After having a think about it for some time I have decided to get myself a turntable. Looking forward to holding an actual product in my hands again.
So any vinyl junkies out there, any recommendations for online shops?
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Also looking forward to hunting for gems like this 
I’d buy it for the cover alone. I didn’t though as my partner already struggles with most of the crap I buy.
I also found Tiffany’s album.
Just trawl though charity shops. My uncle buys and sells vinyl and music paraphernalia on the side. Often finds bargains in charity shops.
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I love vinyl, as long as it’s not used for car seats. There’s something fabulous about proper records (as I see them) - the whole physical thing, cover art, putting the needle to the groove. I’m not honestly sure that there’s any discernible difference in the sound compared to digital media - I feel like there is, but my ageing ears of cloth are pretty unlikely to spot anything less than major.
I have several hundred LPs plus reasonable-quality means of playing them (I’m not and never will be a hi-fi obsessive of the type so brilliantly lampooned by Flanders and Swann)
Sadly, all of these nice things are in storage until such time as we can move house and have room for it all. I long for the day when I can have my own playroom. I guess quite a bit of what I have might be difficult to obtain on any digital media (obscure Jamaican recordings, for example), and this makes my vinyl collection all the more precious to me.
I also have a fair number of 78s, and my parents have an HMV 101 gramophone (a very good model so I’m told). The sound quality on this really is noticeably different, plus of course there’s no volume control. I find it remarkable just how much sound is produced by a fairly small rectangular box. All purely acoustic too.
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I can not wait to get a good quality sound system (no point at the moment as the kids and dog wreck everything), vinyl sounds amazing on a good system but its the cost of the vinyl and the actual longevity of the vinyl itself that would concern me to invest in a quality turntable.
That said good music through a good system is a real plus point of living.
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I love the fact the BBC banned ‘My little stick of Blackpool rock’ - such innocent double entendre
The oldest LP I own that I bought new is Brian Eno’s Here Come the Warm Jets from 1974. I’ve played that record a fuck of a lot and it still sounds great (or at least it did last time I played it, for which see my previous post). I bought a 10" LP by Hank Williams (released posthumously in 1956) in a second-hand record shop and that sounds great too.
Vinyl records need some degree of care, but they don’t degrade. Any modern turntable leaves a very light touch on the surface of the record, so wear and tear is minimal.
What I’m saying here, Baz, is just do it (kids and hounds allowing of course).
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I have a large collection of vinyl, it started when a mate and I ran a mobile disco. I had the records, he made the equipment, he became a producer with the BBC, I ended up with a lot of heavy boxes. Except for times when I lived in caravans it has been my main source of music, probably have 2000+ records, haven’t counted for awhile.
I too love the physicality of vinyl, cover art work etc.
For sources of vinyl these days, if you are looking for new then a bands Bandcamp webpage is good place to start. Piccadilly Records in Manchester and Juno Records are good. Otherwise use search engine to find who is selling a particular record. Ebay is also good especially for stuff a few years old and remaindered.
Secondhand and for information on all releases and formats I use www.discogs.com a lot.
Ebay is good
The big charity shops know there is value in vinyl so now have a department dealing with it.
Shops of smaller charities can be good also car boots, around here we have a general auction every 6 weeks, can be good depending if any dealers are interested.
I don’t think longevity of vinyl is a problem if you handle them with a bit of respect. I have a number of totally fucked cd’s. If records are scratched you will not get rid of scratches, but you can get rid of surface grime, finger marks etc.
If a moderately priced turntable is properly set up, stylus aligned and tracking at correct weight and proper bias, turntable level and if possible isolated from vibration (on shelf on solid wall?) you will get a better sound than a badly set up mega bucks system, and you’ll have more to spend on the vinyl.
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Cheers L-C.
Go to Richer Sounds, Goat. They have a branch on London Road and they don’t sell shite. You can get decent quality gear there without the need for a second mortgage. And @Llwybr-Cyhoeddus is spot on in his post.
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Yeah, I’ve got bits from there before. I think I’ve decided on my turntable: either the Rega planar 1 or 1+ depending on what price I can get them at. I am also considering the Audio Technica LP120 and I may pop into Richer Sounds to have a listen to that.
That is fucking awesome. In the older sense of the word. Put the needle to the fucking groove.
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