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I have had this Orthophonic Portable for a long time.. I have been trying to play it some lately but it has a disturbing very fast "wow" or more like a "vibrato" sound which isn't apparent on pop tunes but it makes a piano or slow classical piece sound pretty sad.. I have oiled the machine and I know there isn't much to the motor. What would I look for that might cause that issue? I also have a slight dip in the turntable as it revolves but I was able to get most of that out but adjusting the center screw on spindle. The sound in question occurs at a much faster interval than the rotation of the table.

Larry

larryh wrote:I have had this Orthophonic Portable for a long time.. I have been trying to play it some lately but it has a disturbing very fast "wow" or more like a "vibrato" sound which isn't apparent on pop tunes but it makes a piano or slow classical piece sound pretty sad.. I have oiled the machine and I know there isn't much to the motor. What would I look for that might cause that issue? I also have a slight dip in the turntable as it revolves but I was able to get most of that out but adjusting the center screw on spindle. The sound in question occurs at a much faster interval than the rotation of the table.

Larry

If it's very fast, it would be 'flutter' instead of 'wow': the best place to look for that would be the governor, as that's the fastest moving part of the motor…


Bill

Hi Bill,

Yes I rather thought it was in the governor but does someone know what it is about it that might be causing it?

Larry

It could be that one of the screws holding a governor spring has come loose. That can cause the fluttering sound. Another possibility is that one of the governor springs was replaced at one time with one that is slightly shorter. If that's the case, it's best to get a new set and replace them all.

But, before you open the case, you might want to check one other thing. Remove the mask from the sound box and check the solder holding the needle bar's foot to the center of the spider. There should be just a whisper of solder there--just enough for a firm attachment. If there's a noticeable bead, that will cause flutter-like distortion on certain notes. I had a badly repaired HMV #5a sound box that had that problem. After the needle bar was re-attached using the correct amount of solder, the problem went away.

HTH,
Joe