Start of a Vinyl Lovers journey

denzong

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Music was always in graved in my mind body and soul. It all started when I was born as I think it was in my genes. Mom as a very good singer and dad adored his music collection. So the melody always flowed around in the home, probably giving me the start for a passion.

I got more hooked on the international music scene with the help of my fathers friend. I used to enjoy listening to some great numbers of early 1980s in his car and my first collection was started when he gifted me 2 audio cassettes. Wish I could remember the names or keep them for memory.

The bug had bitten big time and with all my spare money, it was always spend on acquiring more of it. There seemed to be no end to the want in this particular area and I was always fighting to fulfill more of these.
As the years caught on and other things also played an important role sometime music did not become primary, however it never went down. In between I also experimented with my dads Record player and used to enjoy the sound of the Vinyl.

The music just continued and no point in dwelling further in this cause then this story can get endless. With the new formats of audio coming in there was always the quest for the best sounding format in the best form. This led me back to the lure of the classic old LP vinyl. Yes the same old black records which had almost become extinct had it not been for the audiophiles who had kept this alive. I have been following this seriously since December 2010.

I got the chance to listen to a great system in place which got me smitten to the format again. This is where my journey to the magic and warm world of vinyl started. The thing that hit me the moment the first LP was played is that the music sounded startlingly real and it was flowing in gushes rather than being squirted out of a box. Ive rarely experienced music so real from a recording. I have heard recorded music sound more clearer but never so real with so much of information. I could close my eyes and place each instrument in its place in the soundstage. I believe its the magic of the SETs that paint this unbelievable sonic image. The voices had this immediacy to them like the singer was in the room with us, standing slightly in-front of the band, bang in the center.

That passion rose again and I started my search for a good turn table (or in lame terms record player). This led me to a many online forums, retail shops, kabadi walas and many more. But finally I was able to find out my baby with a reseller of old audio equipment in Pune. However that also didnt happen in one go as I had to get my first purchase replaced cause of some issue. I had thought it was almost impractical to buy a new one and according to legends I should experiment with old ones and once I am too hooked then go for hi end systems.

I went ahead and bought a Cosmic Cogram Turn Table. What an amazing piece of fine class equipment it is. Made in India made it more valuable for me as the quality was very good. One coat of polish on the wood made it almost as new. Well getting the turn table was just one part of the journey. Then started the journey of getting amplifier and speakers to run it. That led me to another world of searches and finally with help from others I managed to get another great system in place. A Sansui vintage class amplifier and a Wharfedale floor standing speakers. Now my set was complete.

This led to another issue. Ok I have got the player, the amp and the speaker but the most important question was what to play on it. Now the search for almost extinct vinyls started. I begged my father for some of his old records, which are in high demand now. Thankfully he gave me all he had. Right from classics like Pakeeja to a 3set box of Mughal E Azam with dialogs. But the passions to listen to great music lead me to many more discoveries. Lot of visits to Chor bazaar, some online members and loads of international purchases helped me take my collection from 0 250 within 1 year. Now my collection ranges from the best of international music to some of the great Indian ones.

The main point which led me to this mode is the pure passion of listening to music in the much richer and true sound. When you listen to a Pink Floyd and close your eyes; thats when you feel that they are performing right there in your living room. Thats what drove me to this format. Whenever the heart desires to listen to good music then I just start my vinyl. This does not mean that I dont listen to other formats. I do but if its true listening then its vinyls.

Music knows no timelines therefore there is no right or wrong time to listen to it. In fact it creates a fine balance itself between professional and personal life.

Today I have become a collector of sorts and given any chance, would love to grab any vinyl there. So if anyone feels they have a collection and not using it.please do pass on. It would mean a great thing for a music lover.
 
That was a good one, true from heart.
Wishing you all the very best in the vinyl music journey.
Anil.
 
Denzong, was nice to read about your journey! Sure must have taken a whole lotta effort to build up 250 lps in a year.
 
well yes and the journey has just begun. target is to get 4000 in another 3 years flat. i hope my wife doesnt kick me out because of finances ;)
 
Good luck with that! If she( your wife) decides to let you stay and kick out the lps, I will be glad to offer them Lps a home! ;)
 
one thing i can make sure is that such a day wont come. if it does then would take another place just to stock them. the only way you can get them would be me loosing interest. :ohyeah: :lol:
 
Good write up Denzong.
Seeing your passion and never ending quest for that Vinyl sound leads to me one question..

Do you have any records to spare for a fellow Vinyl lover? :D
 
right from the heart! your passion will take you through......

pure analog sound has a wider spectrum response which more often than not manifests into beautiful - deep - huge bass not only from drums but also from base guitar and stuff. Vinyl creates a sort of theatrical experience where the frequency response is quite balanced. CDs are fantastic, too but they miss the artwork, nostalgia, authority.....

Sadly records are no more becoming cheap, its rather a costly hobby these days. The LPs which I used to buy @ 50/- a decade ago now costs 500/- and sometime even more - thats really painful! don't know how long I can continue, moreover no space to keep them, when one crosses two thousand mark he becomes worried about maintenance

Arnab
 
@ Denzong, all the best buddy.
-----
Though 4000 would be too much for me but if I had space I would definitely have good collection of music I like. Also I have no hesitation to spend more on source Vinyls/Cds than HIFI hardware. I have purchased vinyls for Rs. 500/600 online So I dont mind giving 50 to 100 Rs. more to local guy whose stuff I can check personally.
Personally I dont like Ballpen markings, Stickers, hairline scratches etc. so I have/am slowly replaced/replacing all vinyls I like to mint condition and foreign pressings (I like neat and clean artwork:licklips:). (But I Do have some Autographed Vinyls by the reknowned artists. :)) having said that Music is first preference than condition of vinyls than Hifi stuff etc.
regards
animated_turntable_408.gif

Keep 'em spinning bros.
 
