A Turntable Rescue: Part 1

You don't really find quality brand stereo equipment in brick and mortar thrift stores anymore. Anything halfway decent goes online to the highest bidder (curse you, shopgoodwill.com). So, I was surprised to find a Technics SL-B2 sitting on an ottoman in the Ankeny Goodwill.

I wasn't the first person to check out the turntable. I could tell it had already been inspected and rejected by some earlier shoppers. There were segments of a broken motor belt lying on top of the platter mat, and the broken stylus had been puled out of the cartridge and left next to the strips of belt. I don't think the cracked plastic lid impressed anyone. Also, the shell ring securing the headshell to the tonearm wouldn't budge. But probably the Technics' worst offense was how dirty it was. I wish I would have taken "before" pictures, but sometimes that doesn't really do the filth justice. 

It wasn't just dusty. There was layer of what happens to dust when dust dies. My best description is that it was covered with a light brown grime. It wasn't sticky, but I was sure to not let the turntable touch my clothes as I carried it to the cashier where I ran my card to pay the tidy sum of $11 (I rounded up a penny). The clerk said, "Keep this," when she handed me the receipt, "You'll need it when you return that. You've got seven days." She nodded her head in disapproval when she said "that" and looked at my purchase as if it had given her the finger.

"That" made me smile. Sure, the Technics needed work. But I had a hunch that this turntable was going to play music again. 

And I was right.

The first thing I did when I got it home was to check the power cord for damage. It looked okay. I then removed the rubber mat and the platter so I could see the motor. I plugged in the cord, released the tonearm, and swung it towards the spindle. Using my finger, I could feel that the motor's capstan was spinning. I could also feel a change in speed when I switched from 33 to 45 rpms. Good news. The motor appeared to work. That's when I tossed the receipt. 

I wasn't being cocky. I ordered a new motor belt from Amazon, and the predicted delivery date was beyond a week. I was officially into a new thrift store project, and it was a first! I hadn't rescued a turntable before.

The first "repair" was to remove the headshell. I carefully worked the shell ring back and forth using a pliers when my fingers couldn't do the job. I probably should have used a cloth to protect the ring, but it worked out fine. Once I got the ring to move a bit, I added a drop of Tri-Flow and worked that into the threads. Even though I got the ring to turn freely, the headshell was still stuck. It took some prying and wiggling to get the tonearm to release its grip. I can easily remove the headshell now, but it took a lot of passes with a q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol to get the end of the tonearm fully cleaned out.

The next item on my list was finding the right stylus for this cartridge. 

According to the manual I found online (love that I can do that), this isn't the stock cartridge that came with the Technics SL-B2 when it was new in 1979 or 1980. A previous owner had installed this AT13EX instead. Let's call it an upgrade. I ordered a replacement stylus from LP Gear. 

I got busy cleaning while I waited for the belt and the stylus to arrive in the mail.

The base of TT' came first. I tried to remove the grime with some isopropyl alcohol, but surprisingly that didn't make a dent. What really saved the day were these cleaning wipes that I bought a couple of years ago at Hy-Vee. They were selling them four for a buck since Covid was mostly in the rearview mirror. I bought 6 packs, and they have come in handy many times. I'll be sad when I eventually use all of the last pack.  

Cleaning a vintage item is rewarding for me. I get immediate results, and it doesn't take any talent or research. All I need is time, patience, and elbow grease. I spent about 90 minutes cleaning the base.

What was left of the rubber belt had hardened and adhered to the surface under the platter. I soaked it with a Q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol. That softened it up enough to peel it off. It did take some of the plastic's color with it. You can see the strip of damage the belt left behind.

You can clean out years of debris from tight edges and corners with cleaner, Q-tips, and toothpicks.

Up next was the plastic dust cover.  A shard of plastic jutted out awkwardly where it was cracked. I was able to pop it back in place with a little encouragement. It's lucky that the tab that inserts into the hinge is intact.

Novus cleaners/ polishers 1 and 2 did a decent job of removing a lot of the small scratches. Overall, the cover looks a lot more presentable. I don't love the cracks, but cover works as it should. 

