Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Cream Parts and Labor: Where to Get My Turntable Repaired?
Posted by Steve Haruch on Wed, Mar 11, 2009 at 11:04 AM
A few years ago, my record player stopped working, so I asked a friend to recommend a repair shop in Nashville. He said I should try [Name Redacted], so I did. They (at least at the time) outsource repairs, and referred me to [Name Redacted], which was--to put it as politely as I can--fucking shitty.
It took almost two months to get my turntable back, and when I did, the problem hadn't been fixed. So I brought it back. And it took almost a month to get it back again, at which point the original problem had been fixed, but a new one had also been introduced. I decided that instead of not listening to records for however long it was going to take to get things straightened out, I would just not bother. So, $100 later, I basically have an automatic turntable that can't do anything automatically.
And now, the ol' B.I.C. is shitting the bed again, and I've decided I want the thing fixed, for real, so I can stop manually returning the tone arm after every side and actually listen to a stack of records for a change. I know I could go buy one of them fancy USB turntables like somebody got as a wedding gift last night, but on top of having superior features (when they work), this thing's also got sentimental value, since it was part of my parents' stereo when I was growing up. (I heard Patsy Cline, "The Little Drummer Boy" and Ride the Lightning for the first time all on this same machine.)
So, you Cream readers who were very helpful with my car stereo situation (even if I still haven't gotten around to doing anything about it): Where should I take my record player to have it repaired?
Comments (18)
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This is an all too common problem these days, and I'm surprised more places haven't sprung up to accomodate the increasing demand for turntable service.
I've heard Hi Tech Service is pretty much the only game in town. They're located at 2934 Nolensville Pike, right after you cross over Thompson Lane.
A while back I was trying to replace a needle and found that pretty much nobody sells them anymore. I was surprised that Grimey's and Phonoluxe didn't have them at all. Great Escape (the one on Broadway) has a few but it's kind of a crapshoot.
Anybody know anywhere that does needles? I'd rather support a local business than resort to buying one online.
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Nobody locally that I know of sells styli in any great quantity or variety, your best bet is definitely online. Try needledoctor.com, great service and good prices. And yeah, Hi Tech Service is the only game in town that I know of, but some Radio Shacks have repair guys who might be able to help, call around. As for the automatic arm feature of your busted TT, I think you're better off replacing the whole thing, with a MANUAL TT. In my experience all automatic tonearms eventually break, which can be either inconvenient or a terrible tragedy as in my friend's experience where his arm had a bad habit of dragging the needle across the face of his records as it "returned" to position. You can still keep the sentimental old TT on a shelf somewhere as an heirloom.
This type of thing has become such a dilemma these days. I do, however, have a solution. If you're willing to ship your turntable to Seattle, there is a place there called JnS Phonographs - they've been in the business of fixing turntables for over 30 years and they are amazing (people ship them stuff from all over the world to repair it when no one else can). They're fairly old school - no website, even, but they know their stuff. Give 'em a call: (206) 524-2933.
It's funny. I was going to mention that place (been there many times), but I didn't want my post to turn into some kind of "everything was better when I lived in Seattle" kind of thing.
Radio Shack in Inglewood on Gallatin Road. I just took mine there on Friday...I hope that wasn't the person you were referring to as the one your friend referred to you.
I went to Nicholson Hi-Fi by Broadway Brewhouse once. It was like ten years ago. I don't remember if they fixed my shit or not, but they fixed record players at the time. I'm sure that helps.
I think it's time to buy a new one, Steve. Look into a portable one, otherwise know as a "Party Machine."
I've used Hi-Tech Service multiple times and they always fixed what needed to be fixed and did so quickly. I've recommended them for years and never had someone tell me of a bad experience. And the reason we don't stock needles at Grimey's is it's almost impossible to be profitable. there are so many varieties out there with 50+ years of turntables in use that the amount of stock you'd have to keep on hand to satisfy is just too broad. no matter how many I tried to stock, it's likely I wouldn't have the one you need at the time and i'd have to special order it. that's why the online model of needle doctor works so well for them. And we can barely afford to stock all the music we try to as it is. it's ridiculous how much it costs to bring in what we do. and you don't make your money until it sells through. Hi-Tech service can also order the needle for you if you prefer to patronize a local business.
I haven't tried Hi-Tech, but Tony at Audiomasters does great work. He also stocks a pretty exhaustive selection of needles. But what you really need is one of these.
Steve, my recommendation is to forget putting another dime into your hundred dollar turntable and get a well built hifi genuine audiophile turntable. yes i know this will cost at least 300 bucks instead of 50, but hear me out...
did you ever know a guy that was a total freak about cars? like all he did was read car magazines, talk about hotrods with his buddies, watch nascar, etc. He loved cars so much that when he grew up he became an editor for a motorsports magazine. Now, do you think a guy like that would drive a beat up 1976 Ford Pinto to work everyday? Of course not. But believe me, the 100 dollar automatic turntables that you get at best buy are the audio world's equivalent to the Ford Pinto.
So, as someone who loves music so much that you make writing about YOUR PROFESSION, shouldn't you have a serious fucking hifi stereo system? Just sayin....
