Technics SL-Q2 Direct Drive Turntable Refurbishment

This project was fun and the results were awesome! In high school I rebuilt cars. In the USAF I worked jet aircraft. After I retired from the USAF I built and rebuilt computers. Now I'm still tinkering with computers, but rebuilding turntables is a fun and rewarding hobby. This is my 3rd turntable refurb project and will probably be my last for awhile. I just had to get my AT-LP120 put to the wayside (freakin' POS!)
Here's the link to Vinylengine for this turntable:
www.vinylengine.com/library/t...
Turntable was purchased from www.shopgoodwill.com/
RCA Terminals were purchased from partsconnexion.com:
www.partsconnexion.com/CONNEX...
Ground terminal was also purchased from partsconnexion.com:
www.partsconnexion.com/1877PH...
Soundcoat can be purchased at partsconnexion:
www.partsconnexion.com/dampin...
/ vinylrescuebygwc

[@gregpeirce6121]

Thanks for the video and the links for the tab repair solutions, regards.

[@QualityVinyl]

Nice job on the refurb. I really like the RCA jacks you installed. I ended installing new cables on mine but this looks like the better way to go.

[@VinylRescue]

I found out later that the RCA terminals were sort of grounding out on the aluminum plinth. I had to cut out a section of the back and Gorilla glue on a piece of plastic and then reinstall the terminals. I also has to run the grounding terminal through the old fold-able plastic outlet where the old wires went through to fix the buzzing sound. It was a lesson learned, but it plays great now! I recently bought the Denon DL-103R from Jeff at the Groove Extraction and last year I bought the Nagaoka MP-150 from him also and it's mainly the 2 carts I use on it. Having the RCA jacks on the back makes it easier to do any work on it or swap carts in a short amount of time.

[@JoseGarcia-yu9nd]

Great job man!

[@agx502]

Great job its gonna sound great into a good phono stage. These old decks reward any love put into them.

[@sharadnayak6946]

Great video and congrats on the new turntable. I myself am the proud owner of a SLQ3 and just wanted to know what you used to stick on the soundcoat.

[@VinylRescue]

Sorry I didn't respond sooner, but the Sound Coat is self-adhesive. It has a plastic layered paper on the back that you peel off.

[@dr.lairdwhitehillsfunwitha67]

I got this model SL-QD2 left on the street in NYC. It works. Except. No cartridge was included. ($49 new on Amazon). But. The tone arm doesn’t lower or raise when I slide the cueing control. Could it be that it needs the weight of the cartridge to lower? The arm returns as it’s supposed to, but will return without lowering wherever I put it. Should I risk buying a cartridge?

[@len9518]

yes and yes

[@Iltar]

@Vinyl Rescue, I have the exact same model, I inherited it from my dad, I want to send it to you, hopefully you can fix it.

[@VinylRescue]

Hi! I've been busy since your comment was posted. Did you see my video of another viewer who sent me his SL-Q2? kzbin.info/www/bejne/imm7p51pa5lnpM0 It was a fun project. What exactly is wrong with your SL-Q2? If you want to send it to me then please email at [e-mail] so we can discuss what you need done and shipping arrangements.

[@Iltar]

@@VinylRescue Thank you!

[@the0ther0ne]

Awesome video! I just got one of these myself, and while it sounds great I'm having an issue with the cueing lever. It seems like the grease is sticky and old, preventing the arm from being able to push it down. It still goes down if I push on it, and it still goes up a little if I switch the lever. Do you know how to fix this?

[@sidneyalves1556]

se o mecanismo que faz esse serviço for de plástico, como nas gradiente dd 100q , do brasil, de mesma época, devera mandar fazer outra peça. caso contrario, apenas limpar, lubrificar, reencaixar.

