This post isnt about the speaker.
A few years back I had sourced a TT in thus forum from Mr Jacob. Initially I enjoyed it. But then due to issues of time I just let to lie idle literally gathering dust. Things began to fall apart. I felt sad for the Thorens. Then I heard about a gentleman Mr Mondal from Kolkata. I sent pictures of the TT on Whatsapp and got reassurances that he could do something about it if I could somehow lug it to Kolkata.
When some young folks visited my home they were intrigued by the sight of the TT but unfortunately I couldnt make it sing for them. That was a real shame.
Just yesterday for some unknown reason during the course of casual banter with friends I mentioned about my TT and the sad situation it was in. Then someone from whom I least expected the kind of interjection said , Why dont you bring it to my Dad? He is an old mechanic , repairs even valve radios!
Unconvinced and with some reluctance I spoke to the gentleman through his son s cell phone. When he asked Is it a Garrard (Garat , he said )? a light shone.
So yesterday ..yes ..yesterday evening I took the TT to the gentlemans house. He wasnt around so I deposited it in a corner and came home.
Today I get a call saying its been repaired. He asked me to come with a record to test. So today evening I went forth at the appointed time waited for about half an hour. I met him Mr Pradhan for the first time. He talked about training in a Mullard factory in the seventies etc.
Anyway to cut a long story short , he had repaired everything. The loose unhinged tone arm , the head unit and the cartridge in a state of disarray, the scrapping platter etc. When I loaded the record and he connected the output through a single interconnect to cheap computer amp I did not expect much. But lo behold Dizzy Gillespiess horns screeched faintly through the tinny speakers. The TT was singing.
Later I brought it home and made by 9 year old son indulge in some vinyl magic.
I am grateful to have found Mr Pradhan who told me to come to him if I had any equipment issues.
Come to think of it Kalimpong did booming trade with Tibet in the late 50s till the Indo-Chinese war of 62 put a spanner in the works. When the Dalai Lama wanted a car it was driven up to Kalimpong dismantled and then carried to Tibet on a mule train. The deposed king of Burma , Thebow spent time in exile here. So did the daughters of King Amanullah of Afghanistan. Roerich was here dabbling heavily in Tantric Buddhism. Prince Peter of Greece came for his anthropology studies. Sangarakshita a British monk and founder of the World Buddhist Order an influential Theravada sect spent a few years here begging for alms in the Bhikhsu stage of his Buddhist initiation. He edited Stepping Stones an erudite journal on Buddhist philosophy and also wrote Facing Mount Kanchenjunga during his time here. Hifivision movie buffs will be interested to read about his visit to Bombay when his services as a Buddhist expert was sought by Raj Kapoor for his film on the Buddha.
The aforementioned Dalai Lama first took residence in Kalimpong after his exile in the aftermath of the Chinese occupation of his country. His elder brother still lives here making noodles.
Given this rich history I should not be surprised that someone like Mr Pradhan must have been around to service the spinning songsters that must have regaled these luminaries during their mountain sojourn here.
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A few years back I had sourced a TT in thus forum from Mr Jacob. Initially I enjoyed it. But then due to issues of time I just let to lie idle literally gathering dust. Things began to fall apart. I felt sad for the Thorens. Then I heard about a gentleman Mr Mondal from Kolkata. I sent pictures of the TT on Whatsapp and got reassurances that he could do something about it if I could somehow lug it to Kolkata.
When some young folks visited my home they were intrigued by the sight of the TT but unfortunately I couldnt make it sing for them. That was a real shame.
Just yesterday for some unknown reason during the course of casual banter with friends I mentioned about my TT and the sad situation it was in. Then someone from whom I least expected the kind of interjection said , Why dont you bring it to my Dad? He is an old mechanic , repairs even valve radios!
Unconvinced and with some reluctance I spoke to the gentleman through his son s cell phone. When he asked Is it a Garrard (Garat , he said )? a light shone.
So yesterday ..yes ..yesterday evening I took the TT to the gentlemans house. He wasnt around so I deposited it in a corner and came home.
Today I get a call saying its been repaired. He asked me to come with a record to test. So today evening I went forth at the appointed time waited for about half an hour. I met him Mr Pradhan for the first time. He talked about training in a Mullard factory in the seventies etc.
Anyway to cut a long story short , he had repaired everything. The loose unhinged tone arm , the head unit and the cartridge in a state of disarray, the scrapping platter etc. When I loaded the record and he connected the output through a single interconnect to cheap computer amp I did not expect much. But lo behold Dizzy Gillespiess horns screeched faintly through the tinny speakers. The TT was singing.
Later I brought it home and made by 9 year old son indulge in some vinyl magic.
I am grateful to have found Mr Pradhan who told me to come to him if I had any equipment issues.
Come to think of it Kalimpong did booming trade with Tibet in the late 50s till the Indo-Chinese war of 62 put a spanner in the works. When the Dalai Lama wanted a car it was driven up to Kalimpong dismantled and then carried to Tibet on a mule train. The deposed king of Burma , Thebow spent time in exile here. So did the daughters of King Amanullah of Afghanistan. Roerich was here dabbling heavily in Tantric Buddhism. Prince Peter of Greece came for his anthropology studies. Sangarakshita a British monk and founder of the World Buddhist Order an influential Theravada sect spent a few years here begging for alms in the Bhikhsu stage of his Buddhist initiation. He edited Stepping Stones an erudite journal on Buddhist philosophy and also wrote Facing Mount Kanchenjunga during his time here. Hifivision movie buffs will be interested to read about his visit to Bombay when his services as a Buddhist expert was sought by Raj Kapoor for his film on the Buddha.
The aforementioned Dalai Lama first took residence in Kalimpong after his exile in the aftermath of the Chinese occupation of his country. His elder brother still lives here making noodles.
Given this rich history I should not be surprised that someone like Mr Pradhan must have been around to service the spinning songsters that must have regaled these luminaries during their mountain sojourn here.
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that was the mistake i made before as well !...corrected above
