I finally pulled the trigger on this old RCA "New Vista" console today for $20. It looks amazing, but I’ve got zero experience with vintage home audio (I’ve only done car stereos/subs before) so I’m kind of winging it.

**The Current Problems:**

* **The Knobs:** Every time I turn the volume or tone, it makes a crazy scratchy/crackling sound. I can only hear the record at max volume, and I have to wiggle the knob just to get it to engage.
* **The Sound:** Even when it's "engaged," the sound mostly comes out of the left side only.
* **The Light:** The record player "target" bulb snapped right off in my hand. It looks like a wedge base—maybe a #194 bulb?

**The Plan & My Questions:**

1. **The Cleanup:** I’ve heard about using DeoxIT F5 to clean the knobs. Has anyone used it on these old RCAs? I don't want to fry the internals.
2. **The "Shock" Factor:** My unit says "Solid State" on it, but I’ve been warned that old amps can hold a charge even when unplugged. Is that still a risk with a Solid State unit, or am I safe to poke around in there?
3. **Restoration vs. Modernizing:** Is it worth trying to save the original "vintage" sound, or should I just go the modern route? I’ve seen people talk about hiding a **Fosi TB10D** amp inside and adding a **WiiM** for streaming.
4. **The Needle:** The stylus looks pretty rough. If anyone knows what kind of replacement I need to buy for this specific RCA changer, let me know!

I’d love to keep it original if it’s worth the effort, but I'm open to a hybrid setup too. Any advice is welcome! What would y'all do?

ust scored this 1966 RCA console for $20. Total newbie here, where do I even start?