Beogram 6000 (5512): A New Arrival from Norway

Recently a Beogram 6000 (5512) arrived from Norway for some TLC. The Beogram 6000 are essentially 4002 Beograms that have the CD-4 preamplifier and decoder board installed. This renders this deck capable of playing 4-channel records from the 70s. Exciting!

Here are a few first impressions: The packaging was an old acquaintance that was used earlier to ship a Beogram 4000.

Double boxing with foam

is just the best way to ship a Beogram. And so this Beogram 6000 arrived in a happy condition without any shipping damage:

It has very nice aluminum surfaces and even an almost pristine keypad:

The veneer corners of the plinth are also pretty nice:

It is just great to see that some owners take really good care of their Beograms!

Here is a peek under the hood:

Everything seems original and signs of 'human creativity' are absent as far as I can tell. A great starting point for a full restoration. There are some 'usual issues', like cracked cabinet guiding washers

and disintegrating transport lock bushings as this orange fragment next to the motor suggests:

This shows part of the CD-4 board that is mounted underneath the keypad:

After this initial inspection, I set the voltage selector to 110V and plugged it in. Pressing start yielded the proper response and the arm moved to the set-down position and the solenoid was properly triggered. The DC motor ran but made some noise, an indicator that the oilite bearings are in need of an oil infusion. Overall, this Beogram is an excellent starting point for a restoration, and I am confident that it can be brought back to like-new performance and with great looks (the hood needs a bit of polishing, but nothing out of the ordinary).