Quick "Quality Control" check for a vinyl newbie

I wouldn't clean the stylus with a paintbrush. Buy a stylus cleaner kit - TTVJ sells several. And you only either need to buy a new stylus OR a new cartridge, not both. I'd go for the M97XE myself.

The TC-750 is a great phono preamp for the very small amount of money it costs.

And you will be in vinyl heaven!

Hey Justin-

I've got lots of vinyl if you want some more source materials to check out once you are up and running. Have fun in the meantime!

Al

I can't listen to the all at once, so I am happy to share! You really have to try Vinyl Solutions in San Mateo that Todd and Tom of TTVJ visited and loved. Of course, you could spend a week in Amoeba (SF & Berkeley) a couple hours in Recycled Records (SF) and Rasputins (Berkeley) just to name a few local vinyl sources. I'd meet you sometime at Vinyl Solutions sometime--half way between us and on/neea the Cal Train.

The Mountain View Tower Records has recently reopened as Rasputin's, BTW. I haven't been there yet but was planning a visit tonight.

It's right near my house, so if you guys go, you have to call me.

You guys are bad influences. I gave up vinyl so I'd have room in the house for a wife.

But it's cool that Rasputin's is now open where Tower used to be. It's in the neighborhood and easy to pop by and have a look, and I know you guys are interested.

So here's The Rasputin Report.

Gentlemen, we have vinyl.

And I'm not talking about one bin that you can flip through in 60 seconds. We're talking, hmm, I'm going to say sixty to eighty linear feet of bins, admittedly not all of them full, but lots and lots of vinyl.

A few laserdiscs too - those you could flip through in under a minute - but hey, laserdiscs.

And more than ample used and new CDs as well, and not just some turkey's rejected CDs. Good stuff.

I bought Keith Jarrett's Sun Bear Concerts, the whole 6-CD box set, in pristine shape. And Francoise Hardy, "La Question."

And, I admit it, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, The DBQ 25, 25th anniversary reunion. In vinyl. I was only flipping, just evaluating the selection so I could report to you guys. There it was. What was I going to do, just leave it there?

Just so you understand, the turntable stays in storage. This album goes in there with it. It has to. There's no room in my life for vinyl, you understand? No room.

The wall behind the cash registers is where they keep the limited-edition DVDs, you know, the ones in the metal boxes 'n stuff. Right behind my cashier were two limited-edition Voltron DVDs. No fancy titling or anything, just the face, the Voltron face, taking up the whole front of the box, right in front of me when the cashier moved out of my line of sight.

I could feel you looking at me, Al. Stop that. I've bought enough already.

Hey, I forgot to see if they have any Vazelina Bilopphoggers.