Hmv Stereo 1212 restoration

akstorm

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Hello hello,

So i have acquired a hmv stereo 1212 record player from a family member who was not using it. It should be on its way soon. What i have been told is that the cartridge is kaput. Now me being a late 80's kid, am a complete noob have no clue about old tts(or any tts for that matter). So I look forward to the awesome people here to point me in the right direction to source parts(mainly a cartridge) to restore it to its former glory.

Also to make it clear i would not be using it as my primary record playing source. (for that i am still eying the teac tn300 and nad c556, but thats another story). I just want to restore it and make it play once again after many many years.

The current state it is in is in the picture (i know it will be quite some work cleaning it and checking if the innards are ok, but electronics do not scare me, i has my mighty soldering station and I am single so i has the time too. [emoji16])

Any help or just a nice chat is appreciated.
cdf02c5f1e651990d120e3f3726eabd9.jpg


Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
 
Wow, seeing one of these after quite a few years. Being a guy from the 1970s, I have heard the 1010, 1212 and 1515 in record stores. At the time, was quite attracted to the flashing level indicators.

Regarding this one, you haven't mentioned whether you've run any checks on the amplifier section and the turntable. Does it fire up and play with other sources? Does the platter turn? For a start, the tonearm is damaged and you'd need a new one. Can't comment on the condition of the cartridge, perhaps some close up pics would help. You will need a new stylus though.
 
Hello hello,

So i have acquired a hmv stereo 1212 record player from a family member who was not using it. It should be on its way soon. What i have been told is that the cartridge is kaput. Now me being a late 80's kid, am a complete noob have no clue about old tts(or any tts for that matter). So I look forward to the awesome people here to point me in the right direction to source parts(mainly a cartridge) to restore it to its former glory.

Also to make it clear i would not be using it as my primary record playing source. (for that i am still eying the teac tn300 and nad c556, but thats another story). I just want to restore it and make it play once again after many many years.

The current state it is in is in the picture (i know it will be quite some work cleaning it and checking if the innards are ok, but electronics do not scare me, i has my mighty soldering station and I am single so i has the time too. [emoji16])

Any help or just a nice chat is appreciated.
cdf02c5f1e651990d120e3f3726eabd9.jpg


Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
I am not discouraging you but restoring with genuine and as original as is time and money consuming work. If you love doing such work you will enjoy it. If you have memories attached to it you must restore it. Here is my garrard restoration. Link. Trust me if you restore it you will surely enjoy the sound. For a start atleast you can clean and repair minor faults untill you find suitable person. 78 rpm sounds good on this. Please do keep us updated.
Regards.
 
Ceramic phono cartridge is used to play vinyles on it , Which used to cost Rs 20 in eighties. It might be difficult to procure it these days. It will not work with Magnetic Cartrige
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for the information and help. I am currently on a business trip to Germany so it will be a while before i can start working on this project. I will update hereas soon as I am back in India. Sorry for the delay, but can't help work :(

On a second thought, Is it possible i can find some parts here in Germany. It would be nice to grab those while I am here, but then again I didn't get time to even check the electronics so getting parts might be a waste.
 
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Thanks for updating. Along with parts you can carry Vintage classic Dual, Elac, PE turntables. Germany has same voltage as us.
Regards.
 
I wonder what is it about the record players that attracts modern audiophiles because, the SQ that this is capable is quite very low .. infact it would be worse than a SW radio....
 
I wonder what is it about the record players that attracts modern audiophiles because, the SQ that this is capable is quite very low .. infact it would be worse than a SW radio....
Dear,
Very broadly speaking. some source like Old Bollywood/regional songs, some well mastered western music etc. don't sound good on audio CD.

And Turntables are fun, interesting mechanical device. Good as an audio hobby to fiddle around. Can't do that with CD players. :D
Regards.
 
Dear,
Very broadly speaking. some source like Old Bollywood/regional songs, some well mastered western music etc. don't sound good on audio CD.

And Turntables are fun, interesting mechanical device. Good as an audio hobby to fiddle around. Can't do that with CD players. :D
Regards.
It is like in movies ;
Though Guns and bullets have more destructive power, user friendly, more precise, require almost no training - but gun fights aren't enjoyable for longer duration at all...
Whereas the Sword fights (aka vinyl) are very enjoyable and a treat to watch.. So is manual combat.

