33 years in I still love playing records

Its been a wonderful journey that I never intend to stop. I have been buying records since the age of 15 (many of my first purchases I still own) and if anything I am increasing my purchasing and enjoyment.

My set up has improved immeasurably since I started and I do think that has increased my enjoyment to some extent but for me it has always been about the music. I always get more excited about buying LPs than hardware.

We are still in the midst of a golden age for vinyl with some great originals still to be had and some wonderful reissues where originals cannot be found or are too expensive. Long may it continue.

I know there are some forum members that have been playing the black gold for 50 years or more... would be interested to hear your story.

 

60 years

 

90 years.....

 

41 or 42 years maybe? Had a Sears all in one unit at 5 or 6.

 

I still remember being a kid with a 45 record player and singles all over the place. Johnny Horton, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jimmy Dean. I remember playing the the theme to Bridge on The River Kwai 45 constantly. Mack The Knife too. That was coolest song of all time by the coolest singer.

 

Spinning vinyl since 1980.

 

Been into music and stereo for 53 years (I'm 63 now). Started with an Eaton's (a Canadian equivalent to Sears) drop down turntable with detachable speakers bought with money from 2 paper routes I had. Played a ton of 45's on that along with Paul Revere and the Raiders, Beach Boys, Mama's and the Papas, etc. I still remember playing the Beatles white LP on that when it was first released. Next, was my first true stereo - a Noresco amp with a Dual turntable on top with separate speakers. It had a preamp in it so it could use a magnetic cartridge (had a cheap Shure cartridge on it). I was 14 at the time. My friends envied me. An interesting thread might be a list of all the stereos that you've had up to your current system.

 

Bought my first record (with my own money earned from mowing lawns) in May of 1976, so 42 years ago. Still have it:



Mom and Dad did buy me records before that. Mostly compilations of funny-sounding 1950's era doo wop tunes. Albums like: 40 Funky Hits, Goofy Greats, etc.

 

About four decades now.

Good lord.

 

My first records were around 1961-1962, when I was three. Chubby Checker's "The Twist" was in constant rotation.

The Beatles of course, in 1964, and in 1966, for Christmas, this cool new record player (my third I believe) and the Standells Dirty Water LP.

The obsession hasn't ebbed a bit.

 

My dad was an audiophile, and was so stoked I was into it too, he bought me a killer little system when I was 9 or 10. A Phillips Laboratories something or other black receiver, a JVC turntable with a Shute cart and Ohm L speakers. I was the envy of all my buddies.

Still have the L's in the basement, wish I still had the Phillips receiver

Edit: think the receiver was a Phillips 7800

 

More than 50 years here. I still have almost all of the records that I ever purchased. I even remember that I paid $2.78 for my brand new Led Zeppelin II with RL/ss in the deadwax (though I didn't know to look at the deadwax until about 40 years later) and $10 -- which was a huge amount in those days -- for the original UK import of Electric Ladyland with the naked ladies cover and upside down numbers on the Track labels. I still love listening to the records, though my equipment is MUCH better now.

My goal over time has been to bring my digital playback up to the level of my vinyl playback. They are now fairly equal (with some different strengths and weaknesses), but my record collection of early pressings, superior remasters and 45rpm pressings means that I can generally get better sound from playing vinyl than I can by playing digital, largely due to the dynamic compression of many of my digital recordings. Obviously, there are exceptions for some well-recorded and mastered digital, but my older vinyl is almost always glorious.

 

I love that picture. That says it all right there.

 

Thanks, it's been a photo that I've used a LOT on this forum for so many different subjects.

 

I can remember when records were played with little pointed steel pins that had to be changed regularly. Waterloo Sunset was the first record I bought so it's a little over 50 years for me too.

 

In about 1967, I bought some no-name receiver and accompanying speakers and, for a long time, enjoyed FM radio in glorious stereo! My life changed forever when I added a cheap, plastic BSR turntable and bought my first LP, Steppenwolf, Steppenwolf in 1968.

I still have it and I still play it. Since then, I have never been without a turntable or two in my life.

That makes a nice round 50 years in vinyl.

 

Forty some odd years. Still love playing vinyl.

UFO Strangers in the Night first album I ever bought with my paper route money when it came out in '79.

 

Eaton’s was the Canadian equivalent of Macy’s, not Sears. It was Sears Canada that was the Canadian equivalent of Sears Roebuck.

Can’t remember how many years I’ve been playing LPs. Or maybe I just don’t want to say it publicly. Long time. Still wholly satisfying.

 

Ah... the magic of vinyl!
33 years and keeping going on.

I visited my old parents home today. My first record collection is still there. I started buying records when I was 14 years old and have not stopped since then.

Looking at these old records, I remember all these moments. Every single one of them speaks to me and reminds me when was the first time I played them, under what circumstances, some happy, some sad, what they meant and what they still mean to me.
A lot of memories have been infused in these grooves and every time I play them, it's like going back to these times.

Beat that digital downloads!

 

Started spinning records on my pops console stereo back around 1974,75. Lots of blues records, lots of Motown .

 

I've come to appreciate the sound from old LPs much more since using a nice refined sounding cartridge and getting better performance by tweaking my budget priced table and phono amp. The depth of sound is addicting!

 

My earliest memory is of sitting on a 78 at my grandparents house and breaking it... oops. I guess that's where it started. From there I hit the less fragile 45's and never looked back.

 

In the groove since 1966.

 

50 years spinning records.

 

First LP was bought for me as a birthday present in 1979.

Keep on spinning everyone !