• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Vinyl making a comeback?

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
Platinum
Country flag
Offline
Got my turntable working again last year.
 

NutmegCT

Great Pumpkin
Gold
Offline
I propose a poll! How many LPs do BCF members have that are out on shelves and aren't in storage?

Me - about 500. (plus the 45s and 78s)
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
My son (32) is into vinyl. I recall in the late 90's leaving all my records by the road because they wouldn't sell in a yard sale (someone did pick them up). In the basement somewhere I have a box of CD's - and other than my own laptop and the blueray player I keep in the closet just in case I have literally no way to play them. OTOH we do have a couple of bluetooth speakers and the ability to stream music.

While I occasionally miss a particular record, I do not miss their bulk and at a time in my life when I am trying to get rid of things ....
 

LarryK

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
My wife has a collection that she started in the 60s, then she got her Dad's big band collection from waayy back. Added to my Grandparents Gene Autry, Rex Allen and Roy Rogers collection. She listens regulary while sewing, can't imagine that the whole collection could be 1000 or more. My brother got my Mom's collection of 3400 vinyls. Don't want to talk I-tunes and mp3 collection.
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
Platinum
Country flag
Offline
My wife has a collection that she started in the 60s, then she got her Dad's big band collection from waayy back. Added to my Grandparents Gene Autry, Rex Allen and Roy Rogers collection. She listens regulary while sewing, can't imagine that the whole collection could be 1000 or more. My brother got my Mom's collection of 3400 vinyls. Don't want to talk I-tunes and mp3 collection.

WOW!! I feel sooo inadequate... :wink:
 

LarryK

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
She got to go to the Beatles appearance in the old St. Louis Cardinals Bush Stadium and already was collecting and 55 yrs later, every Antique Mall visited is longated by a search thru the vinyls. If only I had more room for British Cars.
 
OP
Basil

Basil

Administrator
Staff member
Boss
Offline
My wife has a collection that she started in the 60s, then she got her Dad's big band collection from waayy back. Added to my Grandparents Gene Autry, Rex Allen and Roy Rogers collection. She listens regulary while sewing, can't imagine that the whole collection could be 1000 or more. My brother got my Mom's collection of 3400 vinyls. Don't want to talk I-tunes and mp3 collection.

We are not worthy :bow:
 
OP
Basil

Basil

Administrator
Staff member
Boss
Offline
I propose a poll! How many LPs do BCF members have that are out on shelves and aren't in storage?

Me - about 500. (plus the 45s and 78s)

I probably have a couple hundred. Not really in storage and not really "out on a shelf", they are in my office closet, readily accessible.
 

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
Country flag
Offline
inna box in the basement :concern:
 

DavidApp

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
I need to get a new turntable so I can listen to some of my LPs.

I have several hundred in the LP rack in the spare room.

David
 

YakkoWarner

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
I propose a poll! How many LPs do BCF members have that are out on shelves and aren't in storage?

Me - about 500. (plus the 45s and 78s)

I have probably 100 or so LPs, mostly accessible although the majority of the ones I listen to on a regular basis have also been recorded into a digital format so I don't wear out the vinyl.

I do maintain a properly set up and working turntable - I often surf through the vinyl section of the used record stores looking for things that may be interesting. I like having the larger format album covers on vinyl. There is also something about the tactile experience of playing vinyl, it usually means a conscious decision to sit down and listen to this piece of music rather than just something in the background. Almost like a tea ceremony with the preperations. I have higher quality than average A/D conversion hardware for transcribing vinyl onto a digital format so often the first time I play a vinyl record (escpecially if it is brand new) I also transcribe at the same time. I can then keep the vinyl pristine while still enjoying the music.

I also have 300 or so CDs as well. I'm consider myself lucky to find music on either format these days. I live in an area that has no broadband internet, so streaming services are meaningless for me. I have to get physical media (whether it be Bluray, DVD, CD or vinyl) or I don't get to listen or watch it. I also tend to distrust the idea of streaming services because then THEY get to decide if something is no longer "allowed" and can just make it disappear. I'd rather have my own control. Plus for what broadband internet would cost (if it were available) I can buy a big pile of used CD's and DVD/Blueray.
 
OP
Basil

Basil

Administrator
Staff member
Boss
Offline
I have a special USB turntable that allowed me to convert all of my vinyl to MP3 files and I have my entire vinyl collection digitized as part of my 8,350+ song library. I still have that turn table in case I pick up any good vinyl at the local flea market.
 

LarryK

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
I'm just glad I don't have to come out of the garage and build a space for the vinyls. She already figured it out.
 

NutmegCT

Great Pumpkin
Gold
Offline
Yakko - "Almost like a tea ceremony with the preperations"

Including the "cleaning the surface" ritual - Rinsing the LP with water from the faucet, or using the old "black felt wiper"? Or relying on the tiny brush clipped to the tone arm head, just in front of the stylus?

brush.jpg

memories memories



 

YakkoWarner

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
Yakko - "Almost like a tea ceremony with the preperations"

Including the "cleaning the surface" ritual - Rinsing the LP with water from the faucet, or using the old "black felt wiper"? Or relying on the tiny brush clipped to the tone arm head, just in front of the stylus?

View attachment 60433

memories memories



I never had the brush on the tone arm (seemed like a good way to increase static charge), but I often use the clean water (distilled water like you'd use in a steam iron because my tap water is very mineral-laden). Depending on the condition of the vinyl, maybe even a very soft cloth under the flowing water followed by a clean rinse. Getting used vinyl often means finding it in varying condition from excellent to horrific. Apple used to provide a beautiful black cleaning cloth with every new iMac which works very well for lifting dust from the vinyl as well. Wish I could get them in bulk.

I have never tried but am intrigued by the concept of using glue to lift dirt out of the grooves. There is a company in Australia that is making a gel specific for this purpose that I'd love to try, but it is not available in the USA that I can find. I may buy an inexpensive sacrificial record from the used book store to try the glue trick, but I don't want to risk ruining one of the records I actually care about. I also don't want to get glue all over my good turntable.
 
OP
Basil

Basil

Administrator
Staff member
Boss
Offline
<snip>

I have never tried but am intrigued by the concept of using glue to lift dirt out of the grooves. There is a company in Australia that is making a gel specific for this purpose that I'd love to try, but it is not available in the USA that I can find. I may buy an inexpensive sacrificial record from the used book store to try the glue trick, but I don't want to risk ruining one of the records I actually care about. I also don't want to get glue all over my good turntable.

I've seen videos of that process - seems very logical.
 

YakkoWarner

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
I've seen videos of that process - seems very logical.

It does SEEM logical - which is why I am very curious about it. My fear is that it is only the internet suggesting it - the same internet that suggests people charge their phones in the microwave and other such stuff. I'd like to find a reputable source that can confirm the process - or lacking that try it on a sacrifical record first. One of these days I may work up enough nerve to try it.
 
OP
Basil

Basil

Administrator
Staff member
Boss
Offline
It does SEEM logical - which is why I am very curious about it. My fear is that it is only the internet suggesting it - the same internet that suggests people charge their phones in the microwave and other such stuff. I'd like to find a reputable source that can confirm the process - or lacking that try it on a sacrifical record first. One of these days I may work up enough nerve to try it.


You mean you can't charge your phone in the Microwave?
 

waltesefalcon

Yoda
Silver
Country flag
Offline
The exact number of LPs I have is unknown but it is in the neighborhood 500, not including 45s and 78s.
 
Top