Vintage Record Players – Services

This page contains the bulk of the services I offer, if you don’t see something here that you’re looking for please contact me, as I may still be able to help.

I offer repairs & service to all makes and models of vintage record players. If you're unsure whether need a repair or a service please read the information below.

More often than not the faults that occur are down to age more than anything else, many vintage record players are over 50 years old and have been stored in attics for decades which isn't the best of environments. There is a very fine line between a repair and a service, it all depends on condition of the mechanics and electronics inside the record player. In all cases I will be able to assess free of charge what work needs to be undertaken and provide you with a full quotation before any work commences.

My services fall into three categories - Repairs, Service and Restoration, each one coming with love and care as standard.

Repairs

Due to the age of many vintage record players repairs are often necessary, it may be something as simple as a new stylus, but other symptoms such as a seized platter or slow playback speed are very common.

Please remember vintage record players contain very high voltages inside, please don't attempt to repair them yourself unless you are suitably knowledgeable and know how to work safely around high voltages. I don't want to spoil your fun, but unless you are really looking for a permanent 'look of shock' expression on your face I recommend you leave them well alone. Due to their vintage nature the electronics inside your record player often seem 'alien' to even a qualified modern day engineer, so I recommend you contact me in all cases.

Depending on the condition of the record player a simple repair may be enough to get it going again, but often what's needed is a full service.

Service

A service is more comprehensive than a repair, it will include the repair of any faults plus a thorough once over of the mechanics and electronics. For most vintage record players this is what’s needed.

A very common scenario is the old record player has been dragged out of the loft where it's spent the last 50 or so years collecting dust. I always advise against plugging a none tested item into the mains, but if you already have chances are you'll be greeted with a funny smell or no sign of life at all.

If this was a modern day item, usually the most economical option would be to throw it away. Replacement parts aren't easy to source nowadays due to many products designed to be disposable, and often the cost of the repair will exceed the value of the item itself.

Not so with vintage, aside from there hefty construction many of these have now become extremely sought after collectors items, it is absolutely 100% worth having your vintage record player serviced and brought back to life, it will last you years and the build quality is far beyond anything we have now.

Restoration

A restoration is a complete overhaul of the mechanics, electronics and cosmetics, such as cabinet recovering (where necessary), new brass work etc. The record player will be will be fully restored to as near as possible it’s original new condition.

If this sounds appealing then restoration is the way to go. The mechanism, the amplifier and the cabinet itself will receive a full overhaul and finished off with a sprinkle of magic (I have some in a bottle that came from the 50's, my Granddad gave it me).

For many a restoration is often seen as a future investment due to the collectable nature of these items. Please contact me to discuss your requirements.

Guarantee

  • All my work is guaranteed for a period of 6 months.
  • Any parts fitted (excluding the cartridge and stylus) are guaranteed for 12 months.
  • In the unlikely event of a fault, the guarantee is operated on a 'return to base' basis.

Pricing

It is very difficult to give an idea of cost until I am able to inspect your record player, generally the best I can offer is a ballpark. But once in my possession I will be able to assess free of charge what work needs to be undertaken and provide you with a full quotation before any work commences.

I also offer Vintage Audio Services - Click Here

Courier Service

Locally you can bring your player to me, or in some cases I may be able to collect it. Further afield collection can be done via a courier service or delivered in person.

If you wish to send me your record player via courier I recommend using the website www.parcelmonkey.co.uk, you can arrange a collection through a number of carriers and in most cases you don't have to print any shipping labels, the courier will do all the work for you. Alternatively please let me know if you would like me to arrange this for you (courier fee applies).

Packing Your Record Player

In order to make sure your pride and joy arrives in one piece it is essential that it is securely packed. There needs to be a good few layers (at LEAST 3 inches) of soft packing material around your record player. More importantly above all else it can not be allowed to move around inside the box, it needs to be packed in tightly with anything you can, bubble wrap, newspaper, towels, bedding what ever you can muster to ensure it's safe arrival.

Pay special attention to front grills, protect them with something thick like a piece of double wall cardboard if you can.

Inside the record player itself the mains lead and plug needs to be secured so it can't move around in transit, and the mains plug needs to be wrapped in something soft such as bubble wrap. Make sure the tone arm is secured to it's rest with a twist tie or something similar. If you are unable to remove the centre spindle try and sandwich something soft between it and the lid to stop it rubbing on the rexine covering.

Last but not least make sure you tighten down the deck using the two transit screws either side of the platter.

A Note On Packing

Despite the above advice I have had a number of players sent to me that have been poorly packed, this has resulted in a damaged record player and all the associated problems that come with it.

Please be aware that if you have taken out insurance cover when you arranged the courier service, the courier company will not pay out for a poorly packed item.

Although in most cases I can offer to repair items that have been damaged in transit, these kinds of jobs will not be given priority if the packing guidelines above haven't been followed.