Playing a 78 rpm record on a cheap BSR turntable

[ENEMENCIO123VISION]

thats INCREDIBLE!!!

[86subarugl]

I have used BSR turntables on and off all my life. No, they not fancy, but spend 20 minutes cleaning and lubing them and $7 on a new stylus, and they are reliable as hell. Definitely much better than modern Crosley type trash. Most have a screw to adjust the tracking weight or you can modify the tension spring under the arm. I use my Garrad TT that has a decent magnetic cartridge for transferring records to MP3 or CD and my BSR stuff just for casual listening.

[MixerVM]

Looks like it has a cassette deck too.

[awesible39]

Hey I have this same turntable on a similar set up, just got it at goodwill for 3 bucks but when i turn on the turntable it doesnt turn, im assuming its a motor problem but was wondering if u knew where I could get parts to fix mine up? any help would be greatly aprreciated

[28019ab]

@awesible39 apply some heat to the central bearing with a hairdryer, this will ooosen it. unclip and lift off the platter,. clean off old hard grease and relube. check the motor spins whren you slide the switch to start, also the rubber drive wheel is not shiny on its edge, if so unclip and rub it with fine sandpaper or en emery board, clean and refit, You should be 'all set'!

[seatboi]

AHAH! I see the can-o-WD-40 in the background! Be sure to apply it generously to the center shaft of turntable platter & the giant gear's spindle underneath it

[seatboi]

BSR= Bull Shit Recordplayer....yeah, ok, they're great if you can remove all the cheap "glu-grease" from them (I've had the center post so siezed up I had to carefully heat the center with a soldering gun to get the platter off! Same goes with the cycle gear underneath the platter!) & re-lube with teflon lube....they're still all plastic, tho! Thier old (50's & early 60's) changers were decent, but I agree that these ones are usually trash

[burntvalve86]

Bsr and benjemin are the best turntables money can buy the only thing is they can sometimes be tempermental machines. As long as everything on them is set up wright there fine.

[Nivicoman]

In 1978 I got an Emerson table top stereo with BSR turntable exactly like this one. Ok sound, a couple of years later I heard someone's component system with the same turntable as a stand alone and it sounded way better. I don't know if it had a better cartridge as it looked identical to this one. The ceramic cartridge in my 1970 JVC Nivico 4TR-990 stereo console sounds way better than modern ceramics.

[burntvalve86]

Bsrs are not junk There one of the best turntables money can buy I have a old bsr 5500 model its a excellent machine. There british turntables.

[Maxxarcade]

@burntvalve86 The standalone ones aren't bad. I'm referring to the cheap plastic ones that come on stereos like this one.

[farr64]

@burntvalve86 Hello ..BSR record decks are the most reliable deck you can buy and basically indestructible ..

they only damage records if they are set up correctly or been abused..quality deepened upon model and manufacturer ..yours sounds great even though the cabinet is a bit worn and missing a few parts...great video thanks for sending..

[ioxxd90]

@burntvalve86 BSR are and were some of the best ever. IF you can find a BSR McDonald record/player u are getting one of the most reliable record players of all time.

[force311999]

@ioxxd90 thats what I have and it has some of the more "pro" options like a tracking weight and anti skate it had a shure cart. in it and it was a McDonald 500

[force311999]

@burntvalve86 most of them are quit good they seam to be the only ones that don't get the stall out problem with age they were always reliable I don't know why everyone hates them so much XD

[DeLorean4]

Terrible machine... my BSR can't do anything right. The turntable surface goes up and down at every revolution, the audio hardly comes out of the right side, the thing spins too fast and you can constantly hear ambient noises through the tone arm. Oh... and the double sided ceramic needle... utter rubbish. My communist-made wind-up grammophone does a better job of spinning than the BSR.

