Garrard RC80 autochanger a design classic?

[thyratron]

I have used the same RC80 for the last 30 years. My grandfather bought it new in 1954 and it has been in constant use ever since. I have replaced the little drive belts once and it has been oiled from time to time. The original GC2 turnover cartridge was tired and was changed some years ago. I never tire of watching it operate and think it is a tribute to the engineers who designed it.
I suppose the fact that it has lasted 50 years or more explains why Garrard went out of business in this sales driven age!!
What do other people here think is the greatest mechanical- wonder record changer??
cheers

[Darren-UK]

Garrard, BSR, Collaro etc either diversified or went out of business for the same reasons many other industries did, eg foreign competition and changing trends. 'Changing trends', in this context, can encompass many things; more TV sets and channels, audio cassettes, video and the eventual invasion of the CD and DVD.

It's unfair to imply a Garrard deck is so good it'll last fifty years. They were all capable of such a life and even today there's numerous decks of other makes still giving sterling service. That's cleared that up .

To keep this thread rigidly on-topic, a favourite deck of mine is the Collaro Conquest. Why ? because that's the deck which uses the tonearm to gauge the size of the record(s) and I find it a fascinating machine to see in action.

[Tom_I]

Originally Posted by thyratron

What do other people here think is the greatest mechanical- wonder record changer??

I agree that autochangers are fascinating things to watch. For me the ultimate is the Thorens TD 244. Like the Collaro mentioned above, this also uses the tone arm to sense the record size, but the records are stacked to the side of the turntable, and only one is placed on the platter at a time to maintain a constant tracking angle. Here's a link with pictures and videos of the machine in action.

http://www.myvintagetv.com/updates2/...rens_td224.htm

[Michael Maurice]

Originally Posted by darren-uk

A favourite deck of mine is the Collaro Conquest. Why ? because that's the deck which uses the tonearm to gauge the size of the record(s) and I find it a fascinating machine to see in action.

This is the deck which fascinated me so much that when I got the chance I bought a couple of record players with them in it and a spare deck! They were incredible decks built aswere most things in those days, to last.

[ben]

Originally Posted by Michael Maurice

This is the deck which fascinated me so much that when I got the chance I bought a couple of record players with them in it and a spare deck! They were incredible decks built aswere most things in those days, to last.

agreed. I have been fascinated by them also, since at the age of 5 I was given an EAR musicmaker by a relative with that deck.
I still have 2 machines in my collection with that deck - a philco and dynatron. one has the fatter headshell which is detachable, the other with the slim one. I need to replace the rubber idlers on one of them though.

[Michael Maurice]

I didn't know which deck the RC80 was, so I Googled it and came up with this from U tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvSo490sFAE

and this:

http://electricgramophone.nl/garrard/54.html

hope this helps

[Studio263]

Originally Posted by darren-uk

a favourite deck of mine is the Collaro Conquest. Why ? because that's the deck which uses the tonearm to gauge the size of the record(s) and I find it a fascinating machine to see in action.

We recently discovered a late-60's Philips single-play model that works in the same way. It was small and unassuming in most other respects, other than that the platter was idler driven and the mechanism (which looked quite simple) was driven from the motor spindle by another idler and a rubber belt. Has anyone else seen this one?

[Stewart]

I'm a big fan of the Collaro Conquest too - at least in terms of gazing with joy and wonderment as it cycles through. It may not be in the same league as the Thorens shown in an earlier post but was certainly far more common. I think some of the American Magnavox are based on the same mechanism?

I also like the fact that it was ,I assume, a very clever re-design of the earlier RC54... but without the record size selector that was almost identical to that used by BSR. A BSR who were at the time sueing Garrard over patent infringement for the use of a sensing mechanism that was not as similar as the RC54 Collaros! Collaro must have thought BSR would win and then come after them?

[Darren-UK]

Originally Posted by Studio263

We recently discovered a late-60's Philips single-play model.....

I've probably misunderstood your post, but how can a single-play deck operate like the Conquest in that it uses the tonearm to gauge record size?

[Stewart]

The Philips senses the record with it already placed on the turntable. The turntable is about 9 inches diameter - such that 10 and 12 inch records overlap the edges. On selecting "start" the arm lifts - moves across to about where a 13 inch record would begin, then lowers (it only just clears the plinth) - then moves inward and taps the side of the record thus sensing its size. (a 7 inch single being indicated if no 10 or 12inch is found). The arm them moves back out a little before rising and completing the cycle in the normal way. Only as the pick up is lowered onto the disc does the turntable start to rotate - a nice touch.


Here's a pic of such a deck - you can see the sensing piece moulded on the side of the headshell socket. A more common version of this deck used three silver piano keys to trigger the mechanism and some featured an autochanger spindle and control arm - but sensed the record size in the same way.

[ben]

Originally Posted by Stewart

Here's a pic of such a deck - you can see the sensing piece moulded on the side of the headshell socket.

hmm, curious. will keep my eyes peeled for one of those! over here there's lots of philips stuff of that vintage to be had, since they didn't have hackers, dansettes etc.

[cavemuscle]

Originally Posted by Stewart

I'm a big fan of the Collaro Conquest too - at least in terms of gazing with joy and wonderment as it cycles through. It may not be in the same league as the Thorens shown in an earlier post but was certainly far more common. I think some of the American Magnavox are based on the same mechanism?

I also like the fact that it was ,I assume, a very clever re-design of the earlier RC54... but without the record size selector that was almost identical to that used by BSR. A BSR who were at the time sueing Garrard over patent infringement for the use of a sensing mechanism that was not as similar as the RC54 Collaros! Collaro must have thought BSR would win and then come after them?

Yep, Collaros were used in the late 50's early 60's for the "Imperial" and "Concert Grand" Magnavox "radiograms" . The Concert Grand was the true monster, almost two meters long with 4 chassis and 30 tubes (valves). 15 inch woofers, two horn midrange/tweeters, remote control and outputs and controls for remote speakers, additional amps, tape decks, and television.

Big mutha!

Brock