Rockola 459 issues

I just got a beautiful Rockola 459. I just bought it yesterday. It worked perfectly when I bought it, we made the three-hour trip home with it in an enclosed trailer and did not budge an inch, we got it into the house, we plugged it in, we put records in it, we selected a song to play, and it sounds like it's playing at 33 instead of 45. As it is spinning around looking for the record selected, it looks like it's spinning at the right spped, but by the time it finds the record and places it on the turntable, it slows down. Any guesses what we did or are doing wrong?

Also, the lights were tracking properly left to right when selecting the song but now only the first number lights up. I'm telling you this thing worked like a charm when I bought it, so something had to happen in the shipping. I'm hoping it's something simple but I can't figure it out. Any help?

For the record, I do not know whether it has been fitted with the ability to play at 33. This was supposed to be my 50th birthday gift from the wife but right now we're both pretty crestfallen. Please help if you can, and thank you in advance.

Hi
I would say that it is fitted with a 33rpm/45rpm unit, where records with small holes play at 33rpm and larger holes play at 45 rpm, it may be stuck as a result of congealed grease, lift the turntable off and investigate. Also another possibility is that the turntable grommets are worn and or hardened and may need to be replaced, they hold the turntable motor in place along with a number of screws and or bolts, i have seen grommets disintegrate after a jukebox has been moved. The turntable assembly at 45rpm/33rpm should be fairly obvious when you lift the turntable off
regards
clones

Hi JT,
Pretty simple way to check if it's a 33/45 rpm phono--look at the"center post" of the turntable--is there "red plastic" in that area ? If so, it is a dual speed phono--follow what Clones wrote above.
Did you remove the turntable, "bolt components down", during transportation, as you should have ?
Ron Rich

No red plastic in the center.

For transport, we tied down the tone arm but that was about it. We did not remove the turntable. Sounds like that isn't good.

OK--My guess is that Clones is correct--motor grommets are shot--Easy to change-some are mounted with screws--if that's your case, be careful !-- as there are, and MUST be, "spacers", inside the grommets.
If held on by "E-rings" (aka "sur-clips"), no worries--
There has been some discussion of those grommets here lately--I am "tolt" that the correct "off white" ones are no longer made? I still have a flock of them that I will sell--PM me, if you wish--
Could also be that the idler wheel/turntable surface is "dirty"--clean both with something like ammonia, then re-oil idler wheel bearing and turn table bearing with 20 wt. ND oil--
Ron Rich

I will check all suggestions when I get home.

Where will I find these grommets that you are referring to? I'm not the most technologically savvy person, so bare with me if I ask a simple question.

It just sounds so odd that it can work perfectly one minute and three hours later, not. Like I said before, it seems that when it is on its first rotation around looking for the selected record, it is moving faster. Once it gets to a second rotation and finally grabs the selected record it looks like it is spinning slower, and the result is a record that sounds like it is playing at 33. This is SO frustrating as it worked perfectly when I bought it.

Thanks for your input, and if anyone else has an idea, please shoot them my way.

Congrats on your new 459! As soon as you get past this you'll enjoy it. The mechanism is dual speed, 45/33-1/3 RPM. It should normally run at 45 RPM, switching to 33 1/3 when the three plastic parts are depressed by the gripper arm placing a small-hole record over the turntable. This turntable has the small center post with the three upright pieces in a 1/1/2-inch diameter in the center for large-hole 45s. If your turntable looks different and has a 1 1/2 inch center, then it's been replaced at some point. This is fine if you only want to play 45s, and that's the only speed the machine should do with this turntable. If the turntable is spinning faster before the record gets there and then slowing down, remove it and make sure it's clean and oil-free where the idler wheel rubs the inside edge. If the idler wheel has hardened from age, it will slip, causing the speed to fluctuate. You may be able to restore it by cleaning it with lacquer thinner. I've had success with a couple of them doing this. While you've got the table off, check out your three rubber grommets like Clones mentioned above in case one or more crumbled in transport. When you replace the turntable, carefully rotate it slightly to accommodate the idler wheel. Best of luck to you.
Patrick

Jt,( and all newbies),
Please read all of the "announcements" above--you will find a list of suppliers there--
Ron Rich

I knew I came to the right place! Pat yourselves on the back, you were all correct. I took a look at the grommets last night and they are totally cheesed. Well, one still looks intact, but one is in pieces and the other one is gone! Ron, I'll get in touch with you so I can get some new grommets. Now to figure out how to install them...

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your help. I turn 50 next week and I've always wanted a jukebox. The Mrs found one on Craigslist and the rest is history. She's been feeling awful that it isn't working properly yet, but pretty soon she'll be complaining that I play it too much.

I've got one other question but I'll save that until I get the grommets installed. One step at a time...

OK, so many thanks to all of you that weighed in on my first challenge, the nasty grommet issue. I was talking with our vending guy at the office and he said that he thought he knew where I could get the grommets locally, he was right, I got them, installed them, and she is sounding great. Next issue: the selection lights. They worked when I bought the thing. Then I shipped it home, and now they don't. The first number works (either 1 or 2), but the others do not. They did then and don't now, so something must have shook loose or something. You guys are batting 1.000 so far. Anyone want to take a crack at this issue?

Thanks in advance, Joe

Joe,
Light bulbs (tight--burned out)--plug--??
Ron Rich

Hi
Sometimes cleaning the contacts/edge connectors where the light bulbs are located works, also the edge connector at the base of the carriage. There is also a fuse located at the back of the chassis and i think a transistor and diode. Also it could be just the bulbs but unlikely they are all gone. I have found this a common problem with rockols's and its something i have never found a complete solution, so i ahve just put up with it., let us know if you find anything
regards
Clones

Joe: I have the similar 460, and I bought replacements for both bulb types. When I pulled each of them to test / replace, I discovered how cheaply made the receptacles were. On one of them, the contact to the tip of the bulb had fallen off, so I jumpered a short wire soldered directly to the bulb. All are now working fine, and all but one would be easy to replace!
Patrick

I will give all of these a try. It's odd that it worked when I bought and didn't work when I got it home and powered it up. I'm getting used to that. I'll test the bulbs and see where we are at. Question, are these like Christmas lights where if one goes they all don't light or are they all independent?

It's quite "common" for a jukebox not to function after moving--especially if you do not "bother" to properly pack it for shipment--
They are independent lamps--MAY have a common ground ? Ron Rich