[UnchainTheNight1]

i have something like this with an identical bsr turntable on it, only it's a realistic. i'm going to throw it away

[thatmuse76]

I think 78 rpm is the only useful speed on the old BSR units. Those were usually pretty bad, although I did use a BSR with a metal platter on my fathers old Centrex by Pioneer compact that had a good ADC magnetic cart on it and it worked fine. The majority of the units though had a plastic platter which really did not work too well with the rubber idler. They were fast, they were warbly sounding even in the best lubed condition.

[extremehockeyfan]

that was funny when you turned the turntable off and the record slowed down XD

[vado575]

if u want a junk record player get a crosely,,, they are the worst, especially their ceramic needles which make it sound more crappier..if u want to transfer music to ur computer alls u got to do is find any old record player..hook it up to a reciever, and hook the reciever to ur computer,, better than wasting almost 200 dollars for a peice of shit

[moscowandy]

cool love it

[glennmillerfan]

I Have A Similar Turntable To YoursI Noticed That After I Played A M- 78 rpm Copy Of "Only You" By The Platters On It, There Was Deep Groove Wear On The Record, So Did These Turntables Usually Wear Out 78rpm Records?

[Maxxarcade]

@glennmillerfan You need to make sure you use a 78 RPM stylus. The ones used for LP's and 45's are much smaller and will ride at the bottom of the groove. Most BSR tables like this have a stylus that can be flipped over for 78 or LP.

[raymondleeleggs]

I like to watch recors spin!

[dlgjazzman1]

Crosley makes a great record player which is 3 speed and connects to computers via USB cable. I transfer 78s and vinyl to my iPod on a fairly regular basis. Comes with audio editing software and everything.

[DeLorean4]

I have that same record album... only with the wrong records inside. I also have that same turntable... I payed 75$ for it which was a total waste because the BSR is garbage. Like you, I was only looking for something capable of playing at 78 RPM.

[DSM1G90]

Yet, if you really want to get serious, do a search on turntables that will do 78rpm speed and magnetic cartridges that are specific for 78rpm playback being the styli will be correctly made for the wide grooves. Then, those old records can really sound pretty wicked instead of tinny due to the crystal cartridges these changer units used.

[agfamatic91]

@DSM1G90

one of the best old turntables to play 78s on is the lenco l 75 or l 78 and both of them have a stepless speed control that go from abote 15 rpm to abote 94 rpm

[Brandotuomikoski]

I just bought this record player from nebraska furniture mart on the fact that it plays all 3 speeds!

[agfamatic91]

dos the cassette player work?

[lieckenske]

sounds quite good

a record brush isn't necessary, the record will not sound better when using a brush

[almondtealeaf2]

I'm sure this vintage music player costs several hundred if not thousand dollars on ebay!

I think my dad might have one in storage.

[beninski707]

It may have cost just $1 but if it got you enthused enough to make this video, it was a dollar well spent. I bought an old console for the same reason. its not worth much but I enjoy using it when I feel nostalgic. Good video!!

[sauerkraut145]

Is there a way to adjust a turntable that seems to turn too fast? This is just a unit we bought at Target for $59.00 a few years ago -one of those old time looking record players.. Both the 33 rpms and the 45 rpms sound like they are going too fast.

[Maxxarcade]

If it is belt drive and has a DC motor, there is usually a speed adjustment somewhere. It could be on the bottom of the motor itself, or on a circuit board nearby.

[Trance88]

Any idea if there's a speed adjustment on a BSR? I can't find one anywhere! It too plays too fast on all speeds.

[m2esectr]

BSR's use an AC motor whose axis could've swollen over time. To adjust the speed, you have to file down the axis on each of the three or four gears individually until you get the right speed, then clean up the bearing under the center spindle from filing debris.

[DeLorean4]

Me too. Mine's a nightmare at 33RPM, a hindrance at 45, but somewhat tolerable at 78RPM. I'm trying to find a way to fix it.