The parts arrived in the mail around this time. Installing the belt is a snap. Just wrap it around the outside of the inner edge of the platter, put the platter on the spindle, and pull the belt onto the motor's capstan. 

The new stylus just snaps into place.

Then it was time to finally take a test drive, and.... eh.

I made a few discoveries when I played a record for the first time. 

1) I could hear music. Yay! But the music was really faint. I had to turn the receiver way up just to hear it. Boo.

2) I could adjust the speed of turntable's platter. Yay! But the needed strobe light didn't turn on. Boo.

3) I could play a record all the way through one side. Yay! But the tonearm didn't lift and auto-return to the cradle. Boo.

That's kind of disappointing, but the solutions were pretty straightforward. 

1) The problem with the faint volume was caused by me. I hadn't pushed the stylus all the way into the cartridge. The cartridge is sun-faded from age, and there was a bright strip of white that should have been covered by the sides of the new stylus. I'll admit this took well over an hour to discover. I should have used Occam's razor and traced my own steps first.

2) Here's the deal with the strobe light: it's supposed to flash rapidly at the rotating dots that are on the side of the platter. You can move the pitch or speed adjust dial to get the dots to appear as if they are going to the left (too fast) or to the right (too slow). When you get the dots to appear as if they're standing still, you're platter is set to the right speed, and you're hearing the music as intended. 

When the tonearm is moved inward, a power switch turns on both the motor (the platter starts spinning) and the strobe light. When the tonearm returns to the cradle, the switch turns both off. I figured the fuse was okay and that the strobe was bad since the motor would turn on and off, but the strobe wouldn't. So, I went to my friend eBay and found a used replacement. This solution worked, but there could have been other causes. 

Here's the non-working strobe light that I removed.

And here is where the "new" working one is installed. It's beneath that square circuit board above the round motor. I was in a hurry to see if this solution would work, so I'm using twist caps wire connectors for now. We'll see if I go back in to solder them... (Shhh. I probably won't).

3) Okay, now we're on to the solution for the non-working auto-return. Turns out that this is a common problem, and the cause is a broken gear on the center spindle. I ordered a new 3D printed gear from an eBay seller who included instructions and a 3D printed tool to assist me getting the gear into the right position.

Here's the installed gear.

 Here's the old gear and the tool guide.

I think it's cool that we live in a time when what used to be a really hard part to find can now be 3D printed and easily purchased. The auto-return now works as it should. Yay progress!

The seller also threw in a 3D printed 45 adapter, which was very cool since this turntable was missing one.

Finally, I used a cartridge protractor to make sure the cartridge and its stylus are aligned with the grooves of the record. I also set the tracking force to 1.5 grams.

Parting shots:

Parting thoughts:

No, this is no longer an $11 record player. Projects like these are like pet adoptions. The initial cost doesn't matter at all. It's all the vet bills that come later. I spent about $125 on parts and shipping. Half of that was spent on the stylus, but that's as it should be. Buying a new belt and stylus for a used TT is a no-brainer. 

I really like the idea that this 45-year-old turntable is getting a new lease on life. 

I still have a few things left to do, so I plan on writing one more blog post about this guy.

Blink and You'll Miss It - Part 15

   Easter 2011 (nine months old)

Easter 2012

Easter 2013

Easter 2014 (Just a little grumpy about going to church.)

Easter 2015 (Pretty happy about going to church.)

Easter 2016

Easter 2017 (It's irresponsible to take a child with a fever to church, but she can still hunt Easter eggs at home.)

Easter 2018 (Hmmmm. That dress looks familiar.)

Easter 2019

Easter 2020 (You don't have to dress up for online church.)

Easter 2021 (Officially too old for the children's sermon.) 

Easter 2022 (New glasses and experimenting with hair color.)

Easter 2023 (Wearing the dress she picked out on our trip to Portland.)

Easter 2024 (Out shopping after church.)

Easter 2025

Insert the "time flies" cliché here.

Actually, it isn't a cliché; it's a law.

Does Taco John's Have A Secret Menu Item?

I'm not a unique guy. I'm also not a fancy guy. I'm from the Midwest, and like a lot of people raised here I enjoy loose meat sandwiches. Call them what you want: Taverns, Sloppy Joes, Maid-Rites, Charlie Boys, Souper Burgers. Canteens... the list goes on and on. But basically, if you put hamburger meat on a bun, I'm interested. 

