Need 1940 Garrard record player for BFM Phantom Deluxe

[Bret Menassa]

Hi, everyone. I picked up a great candidate for restoration, a 1940 BFM Phantom Deluxe an a Wellington cabinet. However, someone replaced the original turntable/record player with a Capehart turntable (looks like ca. 1960?)

I'm looing for one of the turntables that would have originally come with this set. Per the 2nd Ed Scott Collectors Guide (great resource!) it would have had either a Garrard Precision RC-30, a  Garrard RM-10, or an Imperial Automatic record changer.

I'd love to find a Garrard turntable for it -- hope that's not asking for the moon :-) 

I picked up a Garrard 202A induction motor turntable a few years ago and thought I might be able to use it in this Scott, although from what I can tell, the 202A had been released as many as 10 years prior to my Phantom Deluxe.

Any of you might have one to sell?

-Bret

[Brad Winder]

Bret,

Garrard changers of that era are hard to find, mainly because they were rendered obsolete soon after the war ended and were usually replaced with newer ones. When the 45 and 33 rpm record formats came about, the production of 78 rpm records started to drop...by the mid 50's, hardly anyone wanted to buy 78s. Plus, a lot of the pre-war Garrard changers had pot metal problems. I have a friend who collects record players, and he says the few that are found are usually frozen solid.

[Thomas Day]

Bret: it looks like you have a Garrard changer.  This one would be from the late 50’s or early 60’s. If it works,, I would clean it up and use it. 
Thom. 

[Bret Menassa]

Thanks, Brad. Thanks, Thomas. I'll see if I can get that Garrard 202A motor working. It's not a complete record playing system, though, just the turntable. But on another note, I dug through my junk and found a 1941 Midwest 181 chassis with a complete General Instruments model C125 record changer and cutter. I think I'll see if I can get that working and use it with the Scott BFM Deluxe Phantom. It might not be an exact match for what would be stock with a Scott radio, but it would at least be period-correct and from a similarly high-end radio manufacturer... However, if anyone has a Garrard RC-30 or RM-10 they want to part with, feel free to contact me!