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Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment. |
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23rd Sep 2022, 5:04 pm | #1 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Southend, Essex, UK
Posts: 657
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Dansette De Lux help required
Have a cosmetically nice old Dansette de Luxe which was wondering if can get working. Unfortunately, my dear friend who used to help me on the electrics passed away so wondering if I can sort myself being a novice in that dept. It looks as though someone at one time ran an audio plug off the machine and made adaptions so clueless how to reattach the wires running from the arm. Have taken some pictures and happy to take more. Have managed so far to disassemble it but now should I cut and run and put it back together or attempt to get working? Make a nice display piece if all else fails. Thanks for reading
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23rd Sep 2022, 5:06 pm | #2 |
Heptode
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Location: Southend, Essex, UK
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
And a few more pics
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23rd Sep 2022, 5:24 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8,302
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
That all looks very dodgy!. Also be aware that this record player has a LIVE chassis. It's missing the turntable platter and it's control knobs and will most probably need a new cartridge. To get this working you are going to need to cannibilise another similar player. This may all cost you a fair bit to fix. We need to know your skills with voltage measurement and soldering - so do not attempt any work on this as it currently is.
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23rd Sep 2022, 6:11 pm | #4 |
Pentode
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 182
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
This looks like a nice example of the Dansette Junior, which has been "got at " by somebody with little knowledge or skill. From what can be seen, the additional wiring could have been potentially lethal. I believe that this record player has a live chassis, where it is possible for it to be at full mains potential. Any work on it should be undertaken with this in mind. These are very simple and straightforward record players and it should be possible to restore it to the manufacturer's original design.
What sort of cartridge is fitted to the pickup arm? (If it is the original BSR item, then it will almost certainly have failed.) The cartridge could be a major item in the restoration. Chris R Last edited by Chris R; 23rd Sep 2022 at 6:14 pm. Reason: spelling |
23rd Sep 2022, 6:17 pm | #5 |
Hexode
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wigston, Leicester, UK.
Posts: 348
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
Mind you, the case DOES look in pristine condition! Def. well worth keeping.
Have you got the platter for it? |
23rd Sep 2022, 6:24 pm | #6 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Southend, Essex, UK
Posts: 657
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
Think reading what you guys are saying is best leave as a display item. The physical condition is exceptional and does have its platter. No my skills are very basic so will leave well alone. Shame, anyway thanks so much for your input.
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23rd Sep 2022, 7:01 pm | #7 |
Pentode
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Craven Arms, Shropshire
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
It was the original design that the tag strip just was loose in the player. I've done a few of these and they were all the same. A poor design really. I screwed it on to the side of the cabinet. The component on the tag strip is likely to be the isolating cap for the pick up wiring. The tag strip should just act as the middleman for the wiring with one set of wires going to the arm and the other to the amp. I can see one knob has a plastic shaft which looks to be a replacement. The rest all looks original so if any added wiring is removed it would seem to be in an otherwise original state so should be restorable. In saying that, despite it being a UCL83 valve amp which should be capable of good results I never found these as good sounding or as straightforward to work on as the later Junior deluxe which used the EL84 amp as also used in most of the Dansettes of that period.
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23rd Sep 2022, 7:22 pm | #8 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Southend, Essex, UK
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
Quote:
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23rd Sep 2022, 7:38 pm | #9 |
Pentode
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Craven Arms, Shropshire
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
I'm not sure that blue pvc sleeving is original, hopefully someone else can confirm but the black wire that is not connected should be on the tag strip, I can't quite make it all out from the photos to be honest but I presume the grey cable (sheathed pick up cable) is going to the tags on the side of the volume control (or should be).
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23rd Sep 2022, 7:48 pm | #10 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Southend, Essex, UK
Posts: 657
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
Think my worry would be where the blue wire has become detached from the amplifier
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23rd Sep 2022, 8:30 pm | #11 |
Hexode
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wigston, Leicester, UK.
Posts: 348
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
Hi, it should be quite straightforward to google the circuit then trace where/what the blue wire is for. Can't quite see clearly from your pics enough detail to help.
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23rd Sep 2022, 10:06 pm | #12 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Croydon, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 7,548
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
Quote:
It does look like someone has done some poor repairs/mods on it so it's not a good 'starter' for you anyway. It would need someone who can read and understand the circuit to see what has been done and what needs doing to bring it up to a good standard.
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23rd Sep 2022, 10:29 pm | #13 |
Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Wembley, Middlesex
Posts: 7,219
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
I’ve got go go to Southend at some stage in the next few weeks, I could look at and repair your record player.
Send me a PM if you’re interested. |
24th Sep 2022, 12:50 pm | #14 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Southend, Essex, UK
Posts: 657
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Re: Dansette De Lux help required
That's kind Maurice but will leave thank you. I found the cartridge worked fine on my old Defiant so removed for a useful spare and will sell the player on to let someone with electrical expertise fully restore or display. If you are the moderator, please close the thread. Thank you and thank you to all contributors to the thread.
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