We don't repair turntables, but this one's mine, and since it's an Elac from West Germany, I figure it belongs on this blog.
Last week, halfway through my GTB album, the Elac stopped making noise. I traced the fault to a cracked solder point where the cartridge meets the tone arm. I don't have a solder gun at home (oh the shame!) so I heated a jewelers flathead screwdriver on the stove element and soldered with that. Worked like a charm.
I had to remove the tone arm. That little beauty is supported by the teenyest bearings I've ever seen!
Just look at that! They're just wee!
There you can see a tiny preload lock for a tiny preload screw, for tiny preload-able tone arm bearings.
This is what a turntable made in Germany in the 1960's looks like from underneath.
After putting it all back together, the sound was back. The first album played on the repaired Elac? Air Supply.
Shhhh...don't tell anyone.
I'm lying alone with my head on the phone
Thinking of you till it hurts
I know you hurt too but what else can we do
Tormented and torn apart
I wish I could carry your smile and my heart
For times when my life feels so low
It would make me believe what tomorrow could bring
When today doesn't really know, doesn't really know
Chorus:
I 'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right believing for so long
I 'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong
I want you to come back and carry me home
Away from this long lonely nights
I'm reaching for you, are you feeling it too
Does the feeling seem oh so right
And what would you say if I called on you now
And said that I can't hold on
There's no easy way, it gets harder each day
Please love me or I'll be gone, I'll be gone
Chorus
Oh, what are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?
Oh, what are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?
Chorus(3x)