[@VinylRescue]

The reply from Sydney may do the trick. I just took a look at mine and it's the plastic support arm (it has the adjustment screw for the tonearm lift bar) that lowers and raises the arm at the base then maybe a small drop of bearing oil should free up any stickiness. I emphasize a small drop as you don't want to leak any oil onto something in the inner part of the turntable. When applying the oil move the cue lever up and down until it appears to be moving more freely. It has two springs in the bottom portion as I'm seeing in the diagram. I'm looking at my copy of the service manual (PDF copy can be downloaded from vinylengine.com) and the only parts that may be harmed would be the wiring. As a last resort, you may have to take it apart and clean and lube the lift bar and springs and other related moving parts. If it's never been opened up and cleaned then it's a good possibility that it needs some cleaning. Hope this helps.

[@AGS1000]

Thanks for reminding me that I need to do the same thing to my SL-Q3. BTW...I hope you didn't toss your Stanton cartridge. The sound coating idea is brilliant. Where do you get it?

[@VinylRescue]

I added the link to the description above, but here's the link to Partsconnexion: www.partsconnexion.com/damping-materials-shielding-sound-coat.html I haven't tossed the Stanton cart, but I have no use for it. It's a Stanton D71EE. Amazon has a stylus replacement for $35 and the Needle Doctor for $25. After finding some specs (Frequency Response 10 to 20kHz Output @ 1kHz: 3.2mV Channel Separation @ 1 kHz: 35dB ) for it I might buy it.

[@cooper6086]

👍

[@misterwirez7731]

I got this same SL-Q2 table from Seattle Goodwill of all places, and they shipped it across the country for me. Due to poor packing led to a broken dust cover... You did nice work. I need a cartridge or stylus at the very least. I don't know what model it is, Its a green cart, and it has Audio Technica on the front, but no model. It is probably old like us, LOL.. You know you can pack 10 pounds (5+5lb. packs) of gray modeling clay, up underneath and get this thing up to 26 pounds. That type of clay won't dry and crack apart, like other types. PS. How much is involved in removing the bottom? I see the four spring feet have to come off first. Any surprises after that? Thanks.

[@VinylRescue]

All you need to remove the four spring loaded feet is one Phillips screwdriver. Unscrew the screws in the middle of the feet and you can easily pry off the plastic plate. The plate is not attached to anything so no surprises. The cart you're referring to is probably a Audio-Technica AT-95. It's their budget cart. It 's okay, but I'd look for something better. I've worked on two other SL-Q2s since this one. My last one was shipped from Arizona and it turned out the best: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2rPmqyobpmlatU

[@markjaffee5223]

I have an SL-Q2. Im not that handy. I am wondering if you could do these mods for me?

[@VinylRescue]

That's a good question. I've never done mods for other people's turntables. Did you recently get yours second hand? I live here in Tacoma, Washington so shipping may be an issue. Just so you know in case you didn't catch a later reply to another viewer I had to later cut out and epoxy in a piece of plastic for the RCA terminals on the back of the plinth. I didn't catch it at first, but I was getting a grounding buzz sound because I installed the terminals into the aluminum plinth. The outer terminal sleeve can't be touching the metal plinth. I basically cut out a square piece on the back and glued (Gorilla glue) in a piece of computer plastic (I had extra pieces of those plastic pieces laying around that fill in the spaces on the front of computer towers. I build and repair computers at times) and drilled out the holes. This cleared up the buzzing grounding noise and it has a very clean sound now. The cost for the left and right terminals and a grounding terminal is $33.45 (that's the cost back in Feb 2019) and I have extra wiring here to solder to the PCB on the turntable. If you're interested in having me do these mods then email me at: [e-mail] As long as you're willing to pay for shipping both ways and for parts then I can do it. I can send you a picture of my final work if you're curious of what it looks like. I won't charge an outlandish fee for labor (I normally charge $15 an hour for computer jobs). I work part-time only 2 days a week on graves so I have plenty of time. I'm retired USAF so this more of hobby than than anything else. Let me know.

