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Dual 1228

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Netdewt

Active Member
I'm moving into a new house soon (first-time home buyer!) and a turntable was something I always wanted in the living room. I was considering a nice new one, but I have never done anything with vinyl, so I was also looking at a nice vintage table, at least to start.

Anyways, I just got a Dual 1228 for free from my uncle. It's been in storage for 30 years, and he takes good care of his stuff. Looks decent on the Dual reference site. What should I look at for cartridges? Anyone have this table? Should be decent for first time right?

http://dual-reference.com/tables/1228.htm

1228r.jpg
 
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I have that table. It's a fine one to get you going. If it's been setting 30 years there are several things to check. Grease on these can thicken causing linkages to not work just right. Easy enough to clean up and regrease if needed though. Pull the platter and check the idler wheel. If it's been lodged up against the platter they will develop a flat spot which you'll hear as thump about once a second. Check the rca cables. Some models the cables were not quality and failed over the years. If they short out, you'll get dead channels or hum. Easy to replace though with any modern audio cable. As for a cart... lots of choices, what's in it now? You might just need to replace the stylus if you're not sure in what shape it's in.

Oh, and look around for a user manual and service manual if you don't have. Might be able to find a free pdf. Big helpers they are.
 
Thanks. I'm excited. I love pulling stuff apart too.

I'm not sure what's in it, I'll have to look. I was just planning on replacing it. I'm a Grado fan in general, so I was thinking of putting one of theirs in... if there's no Grado hum on this table, that is.

Are the cables built in?
 
I have a 1228 spinning right now. It is a very good table - nice and quiet and consistant. Cubby01 speaks nothing but wisdom. All of those things should be checked. While you have it apart just replace the audio cables anyway - they were all pretty crappy. Really easy upgrade.

Go to the vinyl engine website. I think they have the 1228 user manual and service manual. Free download with a free membership and they're nice folks there too.

As for carts I've been running a Pickering and I can't see the model number - it uses the DTL-IE stylus. Sounds good and is pretty detailed for a lower cost cart.

The best idea is to search here and at vinyl engine for cleaning methods and lots of useful threads will come up. If it's clean and the idler has good rubber, it will last a very long time and sound good doing it. I like the looks too. Enjoy and congratulations on the new house.
 
You must have been posting while I was futsing with a cartridge. Carts are really easy on these, just slide the metal finger pickup toward the rear of the arm and the assembly will come right off. The contacts mate with other contacts when you put it back in and you don't have to mess with the wires. Great setup.

And welcome to AK. Great folks with lots of information (me not so much.)
 
Ah, my first TT from college. I have another Dual model that I've had for 28 years, and the suggestions for cable replacement and re-greasing and bearing lube are well given. Good luck to you with yours, and I trust it will serve you well.
 
Sweet. I'm very excited to hear that it's a good table. I live in Minneapolis, which is where Needledoctor is based, so I'll probably see what they think on getting it up to speed also.
 
I have both a 1225 and a 1009. Great tables, I ran the same Pickering on both (took it off the 1009 and put it on the 1225). Definitely replace the wires, they just use RCA jacks on the bottom of the table, no soldering required. I am 2 for 2 on bad wires on these.
 
Good luck with that 1228. Just got a 1229 and I love it. There a couple of really savvy Dual experts on this site if you need help as well. (And, no, I'm not among them).
 
I had a 1228 and it sounded very nice, I own a few 1219's now, 1 is 100% and (3) as backup for parts.

Good Luck and enjoy your music!

Thanks,
John.:music:
 
A couple of years ago , I got a 1229 from my uncle. It had been sitting for a long time,
and needed to be reconditioned. Forum member Seth (No Transistors) did a great
job on it, and it sounds fabulous! I have a Shure Vi5 Type # on it with a Jico SAS
stylus. Great combination.
 
Netdewt said:
I'm not sure what's in it, I'll have to look. I was just planning on replacing it. I'm a Grado fan in general, so I was thinking of putting one of theirs in... if there's no Grado hum on this table, that is.
Click to expand...

I think if you are using one of the Grado black/blue/green etc type carts you're going to get hum but if you have it available give it a try. Shure carts seem to get good marks on this series of Duals. If the cart from the 70s is still in it then odds are it was a worthy cart to begin but will probably want the stylus replaced.
 
Netdewt said:
...Anyways, I just got a Dual 1228 for free from my uncle. It's been in storage for 30 years, and he takes good care of his stuff. Looks decent on the Dual reference site. What should I look at for cartridges? Anyone have this table? Should be decent for first time right?...
Click to expand...

