicker if you want to screw on your old hinges. Then send us a picture and let us know how it turned out with the cost.

Where do you get the part numbers that you use for your inventory?

They are largely based on Pfanstiehl's numbering system. Pfanstiehl is a major supplier of aftermarket and genuine needles. Please understand that if you select a genuine needle from the dropdown menu options, you will get the genuine needle made by the original manufacturer (Shure, Pickering, Audio Technica etc.) although we use the Pfanstiehl numbering system because of it's wide acceptance, we sell the highest quality needles available . Hi-end needles are either genuine OEM or BLISSpro™ in almost all cases.

My motor is bad?

Motors almost NEVER go bad. See above two answers for other more likely causes. Also check voltage going to motor (if you're qualified) If motor doesn't turn freely when turntable is UN-plugged then motor may need lubrication.

How do I adjust tracking pressure and anti skate?

If you are lucky enough to have these two adjustments, move tracking force counter weight until the needle hovers perfectly balanced above the record. Now rotate the dial with numbers (not the weight itself) to zero. (this is zero grams pressure on record) then rotate weight AND numbers together to the recommended tracking pressure for your needle. Then rotate anti skate to have a setting of equal value. Basically you want the least amount of needle pressure pushing down on the record as possible without it skipping or sounding bad. That will give you the longest life from your needle and records.

NOTE: Anti skate is adjusting side to side pressure *within* the groove of record. Tracking pressure is how hard the needle is pushing down inside the groove. If your tonearm has a height-adjustable base, make sure the arm is parallel with the record surface.

A) If you have adjustable tracking, see above section.
B) The other likely cause is some dust on the tip of the needle. This can happen almost instantly if your brand new needle is put on a dusty record. A stylus brush may be in order.
C) Azmith: when viewed from the front of the player at 'eye' level, the tip of the needle must be pointing straight down in the 6 o'clock position. If it is pointing at "5:30" or "6:30" then channel volume will be uneven and it will very likely skip as well.

A) If possible try a known good turntable to eliminate the rest of the stereo.
B) Make sure receiver/amp works on other devices like tape deck, CD etc.
C) Turntable MUST be plugged into a PHONO input, it will not work in a tape or aux input, unless you have a very recently built turntable that has a built-in pre-amplifier, which would allow it to be plugged into non-"phono" inputs.
D) If you have an older turntable that you are trying to use with a newer receiver/amp that has no input specifically labeled "phono", then you will need one of our phono preamps.
E) The cartridge might be bad but they very very rarely fail and rarer still both channels.
F) Wiring could be bad in the turntable or if you have a 1/2 inch mount then the little wires depicted below may be crossed.
G) If you hear the record faintly right at the needle contact with the record, then the needle is generally making good contact with the record.


E) Use a continuity tester (bug light) with entire stereo turned off, and you should have continuity from above pictured wires to the RCA connectors where the outer shield is the ground (-) and the center post is positive (+).