I know a lot of people are probably rolling their eyes and thinking i'm a total snob right now. trust me, i don't 'look down' on anyone who has a hundred dollar turntable. in fact i have a cheap tt for my secondary system (in my living room). i mean just the fact that people listen to vinyl at all is cool. and of course a lot of people use their parents old heirloom tt which is cool.
its not like i'm made of money. it took me a long time to save up for my system. but it kicks ass.
so, in my opinion, here is the intro to hifi system that is the best bang for the buck and will hold its own against a $10,000 system:
pro-ject debut tt (with cartridge)....$300
B&W 685 speakers.................$600-pair
vintage NAD integrated amp............$200
A lot of money but you won't be fixing this stuff anytime soon. you can put a nicer stylus on the pro-ject turntable anytime, and that will improve your sound A LOT. The amp you will have to find on ebay or a hifi trade site. email me if any of this piques your interest.
Again, I am not trying to say that people can't enjoy their music if they don't have a nice system. I love sitting around and listening to a cheap old low fi console stereo. But I also love listening to a state-of-the-art hifi system that truly reveals the beauty of vinyl. i mean, you won't believe what you've been missing when you get an audiophile system.
To answer your question though, High Tech Service is the only place in Nashville. The place in the 'Boro i've heard great things about but I've never done business with them. The best retail sites on the web are
www.needledoctor.com
www.musicdirect.com
and good message boards:
www.audioasylum.com
www.audiogon.com
As an aside, I would desperately love to open my own modest turntable/stereo supply shop. there is (obviously) a real growing market for it. I think about it almost every day. Unfortunately I have terrible credit and could never get a loan. But nevertheless I'm thinking about maybe starting to work on a business plan for a shop like this, just to see if the numbers could actually work...so...maybe someday Nashville will have a vinyl supply shop.
He didn't say the TURNTABLE cost $100! He said he spent $100 FIXING it! The internets are destroying people's reading comprehension! (Let us know how it goes, Steve.)
why bother with a shitty table?
you can get a 1200MK2 on Ebay for $150-300 depending on the auction.
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p0.m38.l1313&_nkw=technic+1200+mk2&_sacat=See-All-Categories
you can keep your broken sentimental piece in the closet. a 1200 with a properly calibrated tone arm & cart will prolong the life of your vinyl as well.
it will save you in repairs in the long run. they're hard to break and easy to fix.
Luke: Appreciate the comments. You're preaching to the choir about hi-fi stereo stuff; I've just found lots of other ways to waste what little money I've had over the years (1966 Gibson Melody Maker, 1960s MD421, Columbia 300 Orange Messenger, etc.). I've always felt like if I'm gonna get a good stereo I want to get it all at once. Which I've never had the money to do. I know, I know, alt-weekly music editors are a wealthy lot and one piece of good gear is better than no good gear. All too true.
Question for you: Do you think the old McIntosh stuff is overrated? (I listened to one of the newer amps, with the indigo LEDs and whatnot, and wasn't terribly impressed.)
Oh, and the biggest NASCAR freak I know drives a 1970-something Ford Bronco that looks like it might literally break into pieces at any moment. But that's another kind of conversation entirely. Or not.
Justin: Thanks for the tip.
steve,
as you might know, every audiophile is going to have a different opinion about gear, just like their music tastes.
imo, the old mac tube mono power amps are probably the best hifi amps ever made. but a) you need two of them b) they're going to be at least $1k each and c) you'll still need an expensive pre amp. This is a dream system that is WAAAY beyond my current means. Every music lover wants the famous McIntosh amplifier...there's a certain pride of ownership that comes with those blue lights that screams 'I'm serious about music'. Even though there's probably better boutique amps being made now that are a better value than the Macs, there's something about those blue lights...
And those Mac integrated amps from the 70's are very cool. i've heard they're a little finnicky. they'll get loud. but you're talking at least 500 bucks for one, and realistically probably more like a grand. I don't know quite enough about the different models to recommend one over the other. Todd and Cortney T have a really nice old mac integrated that they use with a vintage Thorens turntable. its a badass 70's system, gets loud and sounds super mellow.
To answer your question though, I think there's definitely better bang-for-the-buck amps out there. in both vintage integrated amps and in the modern boutique stuff. The NAD integrated amps from the 80's are legendary for their value...known to outperform gear that costs literally 10 times more. Granted its a totally different sound from the classic 60's and 70's stuff...but its great power with a good phono stage and no frills.
But i think a decent tt with a good cartridge and good speakers is the place to start. I always recommend upgrading your power last. The amp is important, but upgrading your cartridge and your speakers will give you the most immediate and noticeable improvments in sound quality.
The Tech 1200 is definitely one way to go with the tt. you can throw those things down the stairs and they won't break. Some snobby audiophiles look down on the 12's because its direct drive, but there's also a pretty big school of audiophiles that love them. i still think the pro-ject debut is the way to go for the money. I know a lot of people getting those, and they seem very happy. Stereophile liked the pro-ject more than the Rega P1. The cartridge that comes with it is kinda cheap but you can upgrade it down the road. if you have the extra bread, the rega P2 with a nice grado cartridge is even better. I have a fully hotrodded P2 with a Shure V15vxmr cartridge. LOVE IT.
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