I recently acquired a Beogram 4002 (5503) for restoration. The 5503 is the North American version of the 5501/5502 models, evident in the non-functional voltage switch included to maintain a consistent appearance.

This Beogram is in excellent overall condition, featuring high-quality veneer on the plinth and a dust cover with typical scratches that can be polished to near-original clarity. Internally, it appears largely untouched, though there are indications of prior work, such as loose bolts in the tracking and tonearm mechanisms. A photo of the complete unit is provided below:

The large AC motor is located in the bottom left, with the motor phase and reservoir capacitors above it, a distinguishing feature of the 550x series compared to the later 551x and 552x models.

Produced during a time when CD4 quadraphonic vinyl records were predicted to be the next big thing (they weren’t), this unit is equipped with a CD4 switch.

Unfortunately, the output board is a standard stereo version, lacking the necessary preamp and CD4 decoder:

It seems the original owner never obtained a CD4 board from the B&O store. One component requiring immediate attention is the carriage drive pulley, which is currently held together with adhesive and exhibits significant wobble, introducing vibration during rapid carriage movement. This can be easily remedied with a precision pulley from Nick at Beoworld:

A notable aspect of the 5503 is the illumination setup for the RPM scales, which differs from the later DC motor models:

The bulbs are directly soldered to the PCB with short leads and lack any form of support. This has resulted in the melting of the 33 RPM bulb’s plastic cover due to its more frequent use compared to the 45 RPM bulb. Later models incorporate a metal shield to prevent this issue. Additionally, this bulb arrangement leads to uneven illumination of the scales because the light must reflect into the scale cavity via a plastic tab on the white housing attached to the aluminum front plate:

The keypad also requires attention, displaying some separation of individual keys from the aluminum base:

Furthermore, the missing transport lock bushings

and the cracked plastic cabinet guiding washers need addressing.

Beyond these points, the unit will benefit from a typical refurbishment of the arm lowering mechanism and tracking system. Overall, this Beogram presents an excellent foundation for restoration to like-new condition!