Your old turntable

Okay, you've retrieved your old turntable from storage, given it a clean, plugged it in, and it appears to work. Now what?

We're sorry to tell you this, but if it plays records at all, it'll probably play them badly. Before you spend much time or money on an old turntable, you may wish to consider whether it's worth the effort.

If you are lucky enough to own a classic—a Linn, a Garrard 301 or 401, a high-end Thorens or a broadcast-standard Japanese unit, for instance—you have a turntable well worth preserving. However, a turntable with a changer mechanism, a pressed metal platter, or lots of plastic, or a unit that was part of a "midi" system may be outperformed by even our least expensive models.

In any event, your old turntable will almost certainly need some maintenance: perhaps a new belt (if there is one) or a new stylus (the "needle"), if it's replaceable. Check the section on maintenance in the manual if you still have it; if you don't, you may be able to download a copy on the Vinyl Engine website.