[force311999]

@sauerkraut145 these have dc motors in them so a reostate would work but they are junk made in china I have to turntables I saved from them they are cheaply made.

go find a old stereo and restore it

[Individuell83]

god it hurt my eyes how the needle bang on the 78 =D

but wow the sound isn't that bad

good record =D

[l30779]

Still Sounds Great!

[CoolDudeClem]

Are you using the 78 needle/stylus to play it? A 78 can damage a regular needle. It looks like it has a needle that can be flipped, usually there's a 78 needle on one side and a microgroove needle on the other.

[Maxxarcade]

Yep, I had it flipped to 78. I grew up with these type of turntables, unfortunately...

[agfamatic91]

i have a good turntable but it has only 33 and 45 rpm speeds but i also have a cheap philips record player that i use for playing 78 rpm records but i dosent sound very good

[BrooklynMouseReturns]

"Maxxarcade", my GE Wildcat portable stereo record player had the same features as your BSR record changer that came with your stereo system. Same control such as the 3-speed unit, the size selector and the power switch where you can turn "OFF", "ON and "REJ". Pretty cool! It plays 78's as well. but it did have a flip needle, but mine does not, it doesn't required a flip needle to play 78's only just the diamond needle, but it ruins shellac 78's.

[TheKylester1993]

BSR changers are pretty good changers! Stacking vinyl is a good experience!

Watch out though, 'cos BSRs track at around 5 grams which doesn't do your records any good at all! And make sure you have the stylus flipped to the right sides for the right records...

Ky

[Maxxarcade]

Ya, I don't put anything good on it. I'll have to put my gauge on there and see what the tracking force is on that particular model.

[adpretty]

I have a couple of BSR changers, the best one though is a mid 60's model and The tracking force can be adjusted to an acceptable level.

[debiani3866]

OMG that record cover is go "g" rated :O

[CassetteMaster]

Nice stereo system! Does the cassette work? And also did you get the door back in place properly?

[Maxxarcade]

That system had a lot of problems, so I took the TT and some other stuff off and stripped the rest for parts.

[raymondleeleggs]

I have a similar pioneer receiver that had the BSR TT on top which was broken, I threw the TT away and kept the receiver, seince the reciver underneath is good, the turntable sucked eggs. Mine doesent have a cassette deck and I am happy it doesent it would be crap anyway.

[vinylman86]

I notice that same tune on the "Living Stereo (1958) - RCA Victor" vid, but probably a different composer.

[mishrazz]

hahaha! work! ..and then the arm drops and the needle barely hangs on to that bumby cattle ride of a BSR.

But, yeah. i like to buy old record players and stereo equiptment at flea markets and stuff. I currently have a BSR, Garrard, and a decent Marantz player. Some of the stuff they made in the 70's seems to be immortal. (year 2126)'here is the record player from your great grandfather, still works great! But replacing that rusty old needle might be a problem'

[JeffN727]

I have a Sanyo stereo with cassette recorder that had this same BSR changer (or similar) that I bought new back in 1979. The springs under the tonearm that control the anti-skate broke, then the threads that hold the cartridge in the tonearm stripped out. Yes, those BSR's are junk!

I swapped the BSR out with a Garrard changer that I found at a yard sale. Wasn't to hard to do, just had to do a little trimming. It works great still to this day.

[BrooklynMouseReturns]

I don't care about BSR, but the GE record changer on my GE Wildcat is way better than BSR and Garrard.

[glennmillerfan]

I Als Noticed That my 1952 Webcor And My 1963 Magnavox Play 78s Without Much Surface Noise Or Skip Beacuse The Tonearms Are Heavier.

[glennmillerfan]

yes i was using the 78 needle and i even replaced it and put coins on the tonearm to weigh it down

[glennmillerfan]

I Have A Bsr Made In The 1960s Or 1970s And On Any 78 That It Plays It Skips Very Badly, And It Picks Up Scratches Very Easily.

[Maxxarcade]

Are you using a 78 needle? Most of them had a lever to flip the needle over to 78. The size is different from an LP needle.

