Zenith micro touch 45 adapter

[hermitcrab]

The adapter for my zenith absolutely refuses to drop 45's ... you can hear one side of the record tries to drop but record does not drop... now if I take that same adapter and try it on one of my 1200 series changers it drops flawlessly.... every time.... the spindle on the zenith is pushing but the 45 does not work.... do zenith micro touches use a special 45 adapter?

[William]

Elton, can you please provide a photo for your Zenith changer and the 45 adaptor?

Bill

[chazglenn3]

Wish I could help with an answer, but my Zenith has the fold up 45 adapter in the platter.

[hermitcrab]

I spoke to Gary about it, he says the adapters like the rest are driven by the actual VM model number of the changer... I use to know which one this was , but have forgotten ... hate to drag it out and pull the back cover just to see what the model is... what I should do is replace it with that VM changer I picked up last week , once again after rebuilding it , the speed is right on the money and the tone arm tracks at 2.3 grams just as good as the zenith, and the zenith table is garbage anyway... it will not play a 45 without dancing all the way across the record ... plays 33's great... not 45's...

[Firedome]

Curious: did any VM, BSR or other garden variety console record player/turntables ever employ tone arms that incorporated anti-skating provisions or adjustable weight counterbalancing?

[William]

Thanks, Elton. I was not aware of changer specific 45 adaptors. Interesting!

VM changers do have a weight adjustment under the tone arm. It's a spring that you move to either add or subtract weight.

Bill

[hermitcrab]

Curious: did any VM, BSR or other garden variety console record player/turntables ever employ tone arms that incorporated anti-skating provisions or adjustable weight counterbalancing?

that is exactly what the zenith acts like... someone has cranked the anti-skate way up....but there is no anti-skate on it... but only skims across on 45's ... 33's play fine, I have changed the stylus, cartridge, different weight adjustments... etc , nothing worked , Gary @ VM says some tables will not play modern records, but my 45's are all from 50's 60's....?

[Firedome]

I've heard anecdotally that some newer vinyl LPs have grooves that differ somehow from vintage LPs that make them not as playable with our legacy changers and TTs... any truth to this? Maybe they're designed to be compatible with the ubiquitous Crosley Crap? lol

[electra225]

I don't believe I'd pay close to $30 for a new edition "vinyl" just to say I had one. I have heard that some of the new records don't track well on some of the older instruments. My UNDERSTANDING is that most of the 1970's vintage turntables will handle the new records, but, again, I haven't actually tried it.

[hermitcrab]

I only shop at used record stores ... I must say I did buy a new Led Zeppelin Houses or the holy album... my old one somehow got glue on the record and melted craters in to it ... not pointing fingers ... definitely not pointing fingers at mt grand kids...ok ... I am...

[William]

I have had really good luck buying records at antique stores. Most are scratch free and fairly clean. I really like to find them in AZ because they do not smell like they have been stored in some ones basement for 50 years.

Bill

[Firedome]

So have any of you bought new vinyl of the same record as an original one in still good condition and been able to directly compare them? It'd be interesting to know how or if they differ in sound quality. One wonders if technology has made meaningful improvements, or if now-available materials have degraded, or improved the sound.

[hermitcrab]

I purchased a new 180 gram Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin... my original somehow ended up with super glue on a couple tracks to which my grandsons had no idea how that happened...
To my old ears I hear no difference between the two ....I was disappointed of the amount of dust the new record had out of the sleeve... had to clean it first... no quality control anymore I guess