Perhaps your uncle lubed the table occasionally or had it serviced over the past 35 years. I didn't see where you mentioned how well it was running. If you check the speeds and they are fine, and if none of the functions are particularly noisy, then you can take your time learning about lubrication. And reading some of the online debates about which oils and greases to use (big controversy over synthetic or dino oil is interesting).

If there is a bad hum, in addition to checking the cartridge contacts, the cartridge holder contacts, the phono cable ends, and the phono sockets on the machine--ALSO, if all else fails, try cleaning the cam-activated switch contacts that turn off the audio when the auto start and return functions are taking place. My 1229 had a horrible hum on one channel--part of which was caused by the original cables and the machine's dirty phono socket, but the most pesky part of which was caused by dirty points in that cam-driven switch.

On my 1229, I'm using a Pickering XV-15/400E. The XV-15 is essentially the same as the Stanton 680-681 series cartridge and can exchange stylii with it. The 1229 is a three-speed TT, soon I will be using my ancient Shure M3D with a 78 stylus for playing 78s on it.
 
I just went and picked it up today, so that's why I didn't know much about it right away.

It looks really well taken care of, but a little dirty from the storage time. There were maybe some mice living in the box at some point because there was some sunflower seed shells and insulation pieces in there.

How do I remove the chassis? I want to get into the larger case to clean it out and I'm not seeing in the manual how to do that.

The cords are pretty crappy looking. They will definitely need to be replaced. Th cartridge is a Shure RXT-4; I don't know how to tell the condition of the stylus, so I'll just play something once I can get the junk cleaned out
 
Don't force anything, if the old oil/grease has hardened, you may damage something trying to force a lever to move.

Remove it from the base by loosening the two large shiny screws, they will tilt inward and let the chassis be lifted off of the base.

There are experts in Dual restoration on this site, like bohhey. If you can't find the problem, he can get you up and running.
 
As has been said many times, this is a 33 year old piece of mechanical equipment that needs service. There are some wear items that need to be replaced. The 1228 sounds really good - and worthy to get running right.

Next time you head south on I-35, let me know and I'll help out.
 
Netdewt said:
...
How do I remove the chassis? I want to get into the larger case to clean it out and I'm not seeing in the manual how to do that....
Click to expand...

Is this a paper user manual that was with it or a user or service manual downloaded from vinylengine? I know both owner and service manuals are there for the 1229, a three-speed model. Some things may be similar, at least things like getting the platter off -- I think you may only find that in a service manual.

I wouldn't necessarily want to remove it from the base, if I wanted to have something other than the machinery to hold onto when tipping it up to look (or clean and relube) underneath.

Your next post said "nothing happens" when you try to operate it. Does that mean:
-- the start switch is frozen or doesn't cause anything to happen?
-- the platter doesn't turn at all (or you don't hear any motor noise) when you either you use the start switch or manually move the tonearm over the platter?
-- you hear motor noise, but the platter doesn't spin and/or the tonearm doesn't automatically move?
-- something is happening mechanically, but no signal is coming through your amp or receiver?

There are a lot of things that could seem like nothing if they don't amount to a record playing properly. Different ones might suggest different things to do next. I second the idea of proceeding cautiously.

The nothing happening on the 1229 I got recently at first amounted to only loud hum on one channel, a frozen start switch,the motor running all the time, table turning if I moved the tone LOAD chirping from what I eventually discovered was one or both of the motor bearings. Proceeding methodically, I got it to work close to normally by this time. So don't be discouraged.
 
I do realize that it will need some fixing, and I am a cautious person. I usually don't force things.

I have still not gotten the chassis off. The manual from vinyl engine (no paper manual with the player) is just an owner's manual. I figured out how those screws work for transporting the table though, and I did find some screws on the bottom of the table... not sure if I should go to town on those or not.

Nothing happens...
I plugged in the table, not even to an amp, just into the wall. I turned the lever to start to see if the platter would spin. No spinning, no motor noise, nothing. The lever is now stuck in the start position as well. I really want to get inside to see if there is damage from mice.
 
The levers and linkage are most likely frozen with ancient grease from back in the Jurassic period, I bet that the motor spindle is turning but the linkage and spring that pull the idler to the spindle is stuck. The motor is very quiet on these and if it's not touching anything you probably won't hear motor noise.
Mark:scratch2:
 
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