Hi Quincy,
The Gyro SE is a beautiful little table and nicely designed. I do not know what kind of motor it has but I suspect it is an AC syncro motor. If there is a problem with the belt drive the speed will become irregular and if bad it will slow down. Some AC motors are driven by an oscillator which if malfunctioning might cause the speed to increase. Speeding up is unusual. Does the motor have a speed adjustment? Look at the manual online. If it does not then the motor would need to be sent back to Michell via it's US importer fidelityimports.com. I suggest you get in touch with them
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For what it's worth--I had a similar issue with an Ariston table. The platter was spinning really fast and kept speeding up. I took the table to a local stereo repair shop and the problem turned out to be dirty potentiometers in the speed adjustment circuitry. They cleaned the pots and all is well. Maybe relevant, maybe not.
Bill
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I think the first thing you should try is replacing the belt. My Basis is very speed sensitive to different belts. Worth a try at least.
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How is the belt going to cause this problem?
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Thank you all for the excellent replies'.
I should add that I installed a new belt a few months ago. I put a new belt on every 4-5 years.
I change the oil every winter. 5W30 Mobil One.
Yes, I have speed control in a black box that sits below the table on another shelf. There is a small screw (horizontal) to turn that adjusts faster or slower the speed of the table. The table is running so fast there is not enough adjustment in the screw to slow it down. I don't know if its a DC or AC motor, does the speed control in the box provide a clue?
I will attempt to contact fidelity imports....thanks for the tip.
And thanks Bill for the Pots cleaning tip....I have a can of electronic cleaner, I may try that as well....
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@quincy Can you confirm that the belt is in the top position of the motor spindle? And not the bottom position? That’s the difference between 33.3 and 45 rpm.
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Hi rhg3, yes the belt is on the proper upper pulley. Good call, that slip up would cause the issue for sure! No, its not playing at 45 rpm...someplace in between. I did contact fidelity imports. They are kind of busy with the show over in Europe, and seem to be short staffed. I’m trying to be patient. According to the electronic link provided from above, I have a DC motor....no knurled nut just below the pulley...
I always use a record clamp. The belt is new, early spring of 2024. Platter oil changed Xmas of 2023. Proper pulley location. I was putzing around again with the speed adjustment screw in the off board black box (today). I literally turned the screw CCW at least 6-7 full turns.(what could go wrong??) The table did slow down to a snail pace faster that 33.33. I use a Cardas Frequency Sweep record that has a strobe on one side. I place the needle on one of the frequency sweeps and then hit it with a strobe light. So, at least, for today, it is again working, somewhat, but still concerns me as to why it went haywire in the first place.....I do appreciate all the feedback and help as I seem to be clueless as to why this is occuring.
This table was purchased used from Audiogon in 2003. Actual Model year not really known. But after the AC motor went out of production....
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Humm, something odd going on at fidelity imports. No reply from multiple emails. Not sure what's going on 😔.
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Sorry to hear that Quincy. It might be time for a new turntable or you might try contacting Michell in England.
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I wouldn’t give up on fixing this turntable. I’m not familiar with your motor or power supply, however, the problem could be with either. I upgraded to the HR Power Supply which has the speed adjustment on the back.
You can contact Michell here, they will likely be able to provide some guidance:
I would call in person rather than email. They look a little swamped.
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Interesting
"I literally turned the screw CCW at least 6-7 full turns.(what could go wrong??) The table did slow down to a snail pace faster that 33.33. I use a Cardas Frequency Sweep record that has a strobe on one side. I place the needle on one of the frequency sweeps and then hit it with a strobe light. So, at least, for today, it is again working,"
I believe that turning the speed control screw wiped the contact clean , try doing this in both directions 10 times and then check/adjust with the Cardas timing label .
I am curious about the Mobil oil , is that recommended ? I use a lightweight oil without any detergents as recommended and purchased from GEMS maker of George Merrill Turntables .
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I noticed a similar issue with my Gyrodec, which I have since 2000. I recently installed the new springs, did an oil change, and changed the belt as well. The table is running just slightly fast.
I have thought about replacing the original power supply with the HR but I would need to also replace the cable lead from the motor. Years ago the connectors fell apart so I had them just soldered together. I had an email exchange with Fidelity Imports about this but have not heard anything back from them about the cable.
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Hello Friends!
Thank you for taking the time and effort to help resolve this speed issue.
Vair makes a logical comment, I will continue down his path of recommendations.
In the meantime, Fidelity Imports did get back to me.
They shuttled me to another company called The Listening Room. Mike is the owner and can be reached at 410-239-2020.
I spoke with Mike, who took over the business from his dad. They handle Michell tables, but don't seem to have a internet presence.
He has the Michell DC motor in stock, so I pulled the trigger and purchased one. Price was $699.
I have to look at the positive...Its a really nice table, expensive as sin, so fixing it is a better alternative than purchasing a brand new one!
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@quincy, that’s great news! Let us know how the new motor works out.
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It is unlikely that a motor would cause speed problems, it could be the DC power supply that is causing these problems.
Changing the engine with the risk of solving nothing and throwing away a lot of money is the worst option.
In old Gyrodec like mine the speed problems were usually attributable to a small ceramic capacitor located in the motor but easily accessible and replaceable but they were rare cases and relegated to Papst motors operating in AC... for this reason I would look more at the power supply than to the motor in the new DC
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It’s quite amazing that this is supposed to be a higher end turntable and the manufacturer is not even bothering to respond to your emails(?). I would say that is not a sign of being a high-quality manufacturer. After all, what you do expect, reasonably, from higher-end brands is great service and a high-level of customer service responsiveness.
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Greetings Friends!
I did receive the new DC motor and controller from Mike @ the listening room.
The instructions were concise, but required cutting wires and then soldering wires near critical electronic components. All this to get a new hook up. I took another path, which was to drill out the motor housing hole which allows you to pass thru the 7/16" connector plug. If you look at the photo album attached below via Google Link you will see what I’m talking about. It worked just fine!
New motor ran a bit fast, but I adjusted it with my Cardas Frequency Sweep record with strobe label. We are back in business, but ~$700 poorer. Still less expensive that purchasing a new high quality table. As a side note, anyone know of a company that could look over my old motor controller and see if they can repair it. Would be nice to have a spare....
Be good, take care!
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@quincy That’s excellent news, well done!
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Thanks!
I appreciate the accolades!
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Glad it worked out. 21 years on the old motor seems reasonable
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I'm a firm believer that well built equipment could last you a lifetime! Properly maintained...
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