ELAC Miracord TT -share all about 'em

[redjr]

I'm a Dual man, but recently found a 50H for $100. It is almost in pristine condition - as far as I can tell. Is that a good price for a 50 yr old turntable?

 

[Bauhausler]

Caig DeOxit is the generally recommended stuff. There are several variants, and honestly I'm not sure which is the best choice here.

I use D5 for metal/metal contacts and it's worth its weight in gold. It's 95% cleaner and 5% contact enhancer. I also have D100, which is 100% contact enhancer for treating clean metal.
Caig Fader Lube is for sliding-contact carbon or plastic pots. Do not use it on metal/metal contacts.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Yes, $100 is a good price for a nice 50H especially with better base and good dust cover. I like them better than most if not all Duals.

 

[pmsummer]

I messed around with my 50H today. Installed a very old Shure M91E body with a new EVG .2 X .7 stylus. I cleaned the contacts on the headshell, cartridge and arm with Caig D5 on a cotton swab. For the insides of the wire clips I use a toothpick. A pair of 90 degree tweezers works great for handling the wire clips on the pins.
All I've done with this 'table is tinker with it. It works fine and is complete and in good shape but I just don't have a use for it. It has a very high dust cover so I assume there must once have been a changer spindle for this. I admit to being very ignorant about it, as it came with a vintage system and I didn't pay much attention to it when it arrived at the house years ago.
I guess I should read more of the posts in this thread and learn something!

It uses a "tripod" single post changer spindle. The pindle is worth the investment to me just so I can occasionally play a 1/6-2/5-3/4 boxed set of an opera, play, or spoken word performance. When set up properly, using proper LPs (those with raised label and RCA's "gruve guard" raised lip), there's no danger of damage to the vinyl... but you can get into some lively internet discussions.

 

[pmsummer]

I'm a Dual man, but recently found a 50H for $100. It is almost in pristine condition - as far as I can tell. Is that a good price for a 50 yr old turntable?

Would you pay $100 for a similar Dual?

 

[SFBayArch]

Yes, $100 is a good price for a nice 50H especially with better base and good dust cover. I like them better than most if not all Duals.

I'll second that.

I think the 50H is my favorite vintage changer turntable right now. I like it better than even my 770H, which was it's TOTL successor. I just don't need the fiddly bits on the 770H. The 50H has a little bit simpler elegance and it really runs like a swiss watch.

Here's my 50H:

 

[sempai]

I'll second that.

I like it better than even my 770H, which was it's TOTL successor. I just don't need the fiddly bits on the 770H. The 50H has a little bit simpler elegance and it really runs like a swiss watch.

I'll second your second, and agree with you on the 770H fiddly bits.

I like the Miracords a lot and suspect that they have the same potential
as the heavy platter Lenco's.

Elegant simplicity in the engineering is where the Lenco's hold the advantage.
Miracords have better platters though.
It isn't unusual to find the pot metal platter of a Lenco to be warped.

Don't tell anyone. :nono:


Art

 

[choochin3]

I just love my 50H MKII!
I finally found a stacker spindle for the LP's,and waiting for it to arrive is driving me nuts!
These things were built like a Tiger tank,and as reliable as an old air cooled VW.

 

[fondofmusic]

The only thing that puzzles me about a item as classy built as the H50s is that the spindle to the 45 speed records will not shut off the play and continues to repeat the last record till you actually hit the stop button.. All other features shut it down, why they couldn't figure at way to do that is rather odd. The Dual 1009 I have shuts down on 45s and its from about the same period?

 

[orthophonic]

The correct spindle for the Miracord 50H does shut off after the last record. There are
two versions of the spindle and one will let the least record play continuously, it has
a slightly different nub/tip at the bottom.

 

[vinylisfinal]

i really enjoyed this thread. about time someone "really" did shed some light on the idler tables. i prefer and only use idler TT's. i own a miracord studio 10, (2) garrard zero 100's, a dual 1219, dual 1229, dual 1225, dual 1224, BSR 80and a garrard lab 80. all great tables and quiet! easy to service and built like tanks!

 

[pmsummer]

The only thing that puzzles me about a item as classy built as the H50s is that the spindle to the 45 speed records will not shut off the play and continues to repeat the last record till you actually hit the stop button..

You have a 45 stacker spindle? Those things are RARE. I paid more for my 45 stacker spindle than I did for any of my Miracord decks! Picture, please!

BTW: the single play spindle is reversible. Insert it upside down, and the plays as you describe your 45 changer as playing... repeat, repeat, repeat.

 

[fondofmusic]

The correct spindle for the Miracord 50H does shut off after the last record. There are
two versions of the spindle and one will let the least record play continuously, it has
a slightly different nub/tip at the bottom.

Oddly now that I am trying to find the place where I thought it said it would not shut off on 45 play I don't see that in the manual.. I purchased the 45 adaptor separate and perhaps its not the exact model it takes? Although I know that I was told that it would not stop the records from repeating at the end but wether it was from the person I got it from or from the person who provided the manual copy I have I am not sure. As requested I will get a photo up latter today of the spindle I have.

 

[spideyjack]

I am so close to having my new 10H done, it sounds great. can't wait to retire the test stylus and play some better records on it.

my only advice to any adverturous miracord junior restorer is don't let the bearings out of your sight! Dried up grease is kind of like glue. The bearing you can't find is probably stuck to your shoe or your cat or maybe your forehead.

 

[pmsummer]

Here's my 45 stacker.

 

[fondofmusic]

I see now why mine most likely does not shut off.. I compared it to the tall spindle and saw that the tall one has a small extension pin out the bottom I looked at the spindle I purchased and see no extension.. I do see a pin either busted off or stuck perhaps up in the mechanism? Does anyone know if those actually are pushed upward into the bottom at some point and could stick or more likely it was busted and I got either a faulty spindle or the person who sold it didn't know either? From the drawing on the box one wouldn't see the pin. In the manual though the pin is evident. Either way I can still play 45 sets it just means I have to push the stop button when the last record repeats. I may watch for a version with the pin in place but as mentioned that might be an expensive proposition.

 

[fondofmusic]

Forgot to add the photos to the last post..

 

[spideyjack]

Here's my 45 stacker.

i have been looking at those on ebay, my table did not come with a spindle, I bought a short/single play and need to find a "magic wand" stacker next.

 

[choochin3]

Just received my 33 stacker spindle today!!
Next on the list is the coveted 45 stacker! Cause lawd knows I dig 45's!:thmbsp:

 

[SFBayArch]

let's talk Elac spring suspension foam:

Could anyone share information and/or pictures of what Elac used inside the four suspension spring mounts?

On both my Miracords (50H & 770H), this foam has long since perished and turned to orange dust.

The motor-board is far too springy without any shock absorption, so I'm thinking of improvising another solution. I'd like to see the way it was originally designed...