The miracle of the turntable?

Hey, when you get right down to it, I still can't believe that a speaker can sound like a violin. I think that sense of wonderment was one of the reasons we all gravitated to this stuff at a (usually) young age in the first place. If the kid's got a birthday coming up anytime soon - or even if he doesn't - I say get him a turntable and let him run with it. :-)

son sounds like an ideal candidate for a close-n-play turntable?
Maybe next - try him on a basic electronics learning lab kit. I was doing these myself at a very young age. The kid is already curious & asks good questions. Nurture his achievements; someday maybe he'll be designing the stuff!

I agree with Zaikesman (again). Acoustic Sounds has those old folding portable phonographs on sale. That would be perfect. (Of course don't let him even think of touching your vinyl!) Then its off to the used record store to buy him a few good, but probably well used records!

Have Fun with it!

Nice story and nice thoughts Zaike! My audiophilia started when I was three. That was in 1936. I had one of those "grammophones", which you had to wind up with a handle and a few shellac disks, which I used to cherish. I still remember my wonderment and getting hurt by the needle, which drew blood, the playing-head, which was quite heavy, having fallen on one of my clumsy fingers. I used to crank and sit enthralled for hours. That has not changed to this day, not even the cranking. Only it is the grindstone this time, the one I have to keep my nose on, in order to finance an occasional audiophile convulsion. Cheers,

True story. When I bought this bungalo, I was visited by my little nephew and neice. She found a box of 45's and asked "What are these for?" I said they make music. She grabbed one, ran over to the cd player and pushed 'open'. "But it won't fit". My nephew, two years older, laughted, "Of course not. You play it on that great big thing on top of the stand". That 'great big thing' was my roxan zerxes but he didn't know it was called a turntable....man, I felt like a dinasour....

We take for granted so much. Turn a knob and water comes right out. Hot water! Need light? Flick a switch. Music? Just make sure its plugged in. Oh, yeh, batteries. Music, any music is portable now. We cant even imagine how easy we have it compared to folks just a blink behind us in our history. Im still amazed when I look up in the sky and see a couple hundred people sailing by. Its no wonder kids think its all a given. Glad some are still curious.

Capitalize on your son's curiosity. Boys are by nature fixers and builders. I know this site is about audio but most of us just buy our gear. Show him how to pound a nail, cut a board with a handsaw, check the oil, etc. If you don't know how to do these things yourself then find someone who does and let that person (grandpa?) show him. It's really sad that most of todays youth needs to get out the owners manual when they have a flat tire. Change the oil?? No way. Fix anything? Unlikely. Besides lessening the demands placed on our environment the skills of repair satisfy a deep need most of us have. I had many such mentors in my youth and consider myself fortunate. Whenever I feel really down I start some new project to sidetrack my thoughts. It's great therapy plus the pride of accomplishment is a great boost to self-esteem. Some of my best memories are of Dad and I building something. This is the glue that binds.

Lugnut's advice should be mandatory for all boys, and girls.
It is, indeed, the glue which binds. I recall the satisfaction when, after my son was old enough to having his own car, seeing him in the driveway changing his own oil. Even better, when he comes home from college and finds me working on a project, he knows enough to lend a hand! :-)

I don't think the age thing has much to do with knowing how something works. I'd wager a good number who have been lovers of vinyl for many years would be hard pressed to tell you why and how music is extracted from those black grooves....