[Hartley118]

I'm just tackling the restoration of a Garrard RC60 autochanger with an RGD branded pickup head (78 only). I'm pretty sure that the unit comes from a 1946-ish deluxe RGD 1046 radiogram (push-pull PX4s etc) pictured below - acknowledgement RGD museum website.

The autochanger runs wery well, complete with its ingenious record size detector. The challenge I have is with the pickup head. As far as I can see, it's a customised version of the Garrard 1940s miniature magnetic 'High Fidelity' head, reputed to be a remarkably good performer for its time. Mine has a good 5000 ohm coil and plays cheerfully but, unsurprisingly it needs a new sapphire stylus and new internal rubber suspension for the armature.

But I can't get inside the pickup head.

I've removed all relevant screws, but nothing budges, including the original stylus. As far as I can see, this must be one of the first pickups to use a jewel stylus instead of conventional steel needles: there's no needle chuck or retaining screw. Imagining that the existing stylus might be just an interference fit, I've tried grasping the aluminium stylus shank with instrument pliers and pulling, but it's firmly stuck: any more force and it'll break off, landing me in deeper trouble. Were the designers so enamoured of the new-fangled sapphire stylus that they made it a 'fit and forget' item? I do hope not: surely a sapphire must have been designed to be replaceable? I have what looks like a suitable brand new vintage spare ready to fit, but need to remove the original first.

The magnet/coil assembly needs to come out if I'm to replace the rubbers, but it seems intimately stuck inside the bakelite head moulding. Tolerances are very tight with barely a gap to get any sort of lever in. I've used the hairdryer treatment to warm up and expand the bakelite, but to no avail. I have noted that bakelite seems to shrink over the years and tighten its grip on any internal assembly, but this is either totally vice-like or else has some adhesive involved.

I'd be most grateful for any advice from any member who's successfully tackled a similar problem, whether it's 78 stylus removal, or releasing an assembly from the grip of bakelite. For example, what adhesives were in use in the 1940s? Am I likely to be able to soften the adhesive holding that front anodised aluminium 'RGD' plate on? That would probably expose the internal gubbins.

I attach some relevant photos, including one from the RGD Museum site of the 1046 radiogram. Aside from my challenges, this RC60 and its miniature high quality Garrard/RGD head make an interesting example of the quality of the best of early post-war 78 playback at the time when record manufacturers were progressively improving their recorded frequency range.

Martin