That's why I like to go to our local Taco John's. They have their own version of a loose meat sandwich - the Taco Burger.

The foodie website, The Takeout, ran an article a few years ago entitled, "Bring Back Taco Bell's 1962 Immediately." The subheading read, "Now is the perfect time to reintroduce Taco Bell's spin on a burger". Breanna Wellen's feature article is all about the discontinued Bell Beefer. It was Taco Bell's version of a loose meat sandwich. Apparently people have even staged protests and created Facebook pages demanding the return of the Bell Beefer. 

I looked the Bell Beefer up, and here's a picture of it from the Taco Bell Wiki:

When I saw the Bell Beefer I thought, What's the big deal? Taco John's sells Taco Burgers. Just go there.

To make sure, I checked our local Taco John's website, and the Taco Burger was listed as the only item under "Local Favorites." It looks a lot like the Bell Beefer to me. I think the biggest difference is the Taco Burger lacks the Beefer's chopped onions.

Here's the full description: "Our signature Seasoned Ground Beef, Mild Sauce, Lettuce and Cheddar Cheese on a nice warm Bun." All that love and a nice warm bun, too? Let's go get one!

My local Taco John's had updated their menu boards since my last visit, and I didn't see the Taco Burger listed anywhere. I became mildly worried. When the guy behind the counter asked what I wanted, I hesitantly replied,"Can I get a Taco Burger?"

"Yeah," he nodded his head, "Anything else?"

"Just a cup for water."

He handed me my receipt and a cup and said, "It'll be right out."

Why isn't the Taco Burger listed on the physical menu? Obviously there was a button on cashier's screen for a Taco Burger because it's listed right on the receipt.

This is what I got when I unwrapped my burger. I'm not a food photographer, but you get the idea. 

I'm also not a food writer. I don't even know how to pronounce umami. But I can tell you that the Taco Burger appeals to me on many levels. I like the beef that TJ's puts in their tacos, and it feels like they pile on about three times more of the same beef on the burger. I also like the consistency of the meat to sauce ratio. This isn't as messy as a sloppy joe, but the amount of beef will cause some of it to squeeze out the back. That's not the warm bun's fault, though. The bread is sturdy enough to support whatever amount of meat they put on it. (Come to think of it, I bet I could ask to switch the beef out for some other meat like chicken with lime sauce. Worth an ask.)

So, yeah, the Taco Burger is a version of a loose meat sandwich that I can get behind. I'm not alone. I mentioned this burger at school a few days ago, and one teacher exclaimed, "Taco John's Taco Burgers? I love them! Even if I order a meal, I get a burger on the side!" That's a pretty good endorsement.

When I went back to double check the Taco John's website menu for this post, and the "Local Favorites" category was gone. What?! Where did it go? Turns out, the Taco Burger was now listed under the "Tacos" heading, which makes sense. Whew. For a second there I thought this might become an "in memory of" post.

There is a problem, though. Not all Taco John's menus are created equal. 

In some Iowa locations the Taco Burger is listed as an option:

In other Iowan locations, it's not:

In some cities you can order the Taco Burger online:

In others, you can't:

I'm sure availability is based on demand. Why waste warm buns if they're not selling?

If online menus can be trusted, over half of the Taco John's in Iowa offer Taco Burgers, and about a third of the restaurants in South Dakota and Nebraska have them as well. Minnesota has three Taco Burger-friendly locations. Of the other 19 states that have a Taco John's, only the folks in Olathe, Kansas get a shot at loose meat goodness:

I suppose this is a Midwest thing.

Does all of this mean that Taco John's has a secret menu item? I don't know. It all depends on your definition and your destination. What I do know is where I'm going for lunch today. 

I think I'll add chopped onions.

A Different Kind of Glorious

I have this quote posted on a wall in my classroom. It's from an online article Henry Rollins wrote for Discogs.

“I never had a good time in school, so Friday became my favorite day. Classes were not so bad because freedom was only hours away. In that brief period between school letting out and midnight, it’s like an extra day, the economy version of a three-day weekend. Those hours are the peak of the week for me to this day. This time period is for playing records.”

