BSR GU4 turntable - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Beardyman · 13th Jan 2021, 1:53 pm

Good afternoon,

How do you get the platter off!
I've removed the circlip on the center stem but it will not lift off, it does move up & down but only about 2mm. The platter revolves freely (maybe a bit too freely?). Any hints and/or tips will be gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance.

Edward Huggins · 13th Jan 2021, 3:44 pm

Made in 1953/54, it might have been the first time someone will have tried to take this off.
Try to lift from each side by hand prising/rocking it from left to right to ease it off, try oil down the spindle first and be patient. The rubber on the Idler wheel may have become brittle and broken off and that's why it may be spining too freely.

Beardyman · 13th Jan 2021, 8:30 pm

Thanks for the tips Edward Huggins, all very useful.
I did manage to have a closer look tonight, there's a locking screw underneath in the stem bearing, once that was out it came out very easily.
Considering the age it's in very good condition, oil still liquid in the bearing luckily. Idler wheel is intact but very hard, one of the motor mounting grommets is missing & the other two are as bubble gum.
Overall not too bad.
It is fitted in a wooden case covered with leatherette.
On one side there is a round three pin plug for the mains & a 1/4" jack socket for the pickup.
All original leads came with it but they are not going to be used, far beyond safe.
One other thing I noticed, there's a rotary switch as well, this goes off to a tag board with various resistors & capacitors attached, I'm guessing this is to compensate and/or attenuate the response of the cartridge?
Original cartridge still present but I doubt that will do anything.
Quite pleased thus far.

Edward Huggins · 13th Jan 2021, 8:43 pm

The original cartridge is a BSR TC4, the original groove grinder. The rotary switch attenuator is likely to be a home-brew and is likely to cause insertion loss. The surface of that large diameter idler wheel can be refreshed. Buy new rubber grommets of a similar OD and stack them to the required height. The tracking weight iof the tone arm is not adjustable so you will need to add weight at the very rear inside end of the arm's moulding. The whole thing is built like a Battleship!

John10b · 14th Jan 2021, 6:48 am

Any chance of a picture or two Beardyman, in particular the “locking” screw holding in the platter? Many thanks.
John

Beardyman · 14th Jan 2021, 9:25 am

John10b,
I'll see if I can snap a couple of pictures tonight, apart from the locking screw is there anything else you may find of interest?

Edward Huggins,
I've read some fearful reports of the TC4! This deck has an arm retaining clip which I've not seen on any others on the net. The arm support post on others do have a hole drilled to accommodate it. Thanks for the tip regarding weighting of the arm, appreciated. You're right on the money, the whole thing is built like a battleship! Very sturdy unit. The motor turns freely but is at an odd angle because of the rotten grommets. It even has the original inspection tag!

Beardyman · 14th Jan 2021, 7:48 pm

Pictures as requested.

Edward Huggins · 14th Jan 2021, 8:05 pm

Ah now I can see it, that cartridge is not a BSR TC4. That tone-arm clip is a home-brew effort. Suggest you discard that board of dodgy looking filter caps. If you are intending to use this, rather than sell or store it, what equipment do you plan to use it with and what kind of records would you plan to play?

Beardyman · 14th Jan 2021, 9:33 pm

This turntable would be to play mainly 78's (got quite a few of those) & some mono 45's I have collected over the years, nothing later than mid 60's. The cartridge will be replaced but, as yet, not sure which one, probably a ceramic generic type. Before any of that I need to find out if the rest of the mechanism is viable. There's evidence of the unit having been stored somewhere damp as inside the case there is quite a lot of white mould. The tag board has component designations silk screened on it so possibly a commercially available "add on" from yesteryear. I'll probably hook it up to my Cutlery Junk Box valve amp but we shall see, something else may present itself!
I'll be looking at it a bit closer over the weekend......hopefully!

John10b · 14th Jan 2021, 10:34 pm

Thank you Beardyman for the pictures, I don’t recall serving one of these, and it’s always useful to have the information at hand if the occasion arises.
John

Edward Huggins · Yesterday, 9:31 am

This will absolutely ideal for 78s (and 45s) with its heavy 10" pressed steel platter and strong motor. The tone arm balancing will not need to be heavily weighted then. Flip-Under generic cartridges are great value at aound £11-00 and they have 1/2" mounts, ideal for that tone arm head. It has an auto-stop and you start the motor by pulling the tone-arm to the right.

13th Jan 2021, 1:53 pm	#1
Beardyman Hexode Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 254	BSR GU4 turntable Good afternoon, How do you get the platter off! I've removed the circlip on the center stem but it will not lift off, it does move up & down but only about 2mm. The platter revolves freely (maybe a bit too freely?). Any hints and/or tips will be gratefully received. Many thanks in advance. __________________ The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. (Einstein)

13th Jan 2021, 3:44 pm	#2
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 6,277	Re: BSR GU4 turntable Made in 1953/54, it might have been the first time someone will have tried to take this off. Try to lift from each side by hand prising/rocking it from left to right to ease it off, try oil down the spindle first and be patient. The rubber on the Idler wheel may have become brittle and broken off and that's why it may be spining too freely. __________________ Edward.

