How to Repair a Garrard Turntable
By Ezekiel James
Garrard is a large engineering and manufacturing company that has been active in one form or another since the early 1700s. It started as a jewel company, and slowly evolved into an audio electronics manufacturing company over the course of nearly three centuries. Garrard has been a leader in turntable manufacturing since the 1950s. As with any turntable, your Garrard turntable needs frequent repair and maintenance. The most common repairs relate directly to your turntable's belt.
Step 1
Power down the turntable, and unplug its power cord from the electrical outlet. If the turntable has been powered on or running for awhile, allow 30 minutes for it to cool down before you begin working on it.
Step 2
Remove the rubber dust cover. This is the circular, rubber pad that sits on top of the platter. Removing the dust cover reveals the metal, disc-like platter.
Step 3
Grasp the platter, and pull straight up to disengage it from the aligning rod running through the center of the platter. Depending on your Garrard turntable's age and model, you may have to use a small hammer to gently pry and pound the platter out of the turntable's casing. Slide the platter off of the aligning rod, and set it aside.
Step 4
Examine the inside of the turntable around the belt drive to determine the condition of the rubber belt. If it is still attached to the belt drive, grasp the belt and use your hands to pry the belt out of the groove on the belt drive. If the belt is broken, simply throw the belt away.
Step 5
Apply some isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to a clean cloth or paper towel. Wipe down the inside of the turntable and around the outside of the belt drive. Then wipe down the new turntable belt, the platter, the brass alignment rod and the dust cover. Allow all components to dry before installing the belt and reassembling the turntable.
Step 6
Place the new belt inside the turntable. Wrap the belt around the belt drive, and slide the belt into place until it fits snugly on the drive. Replace the metal platter and dust cover.
References
Warnings
- If the belt drive is broken, do not attempt to fix it yourself. Doing so requires a solid background in mechanical electronics. Contact your local turntable repair technician.
Writer Bio
Ezekiel James began as a music writer in 2003. Since then, James has served as a writer for several music, technology and design publications. His work has been published on eHow, TechAxcess.com and in print for the "The Potrero View" and "Punk Planet." James is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Portland State University.