 - Henry Rollins

I like how Rollins's theory about Friday evenings echoes my own theory about the evenings before summer vacation. I also like how he uses music to celebrate the end of the week. I do that, too.

I often pick out my Friday record on Thursday night, so it's already waiting for me on the turntable when I get home. When Char and I get there, I'll let Ellie out into the backyard, feed our cat Bo, and then coax Ellie back in with a treat. With everyone taken care of, I'll drop the needle, settle into my recliner (or get ready to dance around if it's been that kind of a week), and let the music play. It's glorious. 

Music can serve all kinds of purposes, but for me it's all about making myself smile. This brings me to this post's topic: records that make me happy even when I'm not playing them.

This is a 2010 rerelease of Black Sabbath's first record. I bought this used LP at ZZZ records, and it's in really good shape. This copy is the measurement that I'll use to explain one of favorite records.

Okay, now check out this bad boy.

This record, also from ZZZ, is so awesomely bad (ass). 

According to Discogs, Stereophonic is a “...South Korean pirate label that issued poor-quality unofficial releases of Western artists' music. The records were copied directly from original pressings using a reverse-molding process, and thus will have the same runout information as an American issue (or occasionally a British or Japanese one). Their releases share the same style of using monochrome printed covers (in various colours) on thin card stock.”

Let's look at these two records side by side.

What?! Just look at that record on the right! I don't know if you would call it a counterfeit or a bootleg, but man, that is just awesome. I love how unapologetic it is. Imagine coming to the party dressed like that and just not giving a damn. If this record could talk, it would say, "Yep, I'm a bootleg. What in the hell are you going to do about it?" So sassy.

I love the murky sleeve and how flimsy the card stock is. I also like the typewriter font on the labels. It's not trying to fool anyone. Loud and proud.

But the thing of it is, this bootleg actually sounds pretty good. I'd rate it at VG. The vinyl is also surprisingly heavy. Using our kitchen scale, this LP weighs in at 150 grams. Most records made in the 80's couldn't boast that heft. 

I suppose a non-collector would ask why would I buy a bootleg when I already had a legit and better looking and sounding copy? To that I'd say simply obtaining records is not why I'm in this hobby. I like the legal Black Sabbath record, but it doesn't make me laugh like the bootleg does. This isn't about making sense or saving cents; it's about having fun.

Let's try another. Hmmm... can you spot the bootleg?

I have no idea who the G-Boys are. 

I do like how the Stereophonic company couldn't afford to put a hype sticker on the sleeve, so they screened a circle on the front with "Don't Stop' Til You Get Enough" in someone's handwriting. Notice they put the unnecessary apostrophe after "stop" instead of in front of "til". I'm not judging; I can't write anything in Korean.

I don't mind that my legal copy of Off the Wall was vandalized by a previous owner.

This one from High Stereo Light is fun because they screened the front artwork onto the back of the sleeve by mistake. LPs seldom exit on the left, as far as I know

Typos and an off-center label are things to celebrate.

Here's a bootleg from Taiwan. I bought it in a downtown Des Moines vintage clothing store in the late 90's.

Fun fact: Under the S FL-18668 A you can see a 58 and a 4. 1911 + 58 = the release year (1969) and 4 represents the fourth month (April). This record turns 56 in just three days.

Other fun facts: "First Record (第一唱片) is a label of questionable legality from Taiwan, catering to soldiers (mostly from the US) stationed there. They also did sell to locals... The albums were usually pressed in batches of about 500, with no two batches looking or sounding the same (ie different covers, vinyl colors). Covers were usually recycled, meaning art for a totally different album was on the reverse side of the paper (covers were thin paper wrapped in cellophane)... Pirate pressings outsold legit pressings 5 to 1. They were sold openly in legit record stores alongside equivalent legit pressings...usually for 1/5 or 1/4 of the price of the legit copy (in 1970 a pirate LP cost around US $0.70 whereas a legit Singaporean EMI pressing of the same album cost around US $3.50)."*

*Source= Billboard article 3/14/1970.

I've got a few others, but here's my last First Record for today.

I like this record's cover because Richard Carpenter looks like he's pissed that you're checking out his sister and not him, "... Really? I'm right here."