Beogram 4002 (5513): A First Impression

I started working on another Beogram 4002 (5513). It came in the original box with all the proper packaging materials...very nice! Here are some impressions:

The platter was already taken out when I took this picture....To my shock a pristine MMC20CL cartridge came mounted on the arm...luckily the protective cover was on and being pushed against the styrofoam it stayed in place:

I very carefully removed the styrofoam insert and then took the cartridge out. Luckily it does not seem to have got damaged. The cantilever is centered and intact:

After taking these pictures I played the cartridge on the Beogram 4000 that I recently restored:

And it sounds great! Perfect for Ian Carr's Nucleus' "In Flagrante Delicto", which has some really nice clear trumpet improvisations that deserve the clarity of a MMC20CL!

Then I put it safely away in a Beolover MMC storage container

The lid has a window showing the cartridge labeling:

After this it was time to have a look at the Beogram. The overall cosmetic shape is pretty good, except that the keypad has deep usage damage:

The plinth is also cracked on one corner

but this can be fixed with a bit of glue. Under the hood it is clean and unadulterated:

Then I started it up. It seems to mostly work. the arm lowering mechanism is a bit sluggish but performs its functions and the 33 RPM light is out. Furthermore, the transport lock bushings are gone and the cabinet guiding washers were replaced with standard washers. This needs to be fixed to ensure a proper fit of the top aluminum plates. But all in all, definitely a good starting point for a restoration! 

Since this is a DC motor model, it was time for the BeoloverRPM 24 hrs stability test!

If you are interested in the BeoloverRPM device, it is now available to other enthusiasts who want a precisely RPM-tuned Beogram! See here for more information about this useful gadget.