DIY 45 Carousel/Jukebox without Speakers? Exists?

Sometimes you get a crazy idea in your head and after half an hour of google searching you realize that the SH forum is the only logical place to turn...

I have a huge box of mint 45s. Some vintage, some modern like Sundazed reissues or Jack White Vault material, RSD releases, etc. The problem is that they really just sit in a box since I rarely get up to play a bunch of 45's back to back. However, the ingenious population of 1960-1980 never had this problem because they had things called JUKEBOXES which could play all the 45s you wanted and queue up a sequence too! Brilliant.

However, a nice vintage one sets you back $5k without the crazy shipping (not quite sure how it would get down the stairs into my basement), and I already own nicer components and speakers than these ever had. Has anyone ever come up with what is essentially the guts of a jukebox without the speakers and showy things like bubble lights? I am envisioning something that could go on a desk top/table top...would have some analog or digital interface to pick 45s, turntable hooked up to a carousel, and then leads out to your desired component preamp/amp.

Am I dreaming of something that doesn't exist?

 

Hmmm, after some searching, I have found vintage RCA Victor 45 changers. Has anyone ever played around with these to hook them up to a real pair of speakers/amp? How much work would it be to make it a stereo system instead of a mono one? Any other tweaks besides changing the cart? After all this work, would it ever sound good? I mean, you can mod a Crosley all you want and it still will sounds like cr@p.

 

Not recommended. Tracks too heavy. RCA 45 changers are also too rumbly for Stereo and must be rewired for Stereo. P.S. Real jukeboxes are not what you want to put near mint vinyl in either. Use VG copies or put reissues in one. Especially since swirl marks happen. And better make sure you have someone who can repair it locally for you or know how. Get a Technics SL 1650 record changer in good order with all the spindles and be done with it, or get a Technics SL-1350 likewise. You will find no better changer except for the Thorens TDW-224. Expect it to not be cheap in good order, but the Technics changer is what I recommend.

 

Awesome! I didn't even know these existed! That is a great recommendation!

I see your point about tracking forces on the RCAs. I had worried about that myself.

 

And another disadvantage for you is the RCA changer being large hole only. Some new 45 pressings are small hole.