Presto 75A 1C Head

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retrosonic
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Presto 75A 1C Head

Post: # 46762Unread post retrosonic
Tue Apr 25, 2017 2:40 pm

Guys,

I may be purchasing a Presto 75A lathe with a 1C head in really nice condition.

My question: Is there anyone that does overhauls on this unit to make sure its safe and operating correctly? I'm certainly willing to pay a reasonable price if their work is good. These units are from the '40s, I'm sure it will need some kind of work done.

Your thoughts are appreciated!

Retro

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concretecowboy71
Posts: 569
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Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Re: Presto 75A 1C Head

Post: # 46772Unread post concretecowboy71
Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:18 pm

Member OPCODE66 rebuilds heads. He just did three for me and they are great. The presto should be stamped on the back of the head how it is wound (8 ohm, 500Ohm) I would suggest having it wound for 8 ohm so you can use home style or PA style amps to drive it.

Mechanically these are a cinch to work on. There is about 4 moving parts on the whole thing. Take it apart, clean it, make sure the motor spins, contact Terry's Rubber Rollers if the platter drive wheels need to be redone and you are good to go.
Cutting Masters in Bristol,Virginia, USA
Well Made Music / Gotta Groove Records

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rsimms3
Posts: 427
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Re: Presto 75A 1C Head

Post: # 46776Unread post rsimms3
Wed Apr 26, 2017 9:53 pm

I hear only good things about Todd's head rebuilds.

As for Terry, not sure he can be of help for a 75A. The 75A uses a rubber ring on the outside of the platter like the K series. I had a 75A and never tracked down a suitable replacement for the rubber ring. Someone found a suitable replacement on the K series but I haven't seen anyone mention an off the shelf replacement for the 75A. If Terry can help, that would be ideal. It will matter what condition the rubber is in because if it has flat spots or has dried/shrunk it may not run at true speed for 33 or 78. Something to consider as you explore the purchase of a 75A vs one of the 6 or 8 series Presto lathes. If it's the one on eBay you're looking at, the pictures look really nice on that unit.

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boryo
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Re: Presto 75A 1C Head

Post: # 47314Unread post boryo
Mon Jul 10, 2017 5:09 pm

Is possible to mod the 75a to cut on 45 rpm?

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Gridlock
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Re: Presto 75A 1C Head

Post: # 47315Unread post Gridlock
Tue Jul 11, 2017 5:56 am

You bet your bottom lip there is a way. Record to tape at the highest speed possible then bump it down slow while cutting at 33 rpm. You can boost every frequency when it's all slow like that. It is akin to "half speed mastering" plus surface noise will be higher in pitch -easier to filter out in playback I must stress this is the best method. Adding a 45 puck will only compound the grungeness of your sound
<\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\[[[[[[[\/]]]]]]]\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\>
Recordette Sr.......Presto K-8

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rsimms3
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Re: Presto 75A 1C Head

Post: # 47316Unread post rsimms3
Tue Jul 11, 2017 6:47 am

The 75a doesn't use an idler wheel like overhead Presto units (6N) making it an excellent candidate for update to 33/45 cutting. Because the motor and capstan raise and lower to change the speed you could have a machinist cut down your original one from 78 to 45 or have a new one made while keeping the original.

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