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Repair or replace my

I have a Rabco ST-8 straight arm turntable, marketed as a harmon/kardon when they were still a real audio co. It is, to say the least, not a youngster; I purchased it in 1978., but it has always worked well. It currently is sporting a Signet TK7e cartridge that was installed in 1982 (yes, 1982).It has a few creaks and groans, which probably means it needs a new belt, lubrication, and some alignment to the arm, and the very thin fixed RCA cables need replacing. The issue is should I spend the money to fix it up, and upgrade the cartridge, or just get a new TT?
The prices for new TT's seem totally outrageous, or perhaps I'm just showing my age and how out of touch I am with the current audio market.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Also, any recommendations for a repair facility in the Los Angeles area?
pjsugar
chopin123
9 posts
 
If you like it,......Repair
casey33
260 posts
 
I agree with Chopin.I would start by getting an estimate on repair,and trying to figure out what cartridge would work,and for what price.My personal feeling is that what you could buy for $400-500 new would possibly look better (to some),yet likely not sound better.If you are in a large metropolitan area like L.A. used options should be abundant.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Unless you just enjoy making yourself miserable just buy a new Pro-ject Carbon or Rega P1 .
heyraz
177 posts
 
Before you give up on the old girl, why don't you join Vinyl Engine and download the service manual.

http://www.vinylengine.com/library/harman-kardon/st8.shtml

That's what I did four years ago when the speed control went on my HK T60 table and I saw what it would cost in today's dollars to get anything of similar quality. Nobody would even look at it for less than $75 and the turn around was more than 3 weeks. So I downloaded the service manual and fixed it myself. It's still a wonderful turntable.

Don't give up so easily. Or, let me put it another way...If it's toast, than you have nothing to lose and everything to gain if you can do it yourself.

Good luck
celtic66
1,692 posts
 
Linear tracking of that vintage had a nasty habit of wagging back and forth which actually destroyed the groove walls of the record. Studer Revox used a completely different system of linear tracking which did not wag and cause this irrepairable effect. Souther was more sophisticated and also did not affect this condition.

I would guess that your collection has sustained that damage and going to a new turntable would reveal that. Tough call here as I would not recommend repair. Find a Rega as suggested and find out if the collection is still listenable.
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