Can a SCOOTER SHOP fix a TURNTABLE using SCOOTER PARTS? (philips 437, GA-437)

Everyone knows the secret to a happy workplace is GOOD MUSIC! And the best way to listen to music is on vinyl of course! But when I brought my vintage record player into the shop it needed a little TLC before it could provide the tunes we were after.

In this video I diagnose and repair a vintage Philips model 437 turn table with a speed issue causing the record to spin too fast. When I first plugged the record player in it seemed to do nothing at all. The platter did not move and I didn't see or hear anything that lead me to believe that anything was working at all. But when I removed the platter to get a closer look I discovered the motor was actually running just fine! The drive belt had just deteriorated over the years. So I grabbed the closest thing to a turn table drive belt I had near by: A GY6 valve cover gasket o-ring. THATS RIGHT SCOOTER PARTS TO FIX A RECORD PLAYER.

But when I got it back together and threw a record on it I noticed that it was playing too fast. Not so fast that it sounded like Alvin and the Chipmunks but a whole-step up. Meaning a song that was originally pitched in A was now playing in B.

I dove back in to the underbelly of the turn table and with the help of my friend Gary Standley I found a main capacitor on the drive motor was out of spec. Knowing that this MUST be the cause of my issue I soldered a new one in its place but found that my records were STILL playing too fast. I realized I had gotten carried away and started guessing at components before I knew the turn table had a good "state of tune". I had assumed my valve cover o-ring was as good of a drive belt as the original equipment.

Once the replacement "original style" drive belt arrived I quickly realized the error of my ways. The factory-style belt was square and fit much further into the motor drive pulley. Effectively reducing the radius of the pulley and altering the drive ratio.

With the correct belt installed my turntable played at the correct speed - verified by our very out of tune shop piano.

Here's a link to the drive belt I installed: https://www.lpgear.com/product/PHLGA0...

Here is a link to the record I played in this video: https://amzn.to/3Ge0pHY

I feel the need to mention that Adrian Oviedo and Kaichow Lau were not only featured on the album cover but also recorded artists on the record. Kai was tracked on Violin and Guitar and Adrian was tracked on the drum set.

Special thanks to Kev Bev for the license to use this tune in my video! Kev Bev is still gigging frequently around Austin so check out their website https://www.kevbevmusic.com/ to find out where to catch them next!

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#Philips #VinylRecords #Turntable