Looking for a turntable

[spaceonthebass]

Originally Posted by garww

Vinyl is remarkable stuff. Some is very brittle - some you can bend very much. Some sound like it was made out of sawdust and some sounds like silk. Certainly there will be wear, but abuse is the major problem. In fact, tracking too light is often a bigger problem.

In my own case, I have LP that were played with steel needles from the 78 era, changers with ceramic cartridges, and up. The steel needles can do real damage but that is what they used. I do have many 40 year old albums that still sound pretty damn good. The ones that suffered, were the party albums : )

I would have a hard time advising some one to collect LP over CD. Besides the ageless analog vs digital crap, I do often remark to my self that a CD is really lacking the sound on many of my records. Many Cd are quite extraordinary, too.

I recently bot some cd and some of them are horrible compared to my LP - particularly the first Traffic LP - touted as a digital re-master. In this case, I think it is a matter of mastering on speakers no one can afford.

The first James Gang album on CD matches the dynamics of my LP and is very enjoyable - ya never know.

There are differences in re-issue LP, too. I collected a re-issue first Cream album and it was faint and distant compared to the first release. I just found it on open reel tape, so I'm hoping to regain the spaciousness and dynamics on a couple of Clapton's signature lead riffs.

Records on the used market are bargain if you ask me. I asked my dad many years ago before he passed, which music he really liked. I found a eBay collection recently of eight Mills Brothers LP for really cheap and they play great.

I will be MP3ing my favorites from the records and tapes I've just collected.

great!! I've discovered many great music with the mp3 revolution (and blogs and google), specially old stuff that you don't get to hear in the media or see in stores these days. That's the music I like anyway,...

I don't mind much that the records wear...I say seize them and enjoy : )
I preffer to collect records over cds (I have a few) for many reasons: as you said they're cheap, they have character and they're many times a rare item which makes them more desirable from a collectors perspective.


I just remembered the power plugs in UK are different from here, I'll have to investigate if it'll work here. According to this File:WorldMap Voltage&Frequency.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I think I just have to change the plug and I'm good.

[garww]

Geez, we forgot about the voltage !! With my first table, I spent a lot of time spinning the record with my finger - just to see how good I could get. That was a very heavy platter, which you don't see very often today.

The stuff I usually look for simply isn't on any MP3 list - there is so much that's not in the digital realm.

I've been looking for weeks for a particular Pieces' de Viole and have not found a trace of the recording I have in storage.

Very often you can only find a digital Live version, or the short version. Records rule in that regard !!

I just got a Mp3 from Amazon - haven't even listened to it to see if the download is any good : ) And, I will be bidding on Alice Coopers first LP in a hour. Supposedly the original '71 version.

Are you in a Metropolis, where there are outlets for these gems ?

[spaceonthebass]

Originally Posted by garww

Geez, we forgot about the voltage !! With my first table, I spent a lot of time spinning the record with my finger - just to see how good I could get. That was a very heavy platter, which you don't see very often today.

The stuff I usually look for simply isn't on any MP3 list - there is so much that's not in the digital realm.

I've been looking for weeks for a particular Pieces' de Viole and have not found a trace of the recording I have in storage.

Very often you can only find a digital Live version, or the short version. Records rule in that regard !!

I just got a Mp3 from Amazon - haven't even listened to it to see if the download is any good : ) And, I will be bidding on Alice Coopers first LP in a hour. Supposedly the original '71 version.

Are you in a Metropolis, where there are outlets for these gems ?

lol @ spinning records with your fingers ehehe



I live in Lisbon, there are a few stores around but they tend to sell mainstream acts... I have more luck buying online on ebay or such. Good luck on your bidding!

[garww]

Over here, in the land of unrestrained consumerism, we are blessed with homes setting-out a "junk for sale sign" on weekends, and resale(junk) stores are popular. Years a go(2005) I got a table and double-well cassette for $20US. Not great stuff (newer plastic construction), but they both did a very good job. Albums are a buck or two or maybe a 50 lot for US10 just to get rid of them.

[spaceonthebass]

Originally Posted by garww

Over here, in the land of unrestrained consumerism, we are blessed with homes setting-out a "junk for sale sign" on weekends, and resale(junk) stores are popular. Years a go(2005) I got a table and double-well cassette for $20US. Not great stuff (newer plastic construction), but they both did a very good job. Albums are a buck or two or maybe a 50 lot for US10 just to get rid of them.

lol that is outrageous I've becomed emotionally attached to the sony deck ...now I'm screwed. It just looks really cool... but the shipping is rather expensive (40£ which is more or less 65$). Maybe it's better to wait for a good deal on ebay.de do you know the brand Dual? There's a few on sale there, belt driven though.

[garww]

I'll bite the bullet on big shipping if it's worth it in the end. Sometimes, cost isn't everything.

I've had two old Dual one a 1000 series and one a 1200 series. I think I got a new idler wheel for one. The motor capstan just engaged this wheel butting up against the inside of the platter - pretty simple. Dual parts should be easy over there.

You really don't have to be so picky. I used three tables on one setup long ago. A Fisher direct drive (6340 ?), the old Garrard LAB80, and a new Luxman. I think the Fisher(sanyo?) did every bit as good as the Luxman - with a bit of set-up.

It just now took me 5 eBay.de pages to find a Dual. the 510 looks good to me. The seller could be saying the motor won't turn and the arm was glued together - I don't know : )

[spaceonthebass]

Originally Posted by garww

I'll bite the bullet on big shipping if it's worth it in the end. Sometimes, cost isn't everything.

I've had two old Dual one a 1000 series and one a 1200 series. I think I got a new idler wheel for one. The motor capstan just engaged this wheel butting up against the inside of the platter - pretty simple. Dual parts should be easy over there.

You really don't have to be so picky. I used three tables on one setup long ago. A Fisher direct drive (6340 ?), the old Garrard LAB80, and a new Luxman. I think the Fisher(sanyo?) did every bit as good as the Luxman - with a bit of set-up.

It just now took me 5 eBay.de pages to find a Dual. the 510 looks good to me. The seller could be saying the motor won't turn and the arm was glued together - I don't know : )

lol you must have used the same translater as I did... it's always funny to read those things. "They offering for a used high-quality one dual CS 510 Belt drive Turntable record player Stereo with stroboscope lamp 2 speeds of 33-45 half mechanism with Endabschaltung function "

You gotta have your endabschaltung function! =) ehehe

[garww]

The table I got now, I just wanted quick and dirty US25 shipped total. The seller said the cue lever was busted. No big deal for me, and He included the cue lever. However, at the end of the record, it wont lift the arm before dragging the needle back across the record. I should record that bit of ear candy.

Endabschaltung function you don't find on every hum-drum table.

[spaceonthebass]

I've been patiently waiting for the ending of the auction =) Meanwhile I found this one Sony Direct Drive Turntable Deck Hi-Fi Separate PS-T20 on eBay (end time 05-Aug-09 16:47:12 BST) might go with this one instead...I'm trying to convince my girlfriend I really need this, just to be at ease with my conscience ehehe.

[garww]

Not bad ! I don't know how clean the second one is.

Everyone knows that gear and men is like makeup to a lady !!! I even had a record player in my army locker - guitar, too.