Yamaha P-(X)50 Turntable DIY Maintenance Thread P-350, P-450, P-550, P-750, P-751, P-10, P-20

Not sure about the cartridge that is on the P-550 I picked up this afternoon. @reydelaplaya, can you tell if this is the original, and the replacement stylus from LP Gear would work OK?

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Wow! First time I’ve even seen the original Yamaha branded version! LOL

Welcome to AK! And congrats on your choice of a P-550, imho, I think that was their best offering out of the P-(x)50 lineup. A really nice turntable, I’m sure you’re going to like it a lot.

As for the correct stylus for that cartridge, that’s a tough call without seeing the model number on it. It looks like that’s probably correct, even more so since it’s even a model number match with LPGear.

Best thing to do would be to *gently* remove the stylus that’s on there now and see if it looks like what you see in their pic. I realise theirs is red, but as long as the shape is the same. When you’re taking yours off, be sure not to rotate or shift the cartridge as it’s bolted to the head shell - don’t wanna throw it out of alignment.
 
I could be wrong but that looks like an MC-9 for which there is no replacement stylus...because it's a lomc cart.

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However it's a nice cartridge and worth retipping.
 
There is no cantilever that I can see, but on removal of the headshell assembly, it is an MC-9! Excuse my ignorance, but with a missing cantilever, how does one go about retipping?

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There is no cantilever that I can see, but on removal of the headshell assembly, it is an MC-9! Excuse my ignorance, but with a missing cantilever, how does one go about retipping?

View attachment 1148301

No prob man, that's a welcome confirmation. Retipping is either attaching a new cantilever to a remnant of an old one or inserting one into the suspension assembly. For carts with a good suspension (such as the vintage Yamaha MC's) it's worth the trouble.

@needlestein may be of some assistance in this matter.
 
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I could be wrong but that looks like an MC-9 for which there is no replacement stylus...because it's a lomc cart.

View attachment 1148276

However it's a nice cartridge and worth retipping.

There is no cantilever that I can see, but on removal of the headshell assembly, it is an MC-9! Excuse my ignorance, but with a missing cantilever, how does one go about retipping?

View attachment 1148301
I’m glad you both caught this. Without being able to see what markings were underneath it was kinda tough to tell.

Ok, now you’re possibly getting into hundreds of dollars. Is that the kind of cash you’re willing to throw at it right now? It’s also going to take some time. Weeks. Possibly longer.

What I’d probably recommend, unless you’re totally cool with sending that off for a retip, is to get a nice moving magnet cartridge, specifically the Audio Technica AT-95E.

I’ve got one my P-751, and a variant on my other P-751. I also put one on my parents’ turntable, a P-20 which is exactly like yours (see first page of this thread for that explanation).

They usually sell for $35-40 for the cartridge and stylus combo. It sounds fantastic. It works well on these turntables. It’s immediately available. All positives, while you’re debating whether a retip on that Yamaha cartridge is worth it at the moment.
 
Another reason to get a moving magnet cartridge is that most Phono-In on stereos are designed for this style of cartridge. Moving coil cartridges require a separate phono preamp which is an additional expense if you do not already have one.
 
Another reason to get a moving magnet cartridge is that most Phono-In on stereos are designed for this style of cartridge. Moving coil cartridges require a separate phono preamp which is an additional expense if you do not already have one.

The vintage Yamahas are excellent candidates for a retip. He could save up the dough, use a cheaper MM cart in the mean time and when he's ready to level up, get the MC-9 retipped and get a good MC capable phono pre. Don't toss that MC-9!
 
Uffff. I am looking to pair this with a Technics SU-V10x, which has front-panel MM/MC selection. So, the retip is in play at some point, when finances are in the flexibility range of "hundreds of dollars." Meanwhile, @reydelaplaya, your idea of shelving it in favor of an AT95E (or maybe an AT100E?) makes sense. No way I'm tossing the MC-9! I also have a PMA-520 and an A-88x that are MM/MC selectable. Is a retip something I need to seek locally, or is there an LP gear equivalent that I can ship to? South Florida is not exactly a hotbed of vintage audio.
 
The vintage Yamahas are excellent candidates for a retip. He could save up the dough, use a cheaper MM cart in the mean time and when he's ready to level up, get the MC-9 retipped and get a good MC capable phono pre. Don't toss that MC-9!

Uffff. I am looking to pair this with a Technics SU-V10x, which has front-panel MM/MC selection. So, the retip is in play at some point, when finances are in the flexibility range of "hundreds of dollars." Meanwhile, @reydelaplaya, your idea of shelving it in favor of an AT95E (or maybe an AT100E?) makes sense. No way I'm tossing the MC-9! I also have a PMA-520 and an A-88x that are MM/MC selectable. Is a retip something I need to seek locally, or is there an LP gear equivalent that I can ship to? South Florida is not exactly a hotbed of vintage audio.

