The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

pallophotophone wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 6:08 pm I have a 201b turntable w/ 78 and 33 ⅓ speed levers on it. Did EMG ever put this in their machines ? It looks as though it was built like a tank. If the BBC used them, it must have been top notch.

The Garrard induction 201s were well built and are most desirable. They were indeed used by the BBC in modified form. EMG did not use them ab initio but some of us do now have them installed in our instruments.

Pictures added. Sorry about the orientations.

Bob H.

Many thanks for the photos which confirm that your horn is indeed a Mk Xa with the thin band at the knuckle and in excellent condition. Thank you also for the number which is probably mid nineteen-thirties. This is a rare combination but one I know that will continue to bring you great joy. Congratulations.

PS. I have just bought Walter Welch's book---looks to be most interesting. Many thanks again.

Congratulations on a great machine! I reduced the motor hum greatly on my machines by putting a half-dozen dome-shaped sorbothane pads under the metal motor plate, so the motor floats slightly above the wood deck. The hum is barely audible now.

Thank You !

Did you use the wood screws to secure the platform. or is the sorbothane tacky enough so they aren't needed ? I will try it .
I installed some drilled out rubber spacers under the plate when I first worked on this motor, after the design that EMG used . There is space between the plate and wood sub mount, but the wood screws probably transfer the 60 Hz vibration to the wood. The more I think about it, I'm sure the wood screws are probably making it worse. On the work bench, it was whisper quiet, without a sounding board.
Maybe it had a little hum in it from day one?

Before the motor became undependable , this was my favorite disc machine. Anything I can do to return it to that position is well worth pursuing.

Cordially !

The motor hum increased when I replaced the screws, so I leave them out. The weight of the motor and the tacky sorbothane keeps it place. I should do a comparison video with and without the sorbothane bumpers...

BassetHoundTrio wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 8:18 am The motor hum increased when I replaced the screws, so I leave them out. The weight of the motor and the tacky sorbothane keeps it place. I should do a comparison video with and without the sorbothane bumpers...

Just a word of experience, I used sorbothane in a high quality home-built turntable many years ago, and after about 10 years it started depolymerising and turning to a horrible liquid - terrible sticky mess - I couldn't find any conventional solvent to shift it! Not saying sorbothane's a problem, just that I'd be keeping an eye on it and replacing the components every few years if I were to use it again.

Yes, I confess I put some under the Garrard Super Motor plate in my Mark IX, and last time I checked they were quite gooey - ick.