Topic: I've got two old (1965 and 1970's) turntables, are they good enough?

[Depechemode1993]

So I was at my grandpa's house and he is getting rid of some of his stuff that he doesn't use anymore and I came across a Dual 1019 Turntable (http://dual-reference.com/tables/1019.htm) and an old Technics SL-QD35 (http://rockinbobsguitars.com/ShowPhoto.aspx?ItemID=2586) that have been sitting up in the attic for probably 25-30 years but when I opened the boxes they looked BRAND NEW! 

I played the technics and it plays pretty well but I did not even bring home the Dual 1019 I have been looking for a new turntable and the one I have is pretty beat up. So I am just wondering if these things would be worth keeping and playing my records on, or if I should just get a new turntable that was built in the 21st century!

I also have to get a new receiver as the Sony one I have has a LOT of hiss on it (this model has known to have problems like that). The Technics turntable needs a preamp (which was also very old but worked) and I am guessing it would be the same for the Dual 1019, so another question would be do you need a preamp for today's turntables? Or are older turntables better?

Last thing... with knowing about the hiss in my receiver, I am looking for a cheap alternative for my old receiver and probably a cheap upgrade for 2 speakers as well.

[mfrench]

Those are both nice decks. I'm partial to old idler drives (what the Dual is); this is just opinion though. I will say that people regularly suggest being shocked about the quality of playback with idler drives (they've been the bastard child for a long time, an almost forgotten about technology).
The Technics is a fairly nice deck, though quite a bit of electronics to control the speed.
Is older better? neeeyeah and no.  The older stuff needs a fair amount of time spent lubing the parts, and will require a slight amount of maintenance; nothing more than oiling the spindle bearing, and idler wheel, and occasionally cleaning the platters drive surface.
The Duals idler wheel might need an overhaul, especially if there is any flat spots in it, as they'll whump and rumble on you. If no flat spots, they can quite often be cleaned up with a fine sandpapering of the outer circumference to remove old oxidized hardened rubber. The moving parts can suffer from old caked-out grease that needs to be cleaned off and replaced. The Duals 78rpm speed is an asset IMO (great music on shellac!).

Conversely,... The Technics might need to have its speed control pots deoxidized, as well as having the bearing and spindle lubed (3:1 oil and perhaps a dot of grease at the load bearing thrust plate - a common need for both decks).

[mfrench]

You can find a bunch of vital stuff on both of these decks at:
http://www.audiokarma.org
http://vinylengine.com

VE has manuals available, but you have to sign up as a member to get d/l's. Just like here, you won't get spammed for joining up.

There are some amazing folks, here, at http://www.lencoheaven.net
There is one particularly well versed old school repair tech there, named, Gene, or GP49, who is an endless encyclopedia of information about the old decks (Dual); just an amazing source of information about them, and how to fix them.

[mfrench]

how many posts can I string together?

** BE REALLY CAREFUL with the Dual headshell/cartridge holder.  **
They are irreplaceable, proprietary, and literally being worth more than the whole of the deck.

[mfrench]

trying for four posts in a row,....

Use both decks.  Set the Technics up for stereo 33 and 45, and the Dual for 78 playback (or 33/45 mono playback).

[Depechemode1993]

wow m0ke! thanks a lot for all the useful information! I need to learn a lot on how to maintain a record player because I don't know anything about them. I love to collect vinyl and I am starting to collect a lot more of it in regards to CD to Vinyl. So where can I get some good cleaning supplies for my players? Guitar Center?

[mfrench]

No worries, glad to help.

You'd asked about preamps:
Yes, you'll likely need one if your current gear does not have one, unless you have an older preamp/integrated amp with a phono input. You'll need the preamp for needed gain, and the RIAA EQ correction, as a minimum set of features.
There is a starter preamp at needledoctor, on clearance for $43, an Audiotechnica pre.  I recently bought one, and I'm using it on my 78 arm, and its sounding fine; not as nice as my Plinius-integrated, but, nice for the money. It gets me into a line-level signal for an aux input feed.

Cleaning supplies,....
For vinyl (not shellac), combine: 1gal distilled water -> 1qt 90% isopropyl alc. -> a drop or two of dish detergent as a wetting agent, all applied with a 3" foam paint brush.
You can use a velvet painting pad to scrub with. They are the type with a covering of fine hairs - just avoid the hard edges. Nylon bristle brushes will work as well.
You can clean them on a towel, or get fancy and build a cleaner. There are plenty of DIY cleaners out there that people have posted; search the VE and AK links from above.

[Depechemode1993]

No worries, glad to help.

You'd asked about preamps:
Yes, you'll likely need one if your current gear does not have one, unless you have an older preamp/integrated amp with a phono input. You'll need the preamp for needed gain, and the RIAA EQ correction, as a minimum set of features.
There is a starter preamp at needledoctor, on clearance for $43, an Audiotechnica pre.  I recently bought one, and I'm using it on my 78 arm, and its sounding fine; not as nice as my Plinius-integrated, but, nice for the money. It gets me into a line-level signal for an aux input feed.

Cleaning supplies,....
For vinyl (not shellac), combine: 1gal distilled water -> 1qt 90% isopropyl alc. -> a drop or two of dish detergent as a wetting agent, all applied with a 3" foam paint brush.
You can use a velvet painting pad to scrub with. They are the type with a covering of fine hairs - just avoid the hard edges. Nylon bristle brushes will work as well.
You can clean them on a towel, or get fancy and build a cleaner. There are plenty of DIY cleaners out there that people have posted; search the VE and AK links from above.

Wow. That is a lot of cleaning! I know on my old turntable I never cleaned it (been using it for about 5 years and its from the 80's). How many times should I clean it? Or how many months should I go between cleans?

Anyone know a decent receiver that is cheap?