[@VinylRescue]

Thanks to Electone_Guy I now have an easy fix for the broken tabs on my dust cover and here's the link is anyone else should need it: audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/technics-dustcover-fix-redux.656267/

[@strawwoodclaw]

What kind of sound proofing tape did you use ? How many mil thick was it :)

[@VinylRescue]

If you click on the Show More in the description above you'll see that I used Soundcoat. But here's the specs from the website I bought it from: Soundcoat GP-3 Sheet Pressure Sensitive Adhesive backed 12" L x 6" W (30.5cm x 15.2cm) 0.045"(1.2mm) I've used this on every turntable I have and it does the job of quietening the platter.

[@GW2_Live]

Brilliant idea to put RCA jacks on it. I just got one of the same turntables for free, I think it will be a decent upgrade from my Audio Technica LP-60

[@VinylRescue]

One special note about the RCA and grounding terminals. I had to later cut out a piece in the back of the plinth and epoxy in a piece of plastic and then reinstall the terminals. Why? The plinth is aluminum and it was grounding out on the plinth causing a buzzing noise. It's now quiet! Audio-Technica is a bad 4-letter word in my world. I have an AT-LP120 that I heavily modded and now only use it spin albums for cleaning. It developed a bad pulsation noise (wow & flutter) probably caused by whatever controls the motor and can be heard at the beginning and end of songs. Your Technics will be a GREAT upgrade over your LP-60!

[@GW2_Live]

@@VinylRescue thanks for the feedback, makes sense about the grounding issue. I will let you know how it goes, might even try to make videos myself of the process.

[@GW2_Live]

@@VinylRescue I haven't taken on the task of mounting the jacks yet, but i fixed the queuing lever, the issue was the rod (cam) that the lever goes into had been torqued one way or another and the end of it broke off, luckily the previous owner actually kept the piece! I tried to glue it back together but it wasn't strong enough so I used my soldering iron to fuse the plastic back together and then sanded it to make it smooth again, works very well now, and I'm rather gentle with it as I know the issue. Once I got that fixed I got it all adjusted, and realized the stylus was broken off, I cant get a replacement for it locally so I ordered online, but I got impatient (ie, the day after I fixed it) and bought an Ortofon 2M Red and another headshell, so I will always have a spare, or can change the sound up if I want to. This unit is very nice for what it is, I can definitely tell it was not built to be as long lasting or serviceable as their higher end turntables of the day. Getting the tonearm assembly out was quite difficult! but I managed to do it all without breaking anything. Your video was a great help, thanks again.

[@manFromPeterborough]

@@VinylRescue What happened to the LP120 vids? I loved the rants about this TT, I do have some on my HDD, the motor replacement vid was funny at the part "I hate crap" printed on screen

[@VinylRescue]

@@manFromPeterborough I only use that TT to spin albums for cleaning. I got tired of all the stupid comments from some people and just deleted them all. That TT was the worst investment in TTs I ever made. I won't ever bu AT again.

[@roelmichiels5641]

I have the same turntable and I absolutely love it. The only disadvantage is that the tonearm height is not adjustable. I have the Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge and because of the tonearm issue the stylus is a bit askew on the records, which causes some surface noise (not overpowering, but it's there). The cartridge itself is perfectly aligned. Do you by any chance have a solution for this problem?

[@VinylRescue]

