33 1/3 records play slow

I bought a new “Vibe sound” turntable and am trying to record some old records that have not been played since the 1970s. It plays fine most of the time then it slows down. The turntable drive seems to be working and not slipping so I am wondering if the grooves in the records have a buildup or the new needle is dragging in the groove and slowing down the record. One tune will play just fine and the next will be slow and suddenly speed up. Is there a way to clean or lubricate the old records? Please send your response to my e-mail (gdmmail@yahoo.com) Thank you.

I agree, you purchase a 30 dollar hunk of crap - you got what you paid for.
Buy a REAL turntable.

I clicked on that url--strange--price is $30--but they have 13 others starting at $17.50--but "1.re-furbished" is $41 ???
Ron Rich

Ron Rich wrote:I clicked on that url--strange--price is $30--but they have 13 others starting at $17.50--but "1.re-furbished" is $41 ???
Ron Rich

Yeah, "refurbished" - how does one refurbish poop?

Matt,
That, sir, is a question "above my pay grade" ! Ron Rich

Well out of six reply's only one was relevant. I also suspect the drive motor as it seems to slow down only after it has been running for awhile. However as I said these records have not been played since the 1970s and are in good condition. By the way even though it was less than $30 it has made good recordings of several albums and only occasionally slows down and then only after it has been running for 15 minuets or more. Paying more for an item is not always the answer. So my question remains; could these old grooves be dragging on the needle and can the records be coated with a lubricant such as WD40 allowing the needle to smoothy ride the grooves? Thank you.

Geo wrote:Well out of six reply's only one was relevant. I also suspect the drive motor as it seems to slow down only after it has been running for awhile. However as I said these records have not been played since the 1970s and are in good condition. By the way even though it was less than $30 it has made good recordings of several albums and only occasionally slows down and then only after it has been running for 15 minuets or more. Paying more for an item is not always the answer. So my question remains; could these old grooves be dragging on the needle and can the records be coated with a lubricant such as WD40 allowing the needle to smoothy ride the grooves? Thank you.

Let's be frank here.
You purchased a hunk of junk.
some imported plastic junk.
There isn't no damn way to fix that crap.

It's obviously got an under-rated motor cheap chinese motor and drive system - how could it not, for that price?
And NO..... WD40 is not the answer - I don't know of ANY records EVER needing lubricant on them to play properly.
You said yourself it plays then slows down...... toss the junker in the garbage where it belongs and go find something more suitable.
No, price is not the "answer" - QUALITY is.

A 1962 portable phonograph gotten for that 20 bucks at a flea market is more worth the bother.

"Relevant" facts ^

If, you not attempting to "pull a leg" here, please put on your thinking cap, and use it !
What kind of "dirt" would know to slow down the record only when the motor was hot ?
IF, one were to use WD-40 on a record, would one only use it on one side--after all, if you flip it over, the WD-side will slip on the turntable --No??
Ron Rich

Ron, I'm sure you've seen those cheap chinese Crosley knock-off record players.
Ya know, the ones with the flimsy plastic platters, plastic bearings (no ball bearings found here!)
They utilize an extremely cheap tiny motor - similar to the ones in cassette decks.
Tonearms without any counterbalance springs or weights - digging into every groove they meet.
Absolutely no quality in these garbage products.

The market's been flooded with these whores/atrocities - we see them in my shop all the time, and cringe in fear when they walk in the door.

I'd never place my worst record on those things.

Hi Matt,
Actually nope- In all honesty, I don't think I have seen an operating "record player" in 30(?) years.
I have seen tons of commercial "jukeboxes", and quite a number of Seeburg Home Stereo's ( Unique player mechanism, based on the jukebox unit, that stores / plays only 12 inch 33 rpm records. Stores / plays 50 records--select-able sides using a "telephone type dial" , or on later units, a "telephone type", "touch pad")--and I think that we still have my wife's turntable, stored up on a top shelf somewhere, unless she gave it away--
Then there are those that can not seem to answer a question--I mostly give up rather quickly on the response that asks another question rather than answering my question--it throws off my train of thought, and I just don't have time to put it back on the rails--- Ron Rich

Ron, I dunno about the country as a whole, but the vintage record players are becoming quite popular out this way.
I'm swamped with restorations for them.
You name it, portables, console stereos, the works!

I just knocked out 4 of them, in the past week or so, and have a waiting list of more than a dozen more. (not including vintage radios and reel to reels)
Whew!

DoghouseRiley wrote:In my teenage years, one of the most popular record players was the Dansette,
This was considered a "girls record player" by myself and most of my more discerning friends. It usually had just a volume/on/off and a tone control, with a BSR, Garrard, or Collaro deck.

At the time I had a separate turntable, speaker and a Trio amp with separate bass and treble controls.

Dansettes are pretty popular at the moment.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/csc/Vintage-Retro ... te=1&rt=nc

By jove old man! - didn't you have the funds to purchase a lovely Quad preamp/amp?

I've serviced those, and they're built like a work of art.