wurlitzer 2304 tone arm

hi every one , im trying to get the tone arm/needle to land at the begining of record every play , as of now sometimes it does other times it does not . i have tried adjusting the slotted screw right in back of the tone arm . i beleive its the tone arm stop pin feed in adj . but i cant seem to get it adjusted were needle will land at begining of record every time . any ideas ? thank you

That's the right screw. Keep tightening it until it lands properly. Otherwise, is your stylus bent or off center?

"Wurly" -a more exact description is needed. Does it fall outside the record. Does it land or skate inwards on the disk?

One easy test: take a piece of light string and tie it around the arm and the bracket that the pressure spring presses against. then place the mech in the play position with no record. The arm should be floating free and not touching anything. See if it biases up or down.

There are several things that can cause biasing:

-Improper balance adjustment.
-Bind or stiffness in the arm wiring -especially true in the Cobra models.
-Trip switch loading the record in the playing grooves.

Rob/NYC

thanks for the replys .no matter which way i adjust or how much i adjust the tone arm feed in screw the needle will not land on the begining of record consistantly . EXAMPLE - i press A7 selection the tone arm needle lands perfectly on record , after that selection is done playing i imediately play it again and the needle lands and skates inward on record and starts playing ? ? its very frustrating you would think it would be a easy fix . if some one could help me work through this issue i would be so appreciative . thank you

Is this a phonograph you recently acquired, or have you had it sometime, and it just started to malfunction?
Ron Rich

wurly59 wrote:thanks for the replys .no matter which way i adjust or how much i adjust the tone arm feed in screw the needle will not land on the begining of record consistantly . EXAMPLE - i press A7 selection the tone arm needle lands perfectly on record , after that selection is done playing i imediately play it again and the needle lands and skates inward on record and starts playing ? ? its very frustrating you would think it would be a easy fix . if some one could help me work through this issue i would be so appreciative . thank you

Take a look at this photo:
http://s1192.photobucket.com/user/Rob-N ... sort=3&o=0

This is of the tonearm handing cam and trip switch. Note that the black metal cam is pressing on the tail piece that comes through the casting from the tonearm. It is in the "at rest" position. As the changer cycle proceeds to set the stylus on the lead-in of a record the cam turns upward releasing the arm. This other end of this same cam also lowers the arm onto the record.

If you put the machine into the play position and turn off power, you can turn the flag shaped cam at the rear of the arch (the one operated by the steel cable) and observe the entire operation of the upper part of the changer.

Rob/NYC

hi rich , im just a novice i have always liked the fifties jukeboxes so i bought this about 2 1/2 years ago and have been restoring it since . long story short , it really never worked im finally at the point were now were im putting it back together and trying to get things dialed in 100% before i put it completely back together i have the top half of juke off so its still easy to get at things if i can just get this problem solved I THINK this is my last hurdle . and i can completely assemble jukebox get it out of my cellar and enjoy . its been a long long road .
hi rob , thanks for the picture i have read the manual a number of times the section thats titled tone arm feed in adjustment , either im doing something wrong or something else is a miss . im not sure what to do next . its puzzling needle would land perfectly one time and i try it again it hits record and skates inward . thank you for your replys

Sounds to me, if "somebody" has not attempted to "adjust it"--that the tone arm wire has gotten stiff, and is acting as a spring--- Ron Rich

"Wurly" if you are certain that the cams are working correctly, the next step is to be sure that the arm is being set free to follow the record.

Some problems:

-Binding tonearm bearings. These are not the greatest arm assemblies and the bearing that allows the arm to follow warps, is sometimes too tight or gunked.

-Inadequate tracking pressure. Go easy here, but 4 grams is about the lowest you can go if the arm is not optimally balanced and has other sources of drag. When a slot is selected with no record, the arm should lower to the limit of the "fork" behind it. Anything less indicates a bind or inadequate tracking pressure.

-Again, test for proper balance by using the string around the arm and selecting an open slot. When the arm is set free to play the nonexistent record it should not drift downward. It should be free to ride your fingernail to the trip position.

BTW: Is this a mono "Cobra" or stereo machine?

Rob

hi guys , the tone arm wire is all new i replaced it . rob i will do my best to look at all your suggestions and adjust what i can . i dont have a gram gauge . the jukebox is a stereo model . i plan on spending saturday trying to figure this out . i will let you guys know what i find or dont find . thanks so much for the replys i appreceiate it .

Oh, NOW, you tell us that you "just replaced the tone arm wire" !
Did you use the exact same size wire ?? Did you use the exact same length ? Is it "supported" exactly as was the original ? Do you have the "angle of the (wire) dangle" correct ? Did you remove the whole tone arm when changing it ? Do you have both mounting screws tight ?
Did you remove-change "adjustments", or, oil the pivot points ?
Any one, or all, of the above, could well factor into your problem !
Ron Rich

I see problems like this on consumer phonographs as well.
Basically the result of simply not knowing the critical alignment and adjustments involved, and sloppy re-assembly.
The pivots are super critical to assemble right.
Just a tiny fraction of a millimeter off can effect operation drastically.
The wiring must have the proper loop or slack to prevent erratic tonearm wandering or binding.
These things and more are all sort of "brain surgery" in phonograph servicing, and the average person doesn't realize the importance of it all.

I love those expensive and complex United Audio (Dual) turntables that people have brought me for service - showing the results of "home fixing".
Ruined ball bearing races in the tonearm pivots due to cranking tight the delicate needle pivot adjustments, or missing parts alogether - UGH, the horror!
LOL!

well guys i tried every thing that was mentioned here and tone arm still will not land properly every time, i got to work great on three straight records then i play the first record again and the tone arm drops down . i just dont get it . when i play a selection with out a record the arm comes over and doesnt drop a bit it comes straight over . i tried the string test arm did not drop , tone arm wire is not binding any were arm moves freely , cams as far as i can tell work properly . i did not touch the trip switch as far as i know that just shuts off the record at the end of it . im not sure which way to turn the balancing screw to see if that will help , i tried clockwise and counter clock wise i didnt notice any difference . its very frustrating ....... thank you

Are you looking at the "front" (needle area) or the "back"( trip sw area) of the phonograph as records are clamped up ?
If the front, turn around, and watch the back --watch what happens "different" , when it works right, and when it works "wrong" -- Also--got camera ? If so, attach a photo of switch area showing wire dressing. Ron Rich

hi ron , sorry but what do you mean by switch area wire dressing ? thanks