Bad sound from Sharp GF9494

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an2727

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Jul 7, 2014
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Hello All!!

Greetings from India!

This is a great site and i thank you all who are contributing here.


Like many others its the nostalgia bit that made me buy a used Sharp GF-9494. I have not opened the set yet. It looks fine for its age from outside but when I play it ...( only the radio)

1.The sound isnt fresh and lively. its dull and not fresh like my computer speakers.bass is lumpy and thud like. treble isnt much good either. can i make it sound like new. What can i do to do that? Can i make a mod or replace any specific capacitors to get the like new sound back? I was thinking of changing the filter caps across the loudspeakers. Would that help?

2. The slider pots made some crackling sound. I used CRC 2-26 on them and they are better but not smooth yet. What else can i do for this?

3. Where can i get a circuit diagram and service manual for this unit?. What all i must be careful about while opening the unit.

I am a newbie to all this but can do alright with some guidance.I also have acess to people who are good at soldering and such.

I have a German Vacuum Tube Radio made in 1957 that sounds far better!And a modern inexpensive Radio that sounds far better too. So i guess this Sharp GF9494 needs some tweaking :)


Thanks in advance!!

P.S: i will post some pictures in a day or so.
Further, I am also getting myself a new looking GF8989. Is that going to sound similar to modern radios?

Amit
 

baddboybill

Member (SA)
Jul 14, 2009
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Hudson Florida
:hi: For the most part I recommend a full restoration. Cleaning inside and blowing all dirt off components. Use Deoxit or another brand of switch contact cleaner spraying small amount inside switches and pots and working each one 20 or so times. Sliders are prone to be bad and sometimes even fail from to much oxidation. Only way to actually do sliders right is to take apart and clean. Then to put some lubricant on track where slider runs. There special types and I believe one of the other members can suggest best ;-)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Northerner

Member (SA)
Apr 16, 2012
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Don't forget to contact clean the record bar and headphone socket. Then use a bit of isopropyl alcohol to clean the tape heads. You should do all these things to every box IMO, I do :-)
 

an2727

Member (SA)
Jul 7, 2014
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THANK YOU ALL!

are there any specific capacitors that should be replaced. cant possibly do them all.
 

jimmyjimmy19702010

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May 5, 2012
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It depends on what you really expect of this old girl. The GF-9494 doesn't have the modern sound with crisp highs and sharp, punchy bass you're used to. I've always found the 9494s highs a bit subdued. You can't max out the bass without affecting the highs excessively. Maybe your example does have issues though. A dirty/faulty treble and bass slider will definitely cause poor sound.

Take your time and do the usual maintenance that others here have suggested and go from there.

Good luck,

James.... :-)
 

an2727

Member (SA)
Jul 7, 2014
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OK.

I pulled the set open. cleaned up with a q tip and brush carefully.. somewhow now it works better but the stereo-mono-stereo wide switch functions only in the mono mode. ( apparently i had pushed too much of the cleaning spray into it and it malfunctioned later). Anyway its sounding better now and i will leave it at that. I did learn what a mess can be made by spraying into switched from the outside.( very foolish). I am sure i wont do the same with the GF8989.

Thanks all.
 
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