Ok, you say you have your cartridge perfectly aligned, but what do use to align it with? What are you considering perfectly aligned? The reason I ask these questions is that not all of use the same tools to align carts. The problem you're probably having is the cart/headshell end of the tonearm is tilted down. Your tonearm is probably not level causing the rake angle of the stylus tip to be off causing some surface noise. I use two different carts on my SL-Q2: Nagaoka MP-150, and the Denon DL-103R. In order to get the tonearm level on both carts was to insert a spacer in-between the top of the cart and the headshell. On my MP-150 I used two pieces of plastic glued together for a total of 4mm. On my DL-103R I used a 1/4 inch piece of Poplar wood. I cut each spacer to the shape of the cart and drilled holes/slots for the mounting screws (finding longer screws was fun!). I did find a great tool to ensure the VTA and azimuth on Amazon that only costs $14.94 USD: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0771Z3XMH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I also use the GEO-DISC by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab to align my carts that can be found on eBay for around $35 USD (I know there are many different alignment tools out there, but this one has worked the best for me). What do you use to set your tracking force? I used to do the balancing act, but that's actually crap. I've found it's best to use a digital tracking gauge that can be found on Amazon for $13.19USD: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XC2AQN4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Maybe you have all these tools, but I thought I'd pass on what's helped me get my LPs sounding great. The spacers is what you probably need. I hope this has helped!

[@roelmichiels5641]

​@@VinylRescue I use an Ortfone protractor to align my cartridges. The weird thing is that the tonearm is not tilted down, but even as good as horizontal with the record. The problem is that when you look at the cartridge from the front, it looks like it's tilted to the side. It hangs a bit to the right in other words. The idea of putting a spacer in the headshell to level the cartridge is a really good tip! I will definitely try that... For some reason I always felt that a tracking gauge was an unnecessary thing, but I should probably look into getting one of those to really make my technics sound perfect. Your reply was very helpful. This is my late dad's old record player and it means a lot to me to get it running perfect. Thanks again for the tips!

[@VinylRescue]

@@roelmichiels5641 If your cart looks 'tilted" as you say then you have an "Azimuth" problem and that will cause sound issues. The Hudson tool I mentioned will help you get it back in alignment. Here's a trick, but you have to be careful in doing this, and that's to twist the headshell assembly in the direction to straighten out the cart. I know that sounds odd and could break it, but it' not all the odd to think that just screwing the headshell wouldn't be perfectly straight. Mine wasn't and I used the Hudson tool and a small level to get it straight. They're fairly cheap and cost under $6 on eBay: www.ebay.com/itm/New-Azimuth-Bubble-Level-Gauge-for-Turntable-Headshell-Tonearm-Cartridge/253264396139?hash=item3af7bbff6b:g:hgUAAOSwHUhaDziA They have them on Amazon, but not in a single level. It also doesn't take much pressure to twist it back into being straight and level. Let me know if this helps. Sorry to hear about your dad as he did have great taste in turntables.

[@roelmichiels5641]

@@VinylRescue Thanks again man! It was pretty easy to order that stuff here in Belgium too. Once they get delivered, I'm going try and make it run perfect. Stopped playing my records in the meantime to make sure not to damage the records or stylus. I will let you know how it worked out!

[@roelmichiels5641]

@@VinylRescue It seems like the socket in the tone arm needed to be replaced. It's running perfect right now. Put in a new cog wheel, new RCA and phono cables, removed old fats and replaced them and lubricated where necessary. Runs perfect right now!

[@olaniyi570]

Great job! How do like the sound compared to the Rega P2?

[@VinylRescue]

It sounds about the same, but it operates a bit differently. I like that I can have different carts mounted on their own headshell and swap them out easily. I also now have the dust cover fixed with new hinges.

[@79yaly]

Le couvre-plateau d'origine de la SLQ 2 était suffisamment lourd et épais pour amortir le résonnance. Faite juste un essai de résonance avec et sans. Technics faisait vraiment bien les choses. Donc ce bricolage est inutile. Si vous voulez upgrader la SLQ 2 qui est d'origine une excellente platine optez plutôt pour une cellule hi-fi de qualité, ce sera plus utile efficace.

[@VinylRescue]

When I bought my SL-Q2 it didn't have a mat for the platter so I used what I've done before and used an aftermarket mat. Tinkering is what I like to do so that's my choice. I use either my Denon DL-103R MC cart or my Nagaoka MP-150 MM cart and either are excellent HI-Fi carts as you referred to. Everyone has their own choice for what they want to use and everyone has their own opinion. I like what I use and what I have done to my turntable.