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Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment.

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Old 18th Jan 2015, 6:49 pm   #1
Gulliver
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Default "New World "Thompson, Diamond & Butcher

Back in the 80s I amassed a fair collection of vintage audio. Much has gone but I am going through my mother's loft to find what she stashed up there when I left home.

I came across a record player that I recall buying at a fete in aid of Wood Green Animal Shelter. It has a "low production run" look about it but nonetheless is made quite well and uses a decentish Garrard deck.

It is called "New World" according to the plate on the inside of the lid, and the rear plate says it was made by Thompson, Diamond & Butcher. A little googling shows that they made audio products including record players from circa 1930 into the early 60s at least, often using Garrard decks.

Is anyone here familiar with this specific model? I powered it up today (first using a variac) and the amp all seems fine. The turntable runs at all four speeds correctly with a little coaxing. I think the cartridge is fine as running my finger over the needle produces the expected sounds. I can't move the arm towards the platter at all and suspect something is stuck in the mechanism. Is this one of those Garrards where the platter is removed by means of taking off a circlip?

As with so many things....."it worked when it was put in the loft"
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Old 18th Jan 2015, 7:48 pm   #2
Radio Wrangler
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Default Re: "New World "Thompson, Diamond & Butcher

It says it's a crystal cartridge, which would normally spell a watery doom for a bit of rochelle salt, but underneath the bit about Brush Patents of the USA, is a reference to Brush-Clevite who were pioneers in piezo-ceramics, so maybe it's really a ceramic cartridge, which it still working might agree with.

David
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Old 18th Jan 2015, 9:13 pm   #3
julie_m
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Default Re: "New World "Thompson, Diamond & Butcher

..... That cartridge will not have any vertical compliance, though, so don't try to play stereo records with it.
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Old 18th Jan 2015, 9:16 pm   #4
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Smile Re: "New World "Thompson, Diamond & Butcher

Hi,
I have a Garrard RC110 which is a bit earlier and only three speed. My deck doesn't have a manual play facility and the only way the arm can be made to move across is by actually playing a record automatically. I suspect yours is the same.
If you have a GC2 cartridge that still works, you are very lucky, but DON'T play any stereo records with it as they will be instantly ruined.
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 18th Jan 2015, 9:31 pm   #5
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Default Re: "New World "Thompson, Diamond & Butcher

I tried it on manual and auto but to be fair I didn't place a record on the spindle.

I would only use it to play old records that are of no great value to me. The cart appears to work, I get the noise I expect if I run a finger over the stylus.
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Old 19th Jan 2015, 11:37 am   #6
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Smile Re: "New World "Thompson, Diamond & Butcher

Hi,
Try it with an old record on the top of the spindle. The small arm needs to 'sense' the edge of the record to determine its size. If there's no record present, it will touch the overarm and then the deck will cycle to a stop. If it still won't work, then the mechanism may be (and probably is) gummed up with old dried up grease. There's lots of info on here about how to clean and relubricate autochangers.
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 9th Mar 2015, 9:28 pm   #7
Gulliver
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Default Re: "New World "Thompson, Diamond & Butcher

OK I have tried it with a record on the spindle and no luck. I can't make the arm move on manual or auto. I really don't want to force it. Any ideas? Other than this the machine seems to be working.
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Old 10th Mar 2015, 12:20 am   #8
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Default Re: "New World "Thompson, Diamond & Butcher

These decks can be a bit confusing!
To add a little bit to Pete's advice, put a record on the turntable manually. Swing the overarm across to the centre spindle and let it drop. Move the manual/auto control to "manual" and then move the start/stop control to "start". The turntable should now revolve, and the arm should lift, and after a couple of seconds, drop back onto it's rest. The turntable will still be rotating, and you should be able to lift the arm onto the record. It will only move freely in "auto" mode when a record has been placed on the upper step of the spindle, and has been "sized" and allowed to drop on to the turntable. If the sizing arm has not encountered anything as it swings across, the arm will remain locked.

Barry
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