The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I just acquired a SoloTone player. I don't know all the names of the parts so forgive me. The turntable will not turn, but when I take it off, the spindle spins. As soon as I put the turntable back on it stops. Is something missing? Any suggestions?

I assume the brake is off when you have the turntable on?

First thing to do is to disassemble the motor (WARNING: MAKE SURE THE SPRING IS COMPLETELY RUN DOWN FIRST!) and thoroughly clean it; when you've got it back together, oil all the bearings and the governor with sewing machine oil. See how it performs then.

If it still doesn't spin with the turntable on, chances are that the mainspring is weak, and needs to be replaced. Check the Links section of the Forum for repairers: there are some good sources for new mainsprings.

Once you've got the motor running properly, you can go on to rebuilding the reproducer.

Bill