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I found a very dirty but complete Pioneer PL-41 at yard sale two weeks ago. The seller wanted $5 and I couldn't argue with that.First step was to disassemble and clean it thoroughly. I was quite impressed with build quality. A machined aluminum platter weighing about four pounds, plenty of metal parts and a good spindle/bearing design. After using fine sandpaper on the wooden veneer, I applied three coats of boiled linseed oil. The plastic disc which the spindle base rides on was broken (common problem apparently) but an inexpensive Delrin replacement was found and ordered through Ebay. I also purchased a new belt.
The tonearm is rather basic (no anti skate provision) but well made. The original Pioneer cartridge and stylus looked great after cleaning. The tonearm bearings had an apparent looseness, but I determined this is the design and after spinning a number of LP's and 45's, it tracks beautifully with no issues.
My first spin was Deep Purple "Made In Japan" and the pitch seemed slightly off. Put on a strobe disc and sure enough, it's spinning a bit fast at both 33 and 45 RPM. No discernible rumble or wow & flutter issues. Aside from the speed issue, it's a nice turntable, sounds very good and looks beautiful.
Researching the speed issue, I found a number of threads on the Audio Karma forums on the subject. It seems that it's a matter of getting the "right" belt, which is no easy task. Advice varied on which was the right belt, and some guys spent a fair amount of money buying multiple belts to find the one.
The inherent problem here is that since the design is solely dependent on pulley ratio for accurate speed, belt design is critical. There is no electronic speed control on this model providing fine-adjust of speed.
At this point, the turntable looks great and sounds great, at least for casual, non-critical listening. I'm not going to throw more money on aftermarket belts which likely don't meet original Pioneer specs, and I'm not going to bother with other fixes like wrapping tape on the platter's drive surface, to get accurate speed.
So, I'll sell this locally and I'm sure I'll find someone who loves the look and sound of it.
Edits: 05/16/17Follow Ups:
I must have restored some 50 vintage TT in the past. Thorens, Dual, Lenco, Garrard, Pioneer (4 or 5 Pl-12D's!). I've come to the end of the hobby, no time anymore, no stylii(needles) in stock. It's a great hobby though, restoring these vintage beauties to their former glory. The best vintage TT are IMHO better than anything you can buy new under 1000 euro/Dollar.
Here in Holland the prices for vintage Thorens etc. have gone through the roof though. Leaving the youngsters with the tough choice of spending 300 euro or more on a 40+ year old vintage TT or a basic Project,Rega or DJ TT.
"The torture never stops"Greetings Freek.
I think that arm is suited to something like and old FR cartridge. It can cope with the weight all right and is pretty sturdy when it comes to tracking. Well at least thats whet I found out when I bought one.
I still have mine, I was keeping it to use the lid on a DIY deck. I have an old FR64 cart, altho sound smith thought they were a difficult cartridge to rebuild
There are some members here who don't believe in antiskate
The table looks beautiful .Below might be a helpful quotation from the reviews of my Pioneer PL-50 on vinyl engine.com:
7/10 by Eman1
I gave it a 7 for how pretty it is. Mine was in mint condition when I got it. It needed a belt and let me help you here. While it needs a 35.1 inch belt make sure you get one .025 thick. My first was .035 and it played fast. Also I've owned tuning forks that didn't ring as loud or long as this platter! Dampen it w/Dynamat or something similar. Nice touch with the adjustable feet. I love that the service manual here also showed how to repack it as I have the box and all packing.
Edits: 05/16/17
The delrin pad was a quick google search and up pops a link to Ebay. The replacement belt I bought (through KAB Electroacoustics) measures 0.025" thick, so no love there...
nt
Nice job ... and a nice looking TT as well.
I wonder if you just stretched the belt at tad (since currently goes fast)?
I wish I had the patience. Also the skill and tools. How much time did you invest?
Nice job all round.
Still spinnin'...
;^)
I spent probably 2-3 hours at the most. The turntable was in very good shape overall. Aside from sitting in a dusty shop for a few decades, it seems to have had an easy life with little use.
The dustcover is nice as well. After a quick polish and buff, it should look near new.
It can be a lot of fun to restore an old turntable so that it looks and plays like new again. You did well.
Best regards,
John Elison
The "before" photo showed much promise... which you seem to have brought out every bit of.
Nice !
Thanks for showing us.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
Lovely work on the clean-up! Regarding the fast speed, I was reminded of a famous saying among musicians, going back to the early 20th century... "I'd rather play sharp than out of tune." :)I think it is good that you left the arm alone, too.
Congrats on getting another vintage turntable ready for many additional years of service.
"Lesser artists borrow, great artists steal." Igor Stravinsky
Edits: 05/17/17
You did a great job. That is a very nice looking turntable. I have often been tempted to pick up a PL-41.
So, how does it sound?
Thanks.
Freak out...Far out...In out....
Nice sounding turntable overall. I can detect the slight off-pitch (spinning too fast) but I suspect many folks would never notice. Indeed, it has a nice "lively" sound to it. Better slightly fast than slow! The original Pioneer MM cartridge and stylus is in place and appear to have little wear. Sounds good, about what you'd expect for a typical cartridge of that era.
I also took a few minutes to transfer a song from a record to digital using the PL-41. Looking at the waveform on the computer reveals a nice black background, comparable to the direct drives I use in the studio. With critical listening, rumble and wow & flutter are non-issues with this turntable.
Very nice overall. Anti skate would be nice to have, and the speed issue is annoying, to me at least. I'll find a good home for this turntable, somebody will love it.
When I bought my PL-41A (with anti skate), it was a keeper. I bought an aftermarket belt for it, but it was fast, so I took the chance with 800 grit sandpaper, and very slowly took down the capstan. Now it runs around 33.5, close enough without going too far.
"When we look into the deepest space with our most powerful telescopes, we see only the past"
Nice to know I was on the right track.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
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