Basically vinyl feels bit lively with all the unintended imperfections in place. It's a time consuming, expensive and a rewarding indulgence.

Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using Tapatalk
 
Whereas the Sword fights (aka vinyl) are very enjoyable and a treat to watch.. So is manual combat.
In the past there had been lots of sword fights :lol: across the forums about analogue vs Digital .
Regards
 
I wonder what is it about the record players that attracts modern audiophiles because, the SQ that this is capable is quite very low .. infact it would be worse than a SW radio....

Dear, its a bit off topic hear but you may be right or wrong. Beauty is what it is in the eyes of the beholder. Have you heard vinyl play over the radio vs when they play CDs or digital files? Vinyl sounds absolutely pathetic in most cases over the radio. Vinyl playback is not plug and play, unlike digital formats that are supported by plug and play equipment. Vinyl will never beat digital formats in sheer numbers due to several known reasons like portability, ease of use, etc. Nevertheless vinyl listening has its own following and those who are enthusiastic about vinyl, swear by it. If you have the right pressing of a record, a very clean record in pristine condition, the right cart with a brand new or just broken in stylus, the right tonearm, the right tonearm wiring, the right tonearm calibration, the right turntable mat, the right turntable mounted on the right plinth, the right set of interconnects and connectors, the right phonostage, the right amplifier, the right speakers and the right acoustics, then you'd get vinyl to beat not just digital but any format out there. The problem is, not too many are able to get this chain right. Then there's the marquee value, vinyl is considered to be at the top end of the chain these days, when I tell my friends that I have a latest album in digital format, they assume that I downloaded it for free from somewhere. For vinyl on the other hand, they ask, how did you get it, from where did you get it, how much did it cost, etc :)

Comparing vinyl with SW radio is quite funny. On another note, both vinyl and cds played over SW radio stations sound equally pathetic.
 
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I wonder what is it about the record players that attracts modern audiophiles because, the SQ that this is capable is quite very low .. infact it would be worse than a SW radio....

Well let me give you some analogies

If you are car peson its the same thing as wanting to have chevvy impala or a lambo diablo or a countach or merc 500sl even though mordern cars are much safer, faster and better to drive.

The same reason Royal enfields still sell so well even though mordern bikes are so much better.

The same reason first and secong gen gaming consoles are so sought after even though mordern games are so much better.

other points have been covered by Hiten, drkrack and reubensm so i don't really need to repeat them. Records are about the experience and the constant tinkering to make things work better.

Also I do not conider myself to be an audiophile (wink wink), I am someone who likes to enjoy my music and vinyls add one more layer to that.

Comparing vinyl with SW radio is quite funny
I agree with that.

@cha_indian Do you think the cd/lossless is the same as streaming music.(don't get me wrong, streaming has come a long distance and i stream music too), because that is comparable to the comparision you made in mordern perspective.
 
Thanks for updating. Along with parts you can carry Vintage classic Dual, Elac, PE turntables. Germany has same voltage as us.
Regards.

I have thought about getting a TT from germany in the past but transporting it is the problem. Since i come on relatively long trips i have enough luggage already and turntables aren't small. :sad:
 
I know Record Player thing is/should be a hobby....I have a problem when anyone talks about its audiophile nature....

If you a car person and you have a hobby of of bullock carts then it is quite OK...but you cannot keep marvelling the ride quality of bullock cart in the same breath with that of a Honda City! Can you? :) .
 
Wont believe this but I was looking at this thread wondering whether there were any updates, just yesterday.

This could be a great restoration project, really looking forward to updates.
 
I was having HMV 1212.
The Cartridge and the tone arm is /Was very ordinary.The stylus used to scratch the record very easily.There was no VTF adjustment.
SQ was however good.The speaker box contained 2 full range 5 Inch Drivers.No Cross over.No tweeters.
 
that HMV series was like 1010, 1212, 1515 if I recall correctly. There was also a model just below the 1010, don't recollect the model name
 
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