Oh absolutely!! Do not throw away the Yamaha cartridge - I guess i needed to make that a little clearer now that I re-read what I wrote. Save if for when you feel like an upgrade, but in the meantime, a nice cartridge, such as that AT-95E would be a great one to get you up and running quickly and economically. I'm sure you'll get plenty of recommendations here on the forum of who would be the best and what retip would be the best (yes there are options LOL). The other folks here know way more about that than I do. You may consider starting a new thread titled "Yamaha MC-9 Retip What, Where, (and how much LOL)?"
 
Holy crap! Yes, I will get the MC-9 retipped. Comps on Ebay are close to three digits! I just became very happy with my $30 P-550 purchase.
You got that table for 30 bucks? As long as it's in good working order, you got a deal. According to Vinylengine, those were about $360 new back in the early 80s - that's like a couple million in today's deflated dollars! LOL
 
lol...the P-550 was at a pawnshop, too. I just ordered an AT-95E from Amazon. With Prime delivery, I should be ripping some wax by Friday. I also hit the Google box and found a place called "The Needle Clinic" in Bellevue, WA that looks to be what the doctor ordered, so to speak. There are many re-tippers out there, and most look to be mostly interested in making sure they out-audiophile-adjective their competitors and that their kids drive a new Mercedes to college. The guys in Bellevue look like they might actually work for a living. While surfing, I also learned that replacing the cantilever can be far cheaper than re-tipping, in case you needed that little nugget for future reference. I'm clearly a re-cantilever candidate, but some folks might think that replacing the smallest part must be the cheapest...far from it.
 
lol...the P-550 was at a pawnshop, too. I just ordered an AT-95E from Amazon. With Prime delivery, I should be ripping some wax by Friday. I also hit the Google box and found a place called "The Needle Clinic" in Bellevue, WA that looks to be what the doctor ordered, so to speak. There are many re-tippers out there, and most look to be mostly interested in making sure they out-audiophile-adjective their competitors and that their kids drive a new Mercedes to college. The guys in Bellevue look like they might actually work for a living. While surfing, I also learned that replacing the cantilever can be far cheaper than re-tipping, in case you needed that little nugget for future reference. I'm clearly a re-cantilever candidate, but some folks might think that replacing the smallest part must be the cheapest...far from it.

Aewsome! What I'd recommend now is to watch the turntable setup video linked in this thread: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/in...c-turntable-setup-video-a-new-version.457897/

You can download the template over at vinylengine, "stupid" is what they call it. Make sure you print it at full 100% size - no enlarge/reduce. That will help make sure the cartridge is aligned as perfectly as possible for the best quality sound out of it.
 
Hey Guys,
I've just came across this topic when searching the web, looking for Yamaha P-350 related topics. I just bought an old, tatty and shabby P350 for just ~$35. I didn't expect much, but besides scratched cover, missing hinges and broken stylus it was in surprisingly good and promising condition. I've done a lot of maintenance, cleaned it all, lube up in all necessary places, painted the headshell, replaced the cartridge and stylus, mount new hinges, and polish the cover. It actually was given a brand new life, and now looks magnificent in my opinion. I of course can upload some pictures if you're interested, but there's one issue I am facing - tonearm lift. There's absolutely no shock protection, when I move the switch to "down" position the arm falls down and almost hits the surface with a bang. When i move it to "up" position it lifts so rapidly, that I hits the underside of the cover.
Have you faced a malfunction like that? I know that the lift usually uses the oil to absorb shocks, but I'm not sure which to use, and how to disassemble the lift.
I'd be more then grateful for any help, tips, and support.


Hey everyone - I'm new to the forum. I just got into records - my friend gave me a yamaha p-450 that he found at the salvation army. I haven't changed anything on it...stylus and cartridge look ok...no noticeable sound degradation (but maybe I don't have a good baseline.) I did notice, however, that there is good amount of wobble, and it's coming from the platter mat/cover not sitting on the platter correctly....I looked into getting a new platter mat - 3/16" cork such as this:

https://www.amazon.com/Turntable-Toys-TC-3-thick-Audiophile/dp/B01GK55EPY/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1508931940&sr=1-2&keywords=turntable+toys+cork+3/16

However, I'm worried about changing the platter mat, since it doesn't look like there is a way to adjust the VTA on these things. Also....I don't know if 3/16" cork will be the exact same thickness as the original....Any thoughts or experiences doing something similar???????

