1956 Columbia Manual One Tube Player

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I liked the '50's two color scheme on this little player.

I replaced the selenium rectifier with a 1N4007 diode.

Filter capacitors had expected bad hum.
I removed the multi-section cap can, and installed caps
on a terminal strip.

The tube voltages are somehow spot on the schematic values.

Motor mounts were concrete, and replaced.
The motor/rotor were cleaned and lubed with turbine oil.

Happily, the idler wheel was good, and one side of the
Ronette crystal phono cartridge works very well.

Due to the 25L6 tube position, I secured the motor AC
wires better away from that hot tube.

Cabinet cleaned up nicely.
I'll glue up some loose cabinet covering, and she's all
ready.

The sound from that little speaker is actually good.

[electra225]

That amp has cathode bypass components. That helps it sound better. The speaker is mounted on the motor board, so it has the cabinet to use as an air suspension device. Cute little record player, Mr. Mogul. Nice job!

Do you have an idea of how heavy the tone arm tracks?

[William]

I always amazes me how good a one tube wonder can sound. Back in the day, it got the job done for a youngsters first record player. My first was an Admiral, 4" speaker, one tube, but I had a changer. The case was beige/tan plastic clamshell affair

Bill

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

This tonearm tracks exceedingly LIGHT at 3-4 grams.

There is a counter-balance spring at the rear of the
tonearm; it is original from its looks and mounting.

There is no tracking force adjustment designed into the tonearm.

Phono cart is a Ronette TO-395, which should track at 8 grams per
what info I could find.

I'll check w/Gary at the V of Music.

[electra225]

That is light weight for a crystal cartridge. You say it sounds good, so it must be happy running that light.

[stbasil]

Shockingly low parts count for that clever design! Looks like the tone arm is metal, is it connected to the chassis "ground"?

[TC Chris]

Parts count? I bet my RCA one-tuber eliminated even more! I'm not at home now and can't check the schematic. It's amazing how similar all those little one-tube suitcase models are, right down to the parts layout.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

It shows one side of the cartridge connected to chassis ground. Visual inspection will tell if the cartridge is connected to the tone arm or floated off it.....

Plastic tone arms typically have the cartridge grounded directly to chassis. Metal tone arms I have seen wired both ways. Direct to chassis or cartridge to tone arm, then tone arm grounded to chassis.