Seeburg SE100 Goldenjet - speaker tap/Rumble/Selection light

I have a Seeburg SE100 Goldenjet which I have now fixed up so it is fully functioning.

Question 1
As I had to source a pair of Bass speakers (someone had replaced both seeburg ones with odd car speakers in the past) and had sourced a better TSA6 Amplifier, I noticed that the amp is rated up to 32w per channel, but the speakers are the same as in my SS16o Showcase which is only 25w per channel.

(note - both Amp and Control Centre say 120V but I have re tapped the links on one transformer and replaced the other to bring them both to 230V)

at present I have tapped the speakers to the 16W terminals, my main question is - will it be OK to connect them to the 32w tappings?

Question 2
I have a background rumble when playing the records. at first I thought this may be the rubbers in the motor/flywheel but now wonder if the bearing in the record clamp arm side could be the cause - does anyone have any ideas? (this was seized when i got the machine, i've only oiled it to free it.)

Question 3
The "Selection Playing" lights work but it seems I have no bracket or parts on the mech to mount them

Does anyone have suitable parts for sale, or perhaps able to photograph theirs so I know what I am looking for please?

Question 4
I would like to get in to the top section and check the mid range and tweeter speakers / re do the speaker cloth etc.

I cannot see any easy way to get in to it - does the grill/trim come off or is there another way in - I don't want to damage it?

Question 5
Grille Cloth - does anyone know of a suitable supplier of the 2 colours of grille cloth similar to the original please?

Thank you

Kevin

ss160uk

Kevin e: question 1. Those speakers do not look like what is in the domestic SS160. At any rate, those "32 watt" amps are essentially the same as the 25 watt with just a heavier power & output trans. At best you'll get about 20 watts clean with both channels driven. How to connect the speakers depends on their impedance. The amps were spec'd for 5 ohm loads. If those speakers are either 4-5 or 8 ohm you can use the max tap (32W) and get full power. If they are 16 ohm you can still connect them at full but the amp will only deliver a quarter of the rated power to them.

Q-2: Rumble. I doubt the clamp can cause this. typically a loose clamp will cause the record to flop or slip resulting in a thumping or wow. Feel the clamp and press in on it to better clamp the record. I doubt this is the problem.

Motor mounts that are sagging allowing the bottom of the motor to touch the casting is the typical cause. Try slightly moving the motor while in-play and see how/if this affects the rumble.

One esoteric problem i ran into was a SHP- amp with the bass choke removed which caused a slight increase in rumble. Essentially, all low frequencies are made mono in those amps to cancel rumble. Since the amp had been tampered with (red 220V tran on an amp marked 120) checking for the small choke is one thing to look for.

BTW: Are you sure it is rumble and not 120Hz hum?

Sorry I can't help with the other items. I'm sure somebody will..
Rob/NYC

Thanks Rob for the quick response.

Q1 - Speakers - info about the speakers/Amp. I'll check the impedance of the speakers, very informative - thanks

On inspection (rather than earlier reliance on memory!) the speakers in both my SS160's have similar shaped magnets but have many more slots in the housing around the cones, so are different - as you say - to the ones I have in my SE100.

Q2 - Rumble - I have tried the quick check on moving the motor whilst playing but noticed no difference here. Whilst being this close to the mech during play I noticed that when I heard the "rumble" was when the Pivot Pin was stationary in the Pivot Block/Clamp Arm, and other times the rumble would stop and the Pivot Pin was rotating in the in the Pivot Block/Clamp Arm.
I tried stopping the Pivot Pin from rotating by pressing a screwdriver against it and the rumble was definately there then so I now know that the Clamp Disc / Pivot Pin bearing is what needs attention and I will strip that down when I have more time.

I'll take the amp out later and check for the small choke, (it was me who converted the 120V unit to 230V Tran, the machine already has 50 hz gearing etc for the Uk)

This should get me some way forward so thanks very much for your help Rob

Question 1.
If you have similar speakers in a SS-160, you have the wrong speakers installed in that phono--SS-160 cabinets were fitted with two "different-dedicated" speakers for that cabinet only --One is painted gray, the other was black and both were marked as to position.
The speakers you have in the SE, are just fine, and can be connected to the 32 watt tap n the amp--One caution--I do not see a fuse in the amp--did someone move it to the inside-?-it should be no larger then 1 amp slo blo (8/10) if you don't "crank" the volume up).
2. If the "rumble dis-appears", when you push on the clamp arm--one of two things is usually causing it--either the clamp arm has been pulled to far back by "someone", and the spring stretched, or, the turntable thrust bearing is worn out. On rare occasions, I have also found that the turntable is "stuck" to the internal ball bearings ( this generally can be "cured" by simply "twisting the turntable free)
"Motor mounts" don't usually deteriorate enough to cause any problems in this model, but a "hard" motor coupler, or incorrectly installed coupler, along with an absent motor support plug, will cause a similar problem.
As for the choke removal--I have rebuilt MANY SHP type amps, that have had the choke removed ( this was done to make the phono into a "Quadrophonic").--never experienced any problems--but you do not have a SHP type amp--Yours is a TSA type--which does have the choke. Ron Rich

Thank you too Ron.

To clear up the curve ball I started - I have attached a picture of both of my SS160's and their speakers, both as you rightly say have different speakers to my SE, both have a Black Left and Silver Right speaker. Sorry for the confusion!

Back to the SE100, I have temporarily internally fitted a fuse as I did not have a suitable style mounted fuse, your sharp eye has reminded me it is on the list to be put right now I have obtained fuses thanks to the internet.

I presume the turntable thrust bearing you mention Ron is the one on the clamp arm with the record centre-ing device, this is what I intend to strip down one weekend, hope that fixes the rumble.

Thanks Again

Kevin

Hi Kevin,
The turntable thrust bearing is on the turntable shaft--at the opposite side of the clamp-arm. See : "turntable shaft--installation instructions" in the service manual--favor LOWER setting ! Ron Rich