Stereos, Hi-Fi’s, Record Players, Gramophones

[Johnfromstaffs]

I know this might be tempting providence but my cassette tapes, some of which I used to play in my 1984 Ford Escort still work well. The car was bought new and only kept for two years and some of the tapes predated that car.

 

[Richard Dye]

I believe old mono records are actually worth more than the stereo versions for some reason.

Also, I think I read recently that vinyl is outselling CDs for the first time in years. The younger generation are realising that you get a better sound from it - I think it's great that it's coming back!

A Sparks, I think you are correct on the vinyl and manufactures are scrambling to get turntables out there. Old vinyls as long as they play are in great demand!

 

[Morturn]

yer they were a bit of a gimmick
Tone control is a one-knob equalizer, actually it's a hi-cut resistor. This means turning it down cuts the highs (or brightness) of the tone, making it bassier (or darker). Hope this helps.

Thanks Pete, that is helpful.

 

[A Sparks]

I know this might be tempting providence but my cassette tapes, some of which I used to play in my 1984 Ford Escort still work well. The car was bought new and only kept for two years and some of the tapes predated that car.

Cassette tapes are starting to come back again too, I've seen some for sale in record shops!

I still have all my old vinyl and cassettes

 

[mw0njm.]

i f they bring back the 8 track, i will have to get a bigger car

Thanks Pete, that is helpful.

no probs mort

 

[Dave M]

Still have my 8 Track Mains and in car

 

[mw0njm.]

i sold my 8 track with the escort it was ok.for hanging things on

 

[carolina]

We had a green Dansette and if I liked a record I would leave the arm off and it just kept playing over and over again.

 

[cookie273uk]

I bought my first 10 inch LP in 1953 for my late Wife while we were in Hong Kong with the RAF she was mad on Frankie Laine, I think it was before Vinyl but it does not seem like Bakelite. It still plays OK despite being 67 years old. Eric

 

[Vivienne14]

We used to blow on the needle to remove any dust. I think we also had a record cleaner, looked like a blackboard brush but made of a type of - possibly - foam product (?). You used to switch on the turntable and hold the ‘brush’ on the record to clean it. Think we also had anti-static cloths for cleaning records. Viv.

 

[devonjim]

Yes exactly! It's such a pleasure to be able to play almost anything you want to hear with the hassles, thanks to Utube...
Dave A

Just ask Alexa! I don't but I see the kids do it!

 

[adap2it]

Just ask Alexa! I don't but I see the kids do it!

I do that too....not Alexa but the Google version. I've had it a couple of years and it's very handy as a source of music.
Dave A

 

[Vivienne14]

Action shot (!) of my mum loading Glenn Miller EP onto the Decca! Looks posed to me. I think the year would have been whenever that Glenn Miller record was released. The LP propped at the back might have been Montavani - she was a big fan. Viv.

 

[mw0njm.]

Action shot (!) of my mum loading Glenn Miller EP onto the Decca! Looks posed to me. I think the year would have been whenever that Glenn Miller record was released. The LP propped at the back might have been Montavani - she was a big fan. Viv.

View attachment 150869

Montavani.. your mom had good taste.

 

[sospiri]

Viv,

We had one of those record players at school so certainly no later than 1950. EPs were first introduced by Columbia & RCA Victor in 1952, so I guess the early 1950s. Glenn Miller died during the war, so that's really no guide. Mantovani lived less than a mile from me when I lived in Bournemouth, and also used to come into dinner at Poole Harbour Yacht Club when I was with the Lennie Wright Quartet. Our late member, Eddie Haynes, also knew Lennie as they lived on opposite sides of Norfolk so used to swap drum pupils. Promo picture at PHYC below, which is already on here somewhere I think.

Maurice

 

[Vivienne14]

Would have loved one of these but was too young. So compact. Think I remember later British versions of this. And Chad Valley or Fischer Price, I think, made a kids one, all plastic with plastic records. Didn't get one of those either !


Source: British Newspaper Archive

 

[1299]

A Sparks, I think you are correct on the vinyl and manufactures are scrambling to get turntables out there. Old vinyls as long as they play are in great demand!

Old - Original Vinyl albums are better, because they were recorded in Analogue the modern re-issues of those albums have been put through a digitalisation process and thus you might as well buy the CD version for half the price of the 'New' vinyl.
Where possible always try to get hold of original issues or at least pre-digital re-issues before 1983/84.

 

[adap2it]

Old - Original Vinyl albums are better, because they were recorded in Analogue the modern re-issues of those albums have been put through a digitalisation process and thus you might as well buy the CD version for half the price of the 'New' vinyl.
Where possible always try to get hold of original issues or at least pre-digital re-issues before 1983/84.

If the original master tapes are available there's no reason the original sound cannot be reproduced. However, I agree about CD's being the cheaper option. Vinyl is still a booming market and cassettes and subsequent player/recorders are making a comeback, but don't count out the return of the CD as the preferred collectors choice.
Dave A

 

[Goodenough]

Remember them ? Over the years we had one or the other of these. Our very first one was a Decca record player. It was grey/blue tones and cream, and had four of those typical 1960s tapered legs. Loved to stack up the ‘singles’/45s - could you stack no more than 8 singles ? Our first single was “ My Old Man’s a Dustman” by Lonnie Donnegan. What a dreadful record ! But it was Christmas and the record player made that one a very modern Christmas.

Did I imagine it, or could you get a second speaker for this record player ? I feel sure we later got one, or maybe it was wishful thinking to turn the mono sound into stereo. The one below was the exact model we had. Viv.View attachment 150500

I well remember this type of record player. My first girlfriend had one in the "front room' which we were allowed to go in to be alone together. I remember hearing Elvis Presley singing "Love Me Tender" on an old 78rpm single and marvelling that you could hear his intake of breath between lines.

Were you thinking of the Bush record player [in my picture] which you could attach a second speaker to make it into a stereo system?

 

[mw0njm.]

mom bought us a portable record player in the 60s it was built into a case a bit like this one with a record of Long John Baldry on the turntable we thought it was fantastic .i still heve the record

 

[lmr3103]

My mother in law still has one similar! Hers is called a Dansette.

 

[Time Traveller 66]

My mother in law still has one similar! Hers is called a Dansette.

My sisters had a Dansette i used to play the 45's at 33 rpm then speed them up to 78 rpm which i thought was funny at the time. Little things come's to mind.