[rsabo]

Over the summer, I found an old KLH Model 20 turntable in the closet of my (extended) family's vacation home. It looked a little dirty, and the needle was broken, but the turntable spun. I took it home, thinking to restore it, and promptly forgot about it. I just rediscovered it this morning.

Looking inside, it seems nice and modular. The power supply, pre-amp, power amp, etc, are all on separate boards. The schematic is included on the bottom of the case. My immediate thought was to replace all of the electrolytics with newer ones, and replace the wimpy power cord with something a little more safe-seeming. Anything else I should do? What needle/cartridge should I buy for it?

 

[Garbz]

New catridge.
Wrap the tonearm in electrical tape.
Remove the phono stage and build a new one.
Upgrade the powersupply.

Then there's more serious ones like replacing the tonearm / motor / platter / rebuilding the plynth.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Yeah, I'd go through it and replace the electrolytics and power cord. Those are always a good idea.

For a needle/cartridge, check here:

http://www.needledoctor.com/

You should be able to find what you need. You should also check around online and at eBay to see if you can find a service manual for this. You're probably going to need to lubricate the bearing and possibly the motor. Also, how is it driven? If it uses a belt, you should replace that, as well. Once you do all that, you'll probably need to align the cartridge.

It's a bit of work, but it's worth it. A little time and effort now will pay off, and you'll love vinyl.

 

[AndrewFischer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garbz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wrap the tonearm in electrical tape.

I don't understand this suggestion.

You never touch it when a record is playing. Increasing the mass of the tonearm is bad.


Edit: Are you suggesting this to increase the tonearm damping or lower the resonant frequency? Does the KLH 20 have a known problem? I remember a friend with an ancient Gerrard that was so bad you could get full on feedback from the speakers.


In any case a KLH 20 would be fun to restore and use but is not audiophile. Not even mid-fi. There is no point in expensive upgrades. Better off starting with a Dual 1229 (if you want a changer) an old Thorens, AR or something similar. It might even be cheaper to just get a new Rega P1. But where is the fun in that?

 

[Garbz]

It's a trick I have seen done as a "mod" to tonearms very often. Personally I have not done it but it apparently prevents external vibrations from interfering by dampening the surface of the tonearm.

Please don't take my above post as a recomendation of what you should do as I have never attempted any of them (other than building a phonostage). I was simply just regurgatating some of the things I have seen. I should have stated that. Your milage may vary.

 

[macm75]

I sort of like Andrew's comments and move on. How much time and money are you going to spend on this TT and could your time and money be better spent elsewhere.
About a year ago I tried to build a table with an old Dual 1019 idler wheeler. Basically, new heavy plinth and modern arm like what has become fashionable with the old Garrards, Thorens, and now Lenco's. Anyway my experience was mid-fi at best and if you care about your audio like I do, stuff like this does not cut it. Good Luck.

 

[Pumpkin Pie]

Hey, sorry for the old bump but I thought this forum might have some helpful knowledge. I have an old turntable and works great but the audio cable seems to be shot. Its a standard audio cable with the Red and White connectors. I plugged them into my stereo's input and had no luck (other devices have worked so that's why I'm assuming the cable is broken).

My question is this, would someone like me (little to no knowledge of electrical repair) be able to replace or repair the cable? Is there any sort of online database or journal where I could find some help?

I am just looking for some help so sorry if this isn't the right way to go, but thank you for any help in advance.

 

[bhjazz]

You might consider poking around at vinylengine.com, or even posting over there. Lots of TT rebuilding going on over there. In fact, I just rebuilt my mid-80s Dual. I now have a new cartridge, cleaned/oiled main bearing, rewired electronics, and more. It sounds amazing for what it's worth. Lots of super friendly people over there as well. I am so happy I finally have access to all that vinyl I've been schlepping around for years.

 

[Pumpkin Pie]

Thanks for the tip