[wilkes85]

I had a BSR changer a long time ago, it was my first record player! I loved it. The sound quality wasn't really that bad either.

The platter on mine was siezed up too. I just took it off, greased it up, and it worked great after that. And I loved to take it apart and put it back together.

Then I got a REAL turntable, and the quality blew me away!!

I always liked BSRs, until recently when I bought a portable record player with a Garrard changer on it. Garrard can kick BSR's ass!

[iabhornc]

Yes. Those BSRs are for shit. I had a few of them in my life. I am glad I got rid of them. I remember I threw one of them out my bedroom window and had fun doing it. That was definitely a steal for $1

[vinylman86]

My parents had a BSR too that was messed up too. It didn't turn so we threw it up back in the day.

[Viznel137]

Its funny!My mom had GAITE PARIENNE and said i played it constantly!Shes right

[canada001111111]

You are funny!

[Trance88]

Not a bad sounding 78. Definitely worth a dollar.

[damusician]

one thing i hate about bsrs is that they play slightly fast than normal. i like garrards, vm, webcors, rcas, and magnavox/collaros, but i do love older bsr changers. i hope the tape deck worx so u can record 78s onto cassette.

[Maxxarcade]

I actually have a Garrard Zero-One that I need to see about fixing up.

This BSR might end up in the Magnavox console until I get a 3 speed Magnavox changer for it.

Either that or I'll leave the original TT in there and use the AUX input for an external tuntable.

[netfunnys]

Good pick. I am going to possibly buy a record player myself someday.

[NardDogz]

I'm surprised the stylus didn't jump...  a little warped there, ha ha... Watching the label spin around so fast along with the cartoony music was borderline nauseating!

Not a bad buy for a buck!

[Maxxarcade]

Ya, it's good for trying out records to see if they are crap before adding them to my collection.

It sounds horrible compared to my primary turntable though. No bass and not much treble. Looks like I can't change the cartridge without some mods either.

I feel sorry for people who had these as their only record player. Probably why everyone thought CD's sounded so great when they came out :-)

[aldiakaroofus]

Believe it or not, I had nothing else than a BSR changer to play my records on until the age of 18!!!

[wildbilltexas]

Its cheap low watt stereos, turntables with ceramic cartridges, and also record companies that used recycled vinyl that gave records a bad name by the 80's.

[aldiakaroofus]

*coughMCACanadacough* ;-)

[TheKylester1993]

Agreed... All people needed to do was fork out a bit and get a decent one, and these silver metal and plastic devils would never have entered the scene.

I'm 16 and I love my vinyl! ;-)

Ky

[adpretty]

You are wise for your years!!! :P

[AnimeMANIAC3500]

I'm 14 and I love my vinyl and my Zenith integrated stereo system. I have two turntables (the other is a Denon DP-47F) but I can't play my 78 rpm records. Can someone tell me how to set the tonearm on my Zenith turntable to move for LP records (12") instead of 7" 45 singles? It was set for 45 singles when I bought it and I can't find a switch to change it. Thanks if you can help!!! I still buy vinyl even though my dad has 5 crates full of classic rock vinyl!!!

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Couldn't go wrong. Great buy!

[aldiakaroofus]

Those BSR changers are very useful for checking out 78s. I have 3 of them but all three need to be fixed (the platters are stuck).

[Maxxarcade]

Ya, this one was really stuck too. I had to put WD-40 on the bearing, pull up on the platter, and hit the bearing with a hammer a few times before it even budged. Probably one of the reasons the BSR's have a bad reputation.

[dan9788wax]

Can't You Take The Record Changer off And Make A Base For It.

[Maxxarcade]

Yes. It will either get installed in a new base, or in my Magnavox Console if I can't fix the existing turntable.

But this is only going to be temporary, because I'm looking for a much higher quality turntable than what this is.

[dan9788wax]

I Agree.