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Some questions about vinyl - Page 2

post #16 of 26
9/21/09 at 1:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bohemianism View Post
So there is still a notible sound difference between the two?
It depends. Read my post above.
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post #17 of 26
9/21/09 at 4:01am
buy hot topic closeouts $5.00-$7.00-$10.00 each
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post #18 of 26
9/21/09 at 4:36am
I'm with Catachresis.

The real magic of vinyl lies in discovery. Go to the places where you'll find cheap used discs and dig deeply into the unknown.

Though I completely agree with LFF on grading and inspection, I also recommend picking up less than perfect discs if they grab your interest. Of course, don't pay a lot for them. However, I've found more than a few with scratches that are musically worthwhile. You'll never know until you buy it and listen. Don't let a scratch put you off from a discovery. If you discover something really good, you can always seek out a better copy.

Not to derail the thread, but the era of digital discovery is nearly here. Thanks to rampant ripping and downloading, the value of a physical CD has fallen through the floor. I've been finding them for $2-$3 each at swapmeets and junk stores. So when you hunt vinyl, hunt some digital, too. There isn't the depth of obscurity on CD, but you can find great digital music on the cheap now, too.
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post #19 of 26
9/21/09 at 5:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LFF View Post


like a Technics B3 or SL-1200 rather cheap.
What do you consider cheap for a 1200 and where can they be found for "cheap?"
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post #20 of 26
9/21/09 at 8:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chud View Post
What do you consider cheap for a 1200 and where can they be found for "cheap?"
I got an SL-1200 for $30 at a local Goodwill. I got a B2 and B3 for $15 each at another Goodwill. I got a nice Sony for a friend for $15 as well.

My prize find was when I found a minty Yamaha PF-800 for $20 at a Salvation Army!

That doesn't include all the other stuff I have passed on.
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post #21 of 26
9/21/09 at 8:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LFF View Post
I got an SL-1200 for $30 at a local Goodwill. I got a B2 and B3 for $15 each at another Goodwill. I got a nice Sony for a friend for $15 as well.

My prize find was when I found a minty Yamaha PF-800 for $20 at a Salvation Army!

That doesn't include all the other stuff I have passed on.
wait, WHAT?!

you got this.......

for $30???
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post #22 of 26
9/21/09 at 8:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chud View Post
wait, WHAT?!

you got this.......

for $30???
Yeah but not in that condition. It had no needle. The right hinge was cracked and that's about it.
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post #23 of 26
9/21/09 at 8:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LFF View Post
Yeah but not in that condition. It had no needle. The right hinge was cracked and that's about it.
haha, sounds like a real junker

i dont like you much right now

guess where im going in a few hours!
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post #24 of 26
9/21/09 at 8:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chud View Post
haha, sounds like a real junker

i dont like you much right now

guess where im going in a few hours!
The trick is going often and early. Try to find out exactly when they put new stuff out and make a few employee friends.

EDIT: Try finding the stores near the wealthy or old parts of town.
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post #25 of 26
9/21/09 at 9:59am
A crucial aspect that no one has mentioned yet is spindle wear. That is, marks around the spindle hole. These can indicate how often a record has been played. Little or no spindle marks is a good sign for minimal surface noise (although not always the case). If a record looks nice (no marks, scratches, dirt, etc.) but has loads of marks around the spindle area it still may have quite an amount of surface noise, like dirt embedded into the grooves, or possibly even groove wear/distortion.

The rest has been mentioned, but really the only way to learn is by going through the process yourself. I've been collecting now for close to 2 years, and think I have it mostly figured out, but you always get duds that look nice, and vice versa. It can be a pain initially, and you may consider giving up, but the sound is what brings you back (assuming you have a decent budget or better setup that doesn't create groove distortion/mistracking/sibilance).

As for the turntable, I've got a Technics SL-B2 myself, it was my mother's. I got a new needle & belt for it, and it worked fine from the get-go, but I didn't like the distortion the stock cartridge created. I bought an Audio Technica AT440mLa, which improved the sound a significant amount for ~US$100, a bargain. I still have minor problems with sibilance and the occasional distortion here & there, but mostly it does justice to the records. Budget is the way to go initially, while you get the hang of things.

have fun
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post #26 of 26
9/22/09 at 12:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hayste View Post
A crucial aspect that no one has mentioned yet is spindle wear. That is, marks around the spindle hole. These can indicate how often a record has been played. Little or no spindle marks is a good sign for minimal surface noise (although not always the case).
Great advice! I chose not to list spindle wear because, for me, it's always a poor indicator and sometimes a mint spindle record will have horrid noise or groove wear.

Edge wear of a record is a better indicator. Look at the outer edge of the vinyl and see if it has pinpricks or how clean and smooth it is. Usually this will tell you if anyone has ever dropped a needle on the record - indicating a heavy needle/bad treatment.

Regardless, that was some great advice from Hayste!
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