[gmku]

Originally Posted by m^a(t)h

i just looked at my stylus and it is dirty as hell...

You say you got this used. Can I ask what kind it is, and do you know what the cartridge is? If it's at all possible, you should take it to an audio shop and have them check it out. More than likely, they'll want to sell you a new cartridge and stylus. See if you can get by with just buying a new stylus--but many shops these days stock the whole unit and not just the stylus. A nice Grado will set you back about 60 to 80 bucks, but believe me, it's worth it--both in terms of improving the sound quality and preserving your vinyl.

A good audio tech person can also make sure the cartridge is properly aligned.

[m^a(t)h]

Originally Posted by gmku

You say you got this used. Can I ask what kind it is, and do you know what the cartridge is? If it's at all possible, you should take it to an audio shop and have them check it out. More than likely, they'll want to sell you a new cartridge and stylus. See if you can get by with just buying a new stylus--but many shops these days stock the whole unit and not just the stylus. A nice Grado will set you back about 60 to 80 bucks, but believe me, it's worth it--both in terms of improving the sound quality and preserving your vinyl.

A good audio tech person can also make sure the cartridge is properly aligned.

umm, its says "precision crafted in great britain by BSR".

on the front it says "JC Penny"

lol

[gmku]

So it's a BSR turntable that JC Penney slapped its name on. BSR's not a bad turntable. Is the cartridge changeable?

[m^a(t)h]

Originally Posted by gmku

So it's a BSR turntable that JC Penney slapped its name on. BSR's not a bad turntable. Is the cartridge changeable?

umm, cartridge?

[Savage Clone]

The S.W.A.T. theme totally rocks.

[golden child]

the deal that the needle is attached to at the end of the arm

[TheDom]

Originally Posted by Bytor Peltor

Rush - Moving Pictures

haha, I got that for $1. Possibly the worst albumI have ever heard on my life.

[gmku]

Here's a question for vinyl junkies:

How much wear do you put up with before buying a fresh copy?

This might apply only to those who've been collecting for many years and put their records through many a sound system. I noticed my Fugazi-Repeater record is sounding a little crackly since upgrading cartridges, and there's a new sealed copy in the store for 11 bucks.

I hate this. There's always a BETTER copy out there.

[Rob Instigator]

I have only bought one replacement vinyl. sonic youth daydream nation.

I have several things doubled. like I have a Mudhoney EGBDF in puke colored vinyl, one in regular black, and one a picture disc.

I have butthole surfers double live twice, one with the entire booklet insert. great stuff.

[gmku]

I have to stop doing that. Saw a nice-looking copy of L.A. Woman today, the original with the transparent cellophane window. I have a copy, but I was just sure, since the very listenable copy I bought a few months ago was 9 bucks and this is 14, that it has to be a much better copy. It's still calling my name back in that store, I can hear it.

[Glice]

Originally Posted by Bytor Peltor

Vinyl junkies need to know......what was your first vinyl purchase?

Urusei Yatsura's 'We Are...'. I have four copies now. The first one's fine, but I have three spare copies because the odds of finding it are diminishing between now and the end of my life.

I don't take the best care of my records, I clean them every so often, and I replace the needle every 8 months or so. I have no broken records in 10+ years of purchasing/ listening. I have about 10 broken CDs, because CDs want neglect for being such a shit format.

[terminal pharmacy]

cleaning records you can use warm water and a very small amount of detergent, the player just make sure there is no fluff on the stylus

[Alex's Trip]

Would you junkies recommend buying a used or new turntable?

[harris]

i have one of those cd/tape/radio/record player combos
that looks like an old vitrola(sp)
anyway it drags like crazy
making it unbearable to listen to a record
anyone know a way to fix it or who to call

[Everyneurotic]

i'm usually "sure, i never clean my vinyls, hahahaha" but most of the time when i'm holding one, even if it's brand new and sealed, i take it out and clean it with a record cleaning brush my mom has. checking the needle is the basic and, unless you are planing on dropping and rocking you player real hard, then there's no need for further (regular) maintainance.

first vinyl i bought: iron maiden - powerslave, that cover is awesome on vinyl!

rob cheeto said his first vinyl was pyromania, a friend went to canada once and bought me that and hysteria.

i bought a used (more like "junkyard") turntable for like $20 dollars and i had to take it to change the line-out cables in the back and one of the cables on the needle is shorting so i need to fix that too.

experts, i have a question: can the vinyl cleaning brush gather dust? because i'm starting to distrust the one i use...

[Cantankerous]

I pick fuzz and lint and shit off the needle with pointy tweezers (available at a Walgreens near you.)

[Norma J]

Originally Posted by gmku

As a case in point for the deep-clean method though: Against my own better judgment, last summer I bought a copy of Axis:Bold as Love at an antique shop. I know better. These places usually don't sell real clean copies. But I couldn't resist. It was an 1st pressing on the tri-colored Reprise label, considered kind of rare, and the cover was in good shape. Sure enough, it sounded like a bowl of rice krispies when I first played it at home. So I used the deep-clean method. About 50 percent of the noise was gone! So I went back to the sink with the record again and cleaned it again. This time even more noise was gone. I cleaned and played another two times, and with each cleaning the sound improved dramatically. There are still a few pops here and there, but it is now what I think most collectors would call a VG+, maybe even EX, copy. Not bad for what I paid for it. And very playable.

Can you explain exactly how you did this? I have a fair few older records. Some Dylan that I've found secondhand like Basement Tapes etc, the ones that are not readily accessible. So I buy basically no matter what condition it's in, aslong as it doesn't have deep scratches. I wouldn't mind giving this method you did for you Jimi record, to bring some more life to them.

[Norma J]

Originally Posted by Alex's Trip

Would you junkies recommend buying a used or new turntable?

I got a new one for my birthday and it was only around $90. That's not that expensive and it's a beauty.

[Cantankerous]

Old ones are lovely if they're in good condition.

Originally Posted by Norma J

I got a new one for my birthday and it was only around $90. That's not that expensive and it's a beauty.

That's $90 AU though, right? So about $70 USD? That's a bargain for a new one.

[harris]

thanks for all the help guys