I Have An Old Garrard 990B... Its Not Working Right.

[Annalalaith]

Background, this is the record player my dad and mom used back in the day. It is the one I grew up listening to, and when my step dad was eager to get rid of it I was happy to take it on. I recently changed the cartridge and I think one of the leads detached. Now, you can barely hear anything even with my amp turned all the way up, and yes I have it plugged into the Phono jack, and grounded. And even with a preamp it isn't working.

Do you think it would be worth it to see if I could soder(SP?) the wire back? Anyone have any other ideas?

[aardvarkash10]

what is the cartridge that you fitted (the new one) and what is the amp that you have it plugged into?

[Annalalaith]

Audio Technica CN5625AL Cartridge.

Yamaha RX-397 = to amp. Basically it was last year amp that they had on display and we got it at a discount.

Sorry for such a short answer but I've not had coffee yet.

[Annalalaith]

well I figured out what was wrong, and after getting a new headshell and some wire glue, it's working like a charm, soundwise. Now, I need to get the damned tonearm balanced. Anyone, have any advice on that... if anyone even reads this...

*wanders off to find a manual online*

[Blue Angel]

Hi

After having a cup of coffee myself, I can perhaps give you some ideas about the arm balancing. Please not I am not familiar with your turntable.

Place the stylus guard in position. No record on the deck. If the arm has a bias/antiskating adjustment, set this to zero. If the arm has a lift/cueing mechanism, pull the lever down. Then, adjust the arm's balancing mechanism (the counterweight?) until the arm 'floats' a few mm above the platter.

If the arm has a weight scale, adjust this to zero as well and then dial in +- 1.8 to 2g of whatever tracking weight the cartridge manufacturer recommends.

Last, reset the bias adjuster to the same reading as you have adjusted the tracking weight.

There is also the matter of cartridge alignment. Have you done this?

ba

[Annalalaith]

I am a newb at this stuff, and my dad hasn't been able to come over to take a look at it. I will try it now... Hope it works.

[Annalalaith]

i am wondering about the cartridge alignment

[Annalalaith]

So I have it working all pretty like, but what I would love to do is to find some of the parts I don't have. Like the parts that do the auto play and stuff. I also need a new dust cover, I blame my parents for losing it.

[DSJR]

I think the general auto parts such as the auto spindle? may be readily available from the likes of South Street services (Dualparts on ebay). Although the arm was different on this model to the earlier decks, I believe the basic mechanism was fairly similar, with little refinements on the auto-trip parts. I think this was Garrard's last gasp on this kind of turntable, which was rapidly going out of fashion in the mid 70's. Future decks were like far eastern "me-too" models and didn't seem able to compete with the far-eastern onslaught of the times.....

I'm assuming that the mechanism underneath is all there and the basic auto play and return of single records is ok? if it is, and once you've mastered the manuals for setting the arm up, there are many good cartridges the arm will safely handle, from the Shure Me97XE to the Stanton 681EEE mk3 and Pickering equivalents to the AT120E and possibly the 440MLa if you don't stack records.

[Annalalaith]

the mechanism isn't underneath there. really.