I’ll try to keep this under a million words.
For the longest time I have wanted a TD224. I just liked the old technology that went into it and having a very unique record changer. Found one that I was told was working but of course it was being sold as a repair. It came to me in good condition and sort of worked but needed some attention that I felt confident I could do. Downloaded a service manual and went to work. Let me say here that I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It is unlike any other turntable I have worked on and I have worked on quit a few. The manual wasn't very helpful because I think the publisher assumed those that would use it had some familiarity with the TD224 which I didn’t.
During my many, many and many more hours of the repair sessions and many google searches to get some informative help I was told that Thorens had to put together a full time staff just to do the warranty work and I’m not surprised. That is why they only made 4000. The TD224s are in my opinion very temperamental and getting one function to work properly may mpact another function and that other function once adjusted will impact something else. Well, after countless hours working and learning on it I have gotten all functions to work. It picks up and delivers the records in both directions and the platter speed is very stable. The biggest challenge was to get it to completely shut off after the last record finished playing. How long is it going to stay this way? I have no idea but I do know that if anything goes wrong I will know what to do about it. I’m a self actualized expert.
I will be posting a video in a couple of days if anyone is interest in seeing it go through it’s paces.
Now playing on it
Herman’s Hermits - on tour. John Fogerty's - Center Field waiting to be picked up and set on the platter.
