Remember when

Nowadays I have a inexpensive computer controlled 1988 Realistic turntable with a nice audio technica cartridge. They use that same elliptical diamond technology. Well at least on the expensive line. They also have some cheaper ones.

I have only one old Shure brand cartridge that I kept From the 1970s because it is a quadraphonic.

But I didn’t keep the turntable itself because it was a bulky old Gerrard with unwanted disc changer gear.

I had one of the old brown Bakelite 45 RPM only record changing phonographs from the 1950s. I sold that years ago at the swap meet for peanuts, and I wish I had it to this day.

I haven’t really listened to the vinyl records in years. If there’s one in my collection I want to hear I will record it onto my computer, and over the years I’ve done that with all the stuff I like the most.

 

I had one with this problem and they blamed it on out gassing from the thermo-plastic components causing the contacts to corrode on the speed controller.

 

Remember when you got free catalogs from companies when you ordered things in the mail?

This is from 1990. That’s how long it’s been since I ordered from Andy.

 

Speaking of playing 45’s. Can’t remember the manufacturer of the little record player we had but it had a metal tonearm. Parents had a Sears Silvertone stereo but we only played that on special occasions. Anyway, if the record player was in the basement and you picked up the tonearm and you were barefoot it would shock the crap out of you. Had to ask dad to explain that to us.

 

Lmc truck was one

 

I still have some old 78 rpm records from my grandparents. Still remember listening to them

 

It means the chassis was hot. There was a short between one conductor of the plug and the case. I am certain the record player was not grounded...

 

Glenn Miller, here.

 

Just before he shipped off to Korea with the Army around 1950, my dad bought his mom a console unit that had a 78-RPM record player and a multi-band radio. About 45 years ago, my wife and I were on a camping vacation around the southeast, and we took a side trip to visit my grandparents in Indiana. Grandma mentioned that the record player was not working, and that she had asked the local TV repair guy to look at it. He did, and said he'd be back to fix it, but he never did. (Don't know why.) I got into it, and found that one of the wires from the audio pickup (cartridge) had broken off the terminal on the pickup. I didn't have a soldering iron in my car tool box, but I did find a short length of solder. Why I had that but no soldering iron I don't know.

I stripped a short length of insulation from the broken wire, wrapped the end around the terminal, then wrapped about a 1/4" of solder around that. Held a lit match under the terminal to melt the solder. Voila! Fixed! My grandmother spent several hours that evening listening to all her favorite records. That really warmed the cockles of my heart!

I have that player now. I rebuilt the radio to working condition and cleaned and lubed the turntable. My wife refinished the wood cabinet. It's about 75 years old now, and I don't know whether it has any value as a collectable, but it has a lot of sentimental value.

 

I didn’t get my Grandparents phonograph. I do have an old wooden ice box, a couple of the old singer sewing machines and a cabinet. I also have one of their old crank telephones on the wall in our cabin

 

Those mid-century console units are making a comeback. The guts can always be repaired. They key is the finish on them. You can always swap out an old turntable with a small chassis Dual. My grandfather left behind a Magnavox console stereo. I know that it needs work. It has a 4-speed BSR changer in it, along with an AM/FM Stereo tuner. It was noisy (in way of controls) last time I had it plugged in.

 

Since we're talking audiophile stuff...I found my dad's old console stereo in pieces at the end of the driveway, wood all cut apart, guts in a pile. I salvaged a sony receiver, dual turntable and speaker hardware. This was built in about 1975 (repurposed in 1995). The receiver and turntable had no outer cabinetry since they were installed in a console. The speakers are still in use in some enclosures I built. Just this year I had to replace the 5inch midrange speakers. Not bad for almost 50 year old stuff. Must have been good gear back in the day.
House system is a Denon DRA-335R receiver working well since 1990 or so. So old it only has Tape, Video, Tuner, Phono and CD input/outputs. I haven't uysed the Onkyo cd player in years...everything is streamed now. The Tape input receives a bluetooth signal (aftermarket ).

 

Now that was a good one!

So you have an idea just how old it might.

 

Very cool. I have a Pioneer 2/4 channel 200 watt I got in 1996. Originally had a Sony single disc player I added to it as well as a Teac double deck. Currently have a 101 disc Pioneer changer instead of the Sony with 200W Technics speakers, one on each side of the TV.

When I bought my new TV last year I had to have spent about $70 in adapters to use with all my old stuff between the stereo, VCR, Blu Ray, and the video game systems. I don't stream though.

 

My father gave me an electrical theory 101 class the day I asked him about the record player. From then on I wore shoes. There was a metallic light switch in the basement that would do the same thing. Post war 1940’s house wiring.

 

Use the Cabinet to install a modern TV .

 

Whatever happened to the days when if you wanted a cup of coffee you went and got a cup of coffee? You had black, cream, sugar, or both to choose from and that was it. Very simple.

Now you've got a dozen different urns each with a different "flavor", four different sweeteners, several kinds of creamer or milk, ice cubes or no ice cubes... WTF?

 

In the earlier days of Starbucks, whenever I'd ask for a "medium plain coffee," they'd look at me like WTH are you even doing here. Rarely ever go to a Starbucks; usually when my wife wants to.

 

Same.
I just go to DD where they know what a Large is.

 

Then when you find the just plain coffee it tastes like it has been brewed and sitting for a few days.

The plain cream has turned sour.