Hi
My love for records was much earlier than most of you guys were born, I remember my uncle playing 78's on his hand wound HMV player with it's horn speaker and replacing the pin after every 4 plays. I started collecting LP's from 1969 to 1980, at that time LP's cost Rs.35/-. I used to convert LP's to cd's and most of my costomers were unwilling to take back their LP's so they were stuck with me, I don't have a large collection but a good selection, luckily my wife loves music but my children can't understand how I can enjoy such scratchy records.
 
Here is story how I started my vinyl journey.

I remember as a kid around 3-4 years of age, we had only 2 band transistor radio. Whenever there used to be any function in the locality, PA system was used to play songs on those horn type loudspeakers. There I used to see this rotating black disc and came to know that needle picks up that sound from it. I saw that operator guy cleaning it intermittently. That was instantly available music. We had radio that had too less music program and searching the complete tuning dial for any available music was fun.

I used to make my own toy models of TT and PA system from materials like - plastic part at top side of D-size battery, tonearm made of that twin thorns of babul tree, cotton thread running as all kinds of wires. Speakers were made from conical shaped bottles with bottom removed.

As I grown, these players and disks vanished. My mother used to get some 12" disks for painting and show piece making. There were cassettes everywhere and GXXXXXX XXmars 'Tee' Series(?) started selling those HMV copied stuff. There was one fellow in my town who owned 1000 records, Sony gears and had flourished business of copying songs to blank cassettes. Some of my cassette recordings were restored by this way after paying 25Rs/- per cassette. That way my respect for this black disk media was always at its peak. There I got demo of good sounding gadget. I came to know what I am missing and what I wanted.

After few years I came across one Phillips TT w/o cartridge. Refused considering its condition. Then I tried to purchase that collection of 1000 records from the old man (no-more) quoted Rs 2.5L that time 1990. I jobless can't afford. :( Still that volcano was within, waiting to erupt.

Somehow last year I came across one fellow selling his 55 records. I bought it. I kept reading for 6 month about TT and bought one 1200MKII and TCC phono was already there from my trip to US. Now all other stuff ranging from phono stage to speakers are made by means of DIY. I have 300 records within span of 8 months and gears are upgraded continuously. I have music from 1931-today.

I starve for music which I lost long time back and I am not only an antique collector. I need stuff that I like, I could play and enjoy...nothing. My late maternal grandma used to say I am like my late maternal grand father who used to admire K L Sehgal...I too. [My maternal grandpa died while listening to his favorite singer on his gramophone in 1957]
Now I cry when I look at those wall pieces and paintings made on priceless vinyl records.
 
i was 14, and since child hood i was very much into repairing stuff

i used to service my uncle's photo copying machine ( which use liquid ink )

whenever i see something there starts 1000 questions and i run to find answers and till i get all the answers upto my satisfaction i keep searching

our was a big old bunglow on 400 sq yds like you see in old movies, with high roof , mortar walls, etc

we uncle owend a graphone very long back then i first saw it, he was great fan of K L Seghal, and had collection

the horn of this gramaphone was inbuilt and there was a opening in the front , like a speaker http://www.museumoftechnology.org.uk/nimages/A1154_tn.jpg

it was not under use from many years , may be about 2o years ( at 1995 )
i opend it and was trying to understand how it works, asked 1000 questions to my uncle

i was amazed to learn that it works without power , and sound comes out of vibrations

i still own its cartridge ( dono the exact tearm )

somehow i managed to repair it , and my uncle was so happy to look at it playing the records

few days passed by and somehow i aquired a ceramic cartridge, i took a two in once taperecorder , connected the ceramic cartridge's wire to the mic connectors and i made a tonearm of acrylic , i sourced few disks from a kabadi wala , each for 10 Rupees

it really played so very well, the sound was really awesome, i remember i had a disk of Bhajan of lord Krishna , where the play the music of TAL Redirect Notice

the sound used to be so natural, that our neighbors used to ask, did you had perform any puja at your home today ?

i then understood that this is the purest form of sound i could get

after 16 years , i again remembered that i need to get TT, and i searched all the hyderabad till i got this Philips AF 834 TT,

its great, i recently upgraded the cart to DENON DL 160 , sounding real natural

looking to upgrade speakers, amp , phonostage,

i opted for the group buy of DIY speakers,
sachin promised me to help out with the CNC phonostage
Amp iam surcing a vintage akai af-u55 from a TV technican , here locally

one thing i learned about the music lover is that , no matter where he is , he will find his way.....

Regards

Tanoj
 
one thing i learned about the music lover is that , no matter where he is , he will find his way.....

can't agree more, in fact some of best collectors of hindi film music is in US, there are two ways to obtain absolutely rarest of rare records
1.Only a very few old record dealers in India - here one needs the skill of talking,bargaining and bringing someone into confidence
2.Importing from abroad, you never know where is your stuff, personally I have imported few rare records from Holland and South Africa at astonishing price each of which has price tag of 10,000/- in India

Arnab
 
Nice one Denzong.

I have few LPs from 60s/70s, most classic rock and roll that i want to sell. Let me know if interested. From clapton, stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd & few others
 
Nice one Denzong.

I have few LPs from 60s/70s, most classic rock and roll that i want to sell. Let me know if interested. From clapton, stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd & few others

Hi Ravneet,

I would be interested to buy some classic rock LPs. Please let me know if something can be worked out. I am from Delhi too so can come and pick them up as well.

Regards,
Kartick
 
I am probably two and half years late on responding to your original post denzong; but it is really true that in the times of happiness & joy or sadness, we still turn to the music and the old faithful LP, be it of any kind of music but the one which you cherish and love puts you back in your mood like a magic wand!
 
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