I have a 1938 RCA radio. I refuse to throw it out, as it's still in very good condition. It does need to be rewired as they are very iffy at best. I would like to get it going again, and you seem the best person who might be able to help. Love your videos!
So now this would be a "higher end" Crosley, if there's such a thing! The fact you upgraded the cartridge to something halfway better and even lightened the load on the needle makes it better. That'll sell for sure on Ebay.
Thank you for all the videos you post. Enjoy them all. You have amazing experience. One favor I want to ask is can you please send me a link to the video/s you posted regarding adding a pitch control? I want to try building one for myself. Thank you.
Nice video update I had a bush purchased for me a few years ago as a present, very similar to a crossley it's basic crap but I had a play around put a rubber turntable mat, and got the tracking weight down to 3.9 grams using a small super glued round magnet on the back of the tone arm, I add and take away different steel washers to increase or decrease the tracking weight. Ok it's not a high priced record player, but it now works reasonably well when the output is feed into an external amplifier and I want to re live the 1960s. Regards from the uk
You're lucky your motor came with a metal pulley. Mine came with a nylon plastic pulley, which comes with all the flutter you'd expect from plastic. So, I had to file it to smooth that out, while I'm waiting for a new motor to come from China. Also, the auto stop mechanism on the CR49 is much better than the newer ones with a simple stop switch, as it's velocity based, and won't trip early on records without a runout. That's pretty much like the old VM and BSR changers, and the auto stop is why I prefer the CR49 over my Califone 1010AV (similar DC motor but with an idler). Finally, I found a Crosley that sounds better than the Califone and is stereo to boot! A screw and a couple of 10mm nuts are my counterweight, bringing my Banpa down to 4.2 grams. (I think they recommend 4 to 6, and mine was at 7.) This is a great thrift store screener, especially if you're afraid the cracks in that 45 you want to hear will tear the needle off your good table!
One additional upgrade I would contemplate for this would be to install a set of jacks to pipe the cartridge signal to an external amp - especially if I'd gone through all the trouble to swap cartridges, modify the tone arm, replace the belt, fix the power jack, and adjust the speed. I mean, yeah, it's a cheap record player, but the main reason they sound so bad is the chintzy little amp and speakers they have - basically the same amp/speakers found in cheap computer speaker sets.
I have a more deluxe Crosley suitcase record player that has a built in tracking force adjustment screw on the end of the tone arm. Same tone arm but a modified casting.
If you glue the wallwart down on the inside, you can run a real cord into it through one of those rubber strain relief jobs and then never have to worry about losing the wallwart.
The number of people who actually play 78s is too small to include a proper stylus. At least it was made to play 78s for those with an interest. Also, you don't willingly go to McDonald's, because it's all you can afford or are willing to pay for, then complain that your Big Mac isn't as good as a filet mignon.
I have 3 of these, I decreased the tracking f by cutting the eye hook off the spring and stretching the last turn out to anchor to the hook on tonearm shaft, the early editions have Matsushita motor (green label) I would have pieced back the auto stop trigger back into the mech
Surely the ChinaPlide factories could've used the old flip-over stylus BSR SC12H or SC12M on these from new. I can confirm an ST17 stylus does fit this new cartridge. I'm presently surrounded by dead or dying Crap-o-phones ! The speakers in yours are MUCH bigger than the laptop style ones they now use ! As you say, "You can't polish a turd !"
Why not replace the stock circuit board with a 12AX7 RIAA preamp module? Circuit board kits are around $20-30 brand new on that flea pay site without tubes.
My first and only cheapy stereo I had was a G/E suitcase, and being a kid, I couldn't afford a diamond stylus. I ruined 3 copies of Born To Be Wild / Magic Carpet Ride, even with a brand new sapphire tip. Yes the records was styrene.
I got one of those cheap USB players and I had to disable the auto stop for that exact reason - it would stop before the record ended. The thing's crap but I use it for recording records that I would never touch with my Sony linear-tracking turntable and turning them into MP3's. The motor noise the tonearm picks up is terrible, and it only has 33 and 45 so I have to play a 78 at 45 RPM and use Wavelab to bring the speed up. I only play 78s that are in really bad condition on it, I have a Gerrard turntable with a proper 78 stylus for my good ones.
looks to be a 00's one when they had more space to use to put nothing, the more morden ones are much better just needs to have better speakers or have those old cassette ports for the speakers
Great job! I have a couple of machines that could benefit from that upgrade! Any chance you could post the part numbers for the cartridge and the needle you used? A quick search didn’t yield any hits on that cartridge. Thanks!
Hello Brian, Thanks for posting this video. What was the number of the replacement stylus you installed, please? After seeing the other videos about the Banpa cartridge, I ordered one to install on my Hilton Micro 75C turntable amplifier. It works okay, but I don't know if it's better than the old Astatic 89T cartridges they had on older sets. How do you think the sound of the Banpa compares to, say, a Tetrad or Varco style cartridge? Thanks again and looking forward to the response.
Pfanstiehl 274-DS73. The problem with subbing one of these cartridges for an 89T is the 89T has an output of 1.3V, while these cartridges have an output of around .5V; so, they will sound weak and tinny, when installed in something that used to have an 89T.
Is there a good cartridge that has both the proper LP stylus and a true 78 stylus? I was wondering because I have a lot of LPs and 78s and I think it is annoying to have to switch back and forth.
Crosley could make a good phono if they wanted to. It’s all about profit and nothing regarding quality Guess we have to reinvent the record player for them. A tiny drop of MotorKote lube on motor bearings will keep them from ever wearing out and will eliminate friction that causes wow and flutter. Back to the jukes. NSM and Seeburg both had the horizontal mechs that slid on rails and played the 45s vertically and had a stylus on each side of the magnetic cartridge so A and B sides of the record could be played similar to Seeburgs background music systems
Those are solid upgrades, no doubt. Like you said though, there's really nothing more you can do with it. On many players, a speaker upgrade could mean big improvements, but the amp in that Crosley is so wimpy that it wouldn't make a difference
You will never find me Owning one of those record players I choose to deal with real record plays califone Audiotronics, A video Audiotronics made in the USA made out of metal AC motor 6x9 inch speaker
If radiotvphononut can fix a Crosley why can't we come together and fix our problems? Red and yellow black and white we are all the same. Maybe we could even make this world a better place and right all the injustices without prejudice and hate. Naaah.
