First Turntable

The first turntable I went out and bought was a Rotel RP 850 fitted with an Ortofon VMS 10, it lasted three or four years and a couple of cart upgrades until I bought a Roksan Xerxes, I still have the Rotel, but while I was using it at a record fair a box of records fell on it and destroyed the tone arm, so it now sports a Rega RB-250 although I haven't used it in years and it likely needs a new belt, I guess I keep it for sentimental reasons.

 

But my first audio one was a Project Essential II.

 

Still using my first real TT, a Technics SL-B2. Before that I had a suitcase player but didn't use it much.

 

Sweet color scheme, though.

 

Straight from the electronics department of GUM? I love the treble, bass, and volume icons.

 

I started with a SounDesign combo with 8-track and tuner and then graduated to the Pioneer PL-518 too! It really was a pretty decent direct drive TT. The semi automatic tone arm is something I miss in TTs today.

 

GUM is in Moscow, I'm from Odessa.

 

JVC L-A11 bought in 1980 to go with a JVC AS5 amplifier and a pair of speakers who's name escapes me. My introduction to vinyl and 'hi-fi'.

 

I have the same turntable and the same experience as you. I’ve probably had it for maybe fifteen years and it still works like a champ. Recently replaced the OM5 stylus w a 10. Nice little improvement. Love playing music on it. With a really good LP it sounds excellent.

 

I honestly can't remember the make/model of the dodgy record players I had as a kid.
In my late teens I bought a secondhand Pioneer PL100 which was a decent TT, had that for many years.

 

First good one was an AR-XA bought in 1973 with the newly introduced Shure V-15 III cartridge added on.

 

Having gone through multiple record players dating back to 1940's vintage and having multiple stereo systems into the 1970's, the first, and best stand alone turntable I ever purchased was a Pioneer PL-12D-II:
Pioneer PL-12D-II - Bing video
Also, it is the only turntable that I gave away and regretted it ever since. I've held on to every other turntable, except for those mickey-mouse turntable that look like they were put together in someone's garage and try to make us believe their high-end.
You want high-end, then let's talk about the ELP Laser turntable.

 

My first was a Sansui SR222 mkII

 

I just got my first turntable out of storage a couple days ago. Here it is. It's been in storage so long that the belt has deteriorated and snapped in three pieces as soon as I touched it. So I need to get a new belt for it. And then sell it to someone who will actually use it instead of storing it unused so long that the belt deteriorates again.

It's a Technics SL-BD22

 

Technics SL3300 purchased in 1978 while I was still in high school. Served me well until someone offered up a barely used SL1200-MK5 for $500.00 here in the Classifieds. Took me a while to adjust from having a fully automatic.

 

Plastic kiddy one with braille records 1970's

 

The first turntable that I really got to use by myself was in my sister's Sanyo stereo system, after she went off to college. Unfortunately it had the crummy-sounding CZ800 red ceramic cartridge and didn't even match its impedance correctly so it sounded tinny and shrill. But my dad gave me a box full of his old 45s and I enjoyed playing them on it anyway!



Then two years later I got my own stereo system, a Panasonic SG-HM09A. This was in 1994 when vinyl was dead, but every year for the holiday season you could still buy some new stereo systems with a built-in turntable. It is still cheap and plasticky but is much nicer-sounding.

 

Sony PS-LX250h automatic belt drive. Plastic, with a thin aluminum platter.

 

A Philco changer for a while and then a Dual 1214

 

You could of had the Regonda Party Time Stereo

Made in Riga, Latvia.

 

My first was hand made - well kinda of a Garrard 4HF with a Acos 104 ceramic cartridge with a AM tuner and stereo amp built into a portable record player case by dad with a single right hand extension speaker. When you're 8, that's sonic bliss!!!
My first 'proper' one was BSR 610 used with Sinclair amplifer modules when I was 12.

It was fitted with a Goldring G800 after a few moans to the pocket money providers where it sounded pretty decent playing mid 70's UK copies of the Beatles RED and BLUE and the long spindle was useful for playing 45's on without getting up every three minutes or so.

 

I had what Mom bought. I was anywhere from -2 to +3 years old when she bought it, so had no influence on her decision back then.

 

My first was in 1970. It was a Sears three piece that cost $150. Two speakers and a central unit with a front panel am/fm radio and control knobs tilted back at about 45 degrees and a BSR TT on top with a ceramic cartridge and smoked dust cover.

Interesting factoid: That was pretty much their bottom of the line but the speakers and main unit sides were real oiled walnut. I wore out Tommy on that thing.

 

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