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It's a theory, but surely EMG wouldn't refer to a governor weight as a "Turntable weight " ?

Gramtastic wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:59 pm It's a theory, but surely EMG wouldn't refer to a governor weight as a "Turntable weight " ?

I see what you mean - and I would have thought the same thing - if I hadn't just come across this letter completely by accident .........

Gramtastic wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:59 pm It's a theory, but surely EMG wouldn't refer to a governor weight as a "Turntable weight " ?

I'm certain they wouldn't. By "turntable" they would have meant what's referred to in modern hi-fi terms as the platter. It was only much later that "turntable" came to mean the whole record playing deck, but without amplifier/s or speaker/s, as it does today. And before "deck" there was the term record playing "desk" too! Potentially confusing.

Prompted by emgcr, I've just checked three Garrard 201s here and two of them have unusually heavy turntables which could very well contain lead under the felt or between outer layers of pressed steel. They are of similar appearance to other Garrard turntables of the period, but much heavier.

poodling around wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:53 pm

Gramtastic wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:59 pm It's a theory, but surely EMG wouldn't refer to a governor weight as a "Turntable weight " ?

I see what you mean - and I would have thought the same thing - if I hadn't just come across this letter completely by accident .........

Hilarious, but eleven days early surely ?

emgcr wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 7:39 pm

poodling around wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:53 pm

Gramtastic wrote: Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:59 pm It's a theory, but surely EMG wouldn't refer to a governor weight as a "Turntable weight " ?

I see what you mean - and I would have thought the same thing - if I hadn't just come across this letter completely by accident .........

Hilarious, but eleven days early surely ?

I see what you mean - really glad you found it funny though.

I have just weighed a 201 turntable - 4 lbs. An otherwise identical Collaro turntable is 2 ¾ lbs. The 201 is not mine, so I hesitate to pull up the perfectly preserved velvet mat to see what's underneath.
The Collaro table, off my Expert, has a small balance weight screwed underneath, just as someone was suggesting, though I don't think it's lead. (Or could it have been for an automatic stop, no longer present? It looks too near the centre to be much use for balancing).

Looking at the two turntables, I'd say they came off the same press. The 201 has an ingenious conversion for three speeds -- perhaps the extra weight was considered desirable for a more steady 33 ⅓ rpm?

While on the subject, I weighed the heavy cast iron 'EMG' turntable on my Mark X: 6lb 1oz. No wonder the springs are a bit tired!

I think we may have solved the mystery ! It would be interesting to know if the gramophone was damaged by bombing activity as I can't see how lead on a turntable could be damaged by normal usage ? Did a piece of masonry or shrapnel hit the soundbox and turntable ? but you would imagine the horn would be the most vulnerable part and there is no mention of that ..... We'll probably never know.

Hello all! Talking with Adrian Tuddenham yesterday about the LEAD WEIGHT. He suggests the lead is from a lead weight driven motor.

old country chemist wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 8:09 am Hello all! Talking with Adrian Tuddenham yesterday about the LEAD WEIGHT. He suggests the lead is from a lead weight driven motor.

What is a lead weight driven motor please I wonder ?

A motor driven by a weight and rope instead of a spring.