@yogiboy took the thread out of my mouth so to speak.
see what cartridge u have first.
as to the lid don’t stress - just lift it off - most people don’t use a life when laying music as they massively damage the sound due to feedback resonance. Try playing music with and without the lid.
Get alignment sheets from vinylengine which is a superb website.
get urself a decent brush for your records - or a disco anti stat . You can use spectacle lens cleaner with cotton buds to clean ur stylus.
welcome to vinyl - it’s great fun
