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Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment.

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Old 4th Jan 2017, 11:05 pm   #21
kirstyd
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Default Re: EAR record player I think ?

had this running again today .I have cleaned and lubricated the deck and its working perfectly switching off when its finished playing a record .I have been playing a few 78s and its quite clear that the 78 was king when this machine was made it sounds really good lots of bass and really nice clear treble i have never heard anything play 78s as good as this .I am going to stick my neck out and say it sounds as good if not better than a Hacker.i have tried cleaning the cabinet but the rexine is too far gone so i have ordered some new so it should look as well as it sounds once finished. The thing is do i fit a modern cart so it will play stereo records or leave it as it is with its old but very nice sounding cartridge.Will post some new photos once its all finished
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Old 4th Jan 2017, 11:18 pm   #22
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Default Re: EAR record player I think ?

Delighted to hear that your player is working so well. I agree that many of those mid-1950s 78s can give a really punchy sound.

Regarding restoring the Rexine covering, have you tried Swarfega hand cleanser? It tends to remove the top layer of Rexine pigment, so you need a degree of caution, but I find that it does remove most age-related stains.

Martin
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Old 4th Jan 2017, 11:45 pm   #23
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thanks for the Swarfega tip Martin i will try it .Whilst the rexine isnt in bad condition its a cream colour and there are some brown stains that i cant shift
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Old 5th Jan 2017, 10:47 am   #24
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Default Re: EAR record player I think ?

You could also try the more aggressive CIF cream cleaner. It will clean very well, but you must do it evenly with a medium toothbrush. Rinse off well, lest the residue will show as a white powder.

As I said in an earlier Posting, this will sound really good as it was just about the best in its day. EAR were, and still are, very well regarded.

There will be a good gain on this (3 stage amp) and so it will work very well with a modern cartridge. Either use for your 78s, 45s and early mono LPs as it is - or to make it more versatile, change to a stereo or stereo- compatible cartridge with an LPS/78 stylus. Then adjust your tone arm weight down to c.4 grams. A rubber mat would be advisable too.
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Old 7th Jan 2017, 2:00 pm   #25
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Default Re: EAR record player I think ?

For cleaning, if is not too wet, I used to use Decosol for automotive, but its no longer made now, but there is an orangey liquid washing detergent that I think the co-op does, removes stains and grime, but generally not the colour.
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Old 7th Jan 2017, 11:26 pm   #26
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i have tried every thing but i am afraid its too far gone .there are rust marks seeping through from the bolts that hold the amp and speaker in place so i have stripped all the old stuff off and am going to recover the whole thing with some new rexine.Heres a few photos of the stripped cabinet and the rusty screws .The last photo is of the base with some kind of foam attached i presume for dampening
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Old 8th Jan 2017, 10:41 am   #27
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Looks to be a solid and well braced cabinet. The rust coming from screws or panel pins is very evident on many models by now. Paint a sealant over them before you re-cover! The only other portable record player I have seen any form of dampening in, was a later "Defiant" (Co-op) model from 1962. EAR certainly knew what they were doing!
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 12:02 am   #28
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Hi all
When i got this machine the turntable was held onto the baseboard with three bolts [only one was actually still attached other two were inside the cabinet ]now while i have plenty of experience with auto changers and there fixings this is my first single player so the thing thats puzzling me is how the deck was secured for transport as trying to screw down the three bolts will do nothing .I have all three bolts and their knurled nuts and i can easily cannibalise three springs from an old deck which should get the thing floating nicely but i just cant work out how it would be secured any ideas greatly appreciated
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 11:22 am   #29
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Default Re: EAR record player I think ?

If you can lay your hands on the Pye Black Box instruction manual, then I think the transit screws are illustrated/described.
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 11:25 am   #30
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In my experience these Collaro single players never did "float" as such e.g. like as on an autochanger. They were always screwed down flush onto the motor board.
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 11:53 am   #31
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None of the Collaro single play decks were fitted with the type of transit bolts that the autochange versions were. The bolts and springs on the single players were fixed in place and that was their permanent position. Being much lighter than autochangers, there was little danger of damage when the player was turned onto it's side for transport, so there was no need to clamp it to the motor board.

Barry

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Old 13th Jan 2017, 7:36 pm   #32
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Thanks guys .Well thats all very interesting .I have found three suitable springs and three new bolts i will put it all back together and see how it performs
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 8:31 pm   #33
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Default Re: EAR record player I think ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edward Huggins View Post
In my experience these Collaro single players never did "float" as such e.g. like as on an autochanger. They were always screwed down flush onto the motor board.
But wouldn't there problems with acoustic feedback when dealing with "quality" machines like this EAR or a Black Box?
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 10:17 pm   #34
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Yes, there certainly would. You need to slacken off the screws a bit to allow the springs (where fitted) to flex.
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 10:47 pm   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickthedentist View Post
But wouldn't there problems with acoustic feedback when dealing with "quality" machines like this EAR or a Black Box?
The decks weren't screwed tight to the motorboard, there were springs between the two, but the gap between the deck and motorboard was far smaller than would be on an autochange player, so that the deck wasn't "floating" on it's springs, they were permanently in a state of compression, thus eliminating the dreaded acoustic feedback.
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 11:35 pm   #36
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Ah, that makes sense, thanks.
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Old 15th Jan 2017, 8:54 am   #37
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There should be 3 strong springs at the top of the motor board and 3 weaker springs underneath secured by those thumb nuts
The springs shown are the correct weaker type.
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Old 15th Jan 2017, 8:02 pm   #38
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Ah that explains it .I thought there had to be more to it than just the three springs and three bolts other wise the bolts would eventually work loose and just drop off.Will have a look in my junk box for three more springs .I recovered the cabinet yesterday [main body red lid cream]its not perfect but its a big improvement on how it was .just spent the last few hours cutting mesh for the baffle and the slot on the top .The amp is back in and i have also drilled a hole through the baffle board so you can now see the pilot lamp .I had no cover for it so i used a small orange bit of my grandsons LEGO .Heres Some more photos of the job so far
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Old 15th Jan 2017, 9:15 pm   #39
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On looking again I feel that the spring pictured is a stronger one.
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Old 16th Jan 2017, 10:20 am   #40
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Your restoration is a joy to behold. You'll not regret the time spent on this.
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