Mort’s TV & Video Blog

Vintage turntables are often seen as a collector’s item. They are incredibly popular and thanks to a resurgence in vinyl’s popularity over the past couple of years, vintage turntables are a hot item. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re buying a vintage turntable. We here at Mort’s TV & Video are experts in vintage audio repair, so if you end up buying a used turntable and it needs some TLC, we’re here to help with all of your vintage audio repair needs!

Vintage turntables are popular not just for their retro feel, but also because they can play 78s, which are records that are played at 78 RPMs. Most of the time, 78s were made before 1940, so you’ll find a lot of old music on them – classical, blues, jazz, etc. Trustworthy vintage audio repair is especially needed for these older record players!

These older turntables are usually made out of plastic, steel or aluminum. A plastic turntable is generally less expensive than steel or aluminum. They became popular in the 1980s, and they usually have weak-running motors, no mats and a plastic plinth and the plastic arms generally won’t have any counterweight. Turntables used to be made out of steel because they were less costly to make, but it also resulted in more unstable motor speeds, which were then more pronounced when one listens to a record. An aluminum turntable was generally more expensive but it has a much higher sound quality, and these turntables were topped with rubber. There was less friction and noise because ball bearings or roller bearings were used in the spindle.

Another thing to look at is the drive type of the turntable. A belt drive system uses a less expensive motor than an idler-wheel drive system, but it still absorbs a lot of the vibrations and motor noise. An idler-wheel drive system was the most common type until the 1970s. This was a rubberized drive system that wore down and decomposed over time, which could mean that if you buy one, vintage audio repair might be in the cards for you later down the road! A direct drive system is usually one that you see in DJs turntables, not audio turntables. These caused the motors to vibrate, which would then cause the entire record to vibrate. So these types of turntables are not produced that often anymore.

When you buy a vintage turntable, maintaining it is key. Finding a reputable and trustworthy vintage audio repair shop is your first step.

So when you need vintage audio repair, call or visit Mort’s TV & Video. Call us at 215-945-8381 or Contact Us to learn more about vintage audio repair.

Collecting vintage audio equipment can be pretty addictive. When you’re an audiophile, you’ll take any excuse you can get to go out and buy a new piece of equipment. Vinyl has been making a comeback for years now – there’s even an annual event called Record Store Day (April 19, 2014) that celebrates independently-owned record stores. Participating stores offer special discounts on vinyl and other music formats. And thanks to this surge in all things vintage audio, a service like vintage audio repair in New Jersey is even more necessary than ever.

So why are people so gung-ho about vintage audio equipment, leading to this need for vintage audio repair? Well, for one thing, vintage audio equipment has a clear and outstanding sound quality to it. People who truly appreciate this type of old-school equipment probably have a keen ear for music. Audiophiles believe vintage audio equipment is superior to what’s available nowadays, and they will search high and low for just the right equipment or parts. And when their precious apparatus breaks, vintage audio repair is all the more necessary!

Plus, people seem to have a soft spot for things that remind them of their childhood and teen years. CDs and even tapes are relatively “new” when compared to vinyl and 8-tracks. So when people want to take a trip down memory lane, they often think of putting a record on a turntable and dancing and singing along. And when that turntable breaks, they want vintage audio repair they can trust! After all, sometimes it’s hard to find just the right turntable, so folks don’t want to trust their vintage audio repair to just any old store.

And that’s where Mort’s TV & Video comes in. We are a trusted name in vintage audio repair around New Jersey and we can repair just about any piece of vintage audio equipment. So when you need our help, give us a call at 215-945-8381 or Contact Us.