Hi, nothing to add really since it seems these have already been resolved, but I only just noticed that there were some posts from farther back I hadn’t seen here and wanted to thank fellow member @Balifly for attending to them.

Now that I see the dates on the posts, I understand why - that was during the aftermath of Maria when we were still without lights/water/stable-internet until sometime in late November.

So while you all were here having fun troubleshooting the turntables, yours truly was out playing Gilligan’s Island in his backyard, boiling rainwater on a makeshift fire to make it safe to drink. Oh man I would’ve much rather been online with you folks talking turntables during that couple months of mess! LOL

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Glad to see you all got it worked out! :)
 
Yamaha P-(X)50 Series DIY Maintenance

Table Of Contents

(Click on the topic below to be taken directly to the post.)


Tonearm

To Be Continued... Well, there's three and it's after one. Time for bed because tomorrow's another school day.

;)
Thanks
I have a Yamaha YP-D6, I run an Audio Technical cart. on mine. I'm not sure of the model, but I can let you know. I also have a Yamaha P550. Does yours have the typical problem where the dust cover hinges won't hold the cover up? Makes changing a record a pain in the ass. I haven't really wanted to try putting something in there to hold it in fear it could break the cover.
I have a Yamaha YP-D6, I run an Audio Technical cart. on mine. I'm not sure of the model, but I can let you know. I also have a Yamaha P550. Does yours have the typical problem where the dust cover hinges won't hold the cover up? Makes changing a record a pain in the ass. I haven't really wanted to try putting something in there to hold it in fear it could break the cover.

On my P-550, the wire-ends on the lifting springs in the dust cover hinges broke through the hinge shell. I inserted a small steel rod through a hole drilled in each hinge bracket (parallel to the hinge pin) to keep tension in the springs and all has been well for years. Reading the thread, I see others have had the same idea. For the carpenters, think 6-penny casing nail, clipped head and tail.

There may be simpler ways to secure the spring-ends but this works. Having the dust cover work as designed is a real plus, for me.

Thanks for this whole thread, all!
 
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I tried working the dial through its full range for a little while, then got it centered at the correct speed. When dialed to the desired speed, it plays well for a bit, then speeds up and slows erratically to the point of bending the pitch. If I set it just a tad fast it keeps a consistent speed. Any ideas?
BakedTater, try spinning the platter by hand with the power off. If it spins freely and evenly, then the electronics may be the problem. But if it spins unevenly, the problem may be mechanical. I had a speed control problem on my P-550 ("wow" was the term) that was solved by overhauling the main spindle bearing for the platter. Cleaning, shimming for wear, and good grease did the trick. Good luck!
 
The plastic on the hinges is a common fail point where the tension spring finally breaks through. There's a fix around here somewhere where holes are drilled in the plastic and a brad/fine finish nail is passed through creating a new support for the tail of the spring.

There are also several different, all-metal hinges that from different manufacturers that will fit. I know some model of JVC TTs fit because that's what I'm using on my own. Linn also fit, but they're kinda expensive.

Check the auction sites for TT hinges, and look for the correct shape. The only thing needed to be a perfect fit is a couple of felt shims.

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ReyDelPlaya, great thread!! I did the finish-nail fix on the cover hinges years ago and it has held up for... 30 years? Can provide a photo if useful. Keep up the great work, thanks!
 
Thank you for both, the welcome, and the response.
I've download and printed out all the available documentation for this turntable, I found at vinylengine.com, at the very beginning of my maintenance-restoration works, but when I look through the manual, I see no information about arm lift disassemble, and as I it really fragile I'm a bit afraid to do something in a haphazard way.
As I clearly see that we have a Yamaha P(x)50 master of arts - reydelaplaya, I though it would be good idea to ask first.
JakeW, suggest you check that the balance on your tonearm is right. With the downforce at zero ounces, the arm should "float" when the lift is removed, if the main counterweight is set correctly. There is more expert advice cited in AK on tonearm fine-tuning, which I recommend, but if it's "crash-landing" I'd start with the basics. Good luck.
 
Hey PhilMH!
Thank You for answer, however tonearm balance is perfect. I set the balance first, and then applied 2,0g tracking force, which works perfectly. The issue with the crash landing is with the lowering mechanism, it should go smoothly, and slowly down, due to so some very dense oil in the tonearm lift, but I guess that oil is gone, because the lift just goes like binary 1-0, from fully UP position it goes fully DOWN. I bought proper oil, but the issue is I don't know how to disassemble the tonearm lift ;)
Thanks for any help & suggestions.
Cheers
Jake
 
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