13th Jan 2021, 8:30 pm	#3
Beardyman Hexode Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 254	Re: BSR GU4 turntable Thanks for the tips Edward Huggins, all very useful. I did manage to have a closer look tonight, there's a locking screw underneath in the stem bearing, once that was out it came out very easily. Considering the age it's in very good condition, oil still liquid in the bearing luckily. Idler wheel is intact but very hard, one of the motor mounting grommets is missing & the other two are as bubble gum. Overall not too bad. It is fitted in a wooden case covered with leatherette. On one side there is a round three pin plug for the mains & a 1/4" jack socket for the pickup. All original leads came with it but they are not going to be used, far beyond safe. One other thing I noticed, there's a rotary switch as well, this goes off to a tag board with various resistors & capacitors attached, I'm guessing this is to compensate and/or attenuate the response of the cartridge? Original cartridge still present but I doubt that will do anything. Quite pleased thus far. __________________ The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. (Einstein)

13th Jan 2021, 8:43 pm	#4
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 6,277	Re: BSR GU4 turntable The original cartridge is a BSR TC4, the original groove grinder. The rotary switch attenuator is likely to be a home-brew and is likely to cause insertion loss. The surface of that large diameter idler wheel can be refreshed. Buy new rubber grommets of a similar OD and stack them to the required height. The tracking weight iof the tone arm is not adjustable so you will need to add weight at the very rear inside end of the arm's moulding. The whole thing is built like a Battleship! __________________ Edward.

14th Jan 2021, 6:48 am	#5
John10b Octode Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales, UK. Posts: 1,805	Re: BSR GU4 turntable Any chance of a picture or two Beardyman, in particular the “locking” screw holding in the platter? Many thanks. John

14th Jan 2021, 9:25 am	#6
Beardyman Hexode Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 254	Re: BSR GU4 turntable John10b, I'll see if I can snap a couple of pictures tonight, apart from the locking screw is there anything else you may find of interest? Edward Huggins, I've read some fearful reports of the TC4! This deck has an arm retaining clip which I've not seen on any others on the net. The arm support post on others do have a hole drilled to accommodate it. Thanks for the tip regarding weighting of the arm, appreciated. You're right on the money, the whole thing is built like a battleship! Very sturdy unit. The motor turns freely but is at an odd angle because of the rotten grommets. It even has the original inspection tag! __________________ The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. (Einstein)

14th Jan 2021, 7:48 pm	#7
Beardyman Hexode Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 254	Re: BSR GU4 turntable Pictures as requested. Attached Thumbnails __________________ The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. (Einstein)

14th Jan 2021, 8:05 pm	#8
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 6,277	Re: BSR GU4 turntable Ah now I can see it, that cartridge is not a BSR TC4. That tone-arm clip is a home-brew effort. Suggest you discard that board of dodgy looking filter caps. If you are intending to use this, rather than sell or store it, what equipment do you plan to use it with and what kind of records would you plan to play? __________________ Edward.

14th Jan 2021, 9:33 pm	#9
Beardyman Hexode Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 254	Re: BSR GU4 turntable This turntable would be to play mainly 78's (got quite a few of those) & some mono 45's I have collected over the years, nothing later than mid 60's. The cartridge will be replaced but, as yet, not sure which one, probably a ceramic generic type. Before any of that I need to find out if the rest of the mechanism is viable. There's evidence of the unit having been stored somewhere damp as inside the case there is quite a lot of white mould. The tag board has component designations silk screened on it so possibly a commercially available "add on" from yesteryear. I'll probably hook it up to my Cutlery Junk Box valve amp but we shall see, something else may present itself! I'll be looking at it a bit closer over the weekend......hopefully! __________________ The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. (Einstein)

14th Jan 2021, 10:34 pm	#10
John10b Octode Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales, UK. Posts: 1,805	Re: BSR GU4 turntable Thank you Beardyman for the pictures, I don’t recall serving one of these, and it’s always useful to have the information at hand if the occasion arises. John

Yesterday, 9:31 am	#11
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 6,277	Re: BSR GU4 turntable This will absolutely ideal for 78s (and 45s) with its heavy 10" pressed steel platter and strong motor. The tone arm balancing will not need to be heavily weighted then. Flip-Under generic cartridges are great value at aound £11-00 and they have 1/2" mounts, ideal for that tone arm head. It has an auto-stop and you start the motor by pulling the tone-arm to the right. __________________ Edward.