Turntable noobie...what advice do you have?

@ghdprentice 

I totally second the hunt for vinyl - much more fun without the internet...

@pindac  - he is spot on about cleaning new vinyl too.

I hope thee administrators don't mind - but the best thread on ultrasonic cleaning is on Whats Best Forum. The Ultrasonic bath for me was £110, the turning wheel about £60 - i made my own drying rack with bits from Screwfix (threaded rod in heat-shrink) i also made my own solutions in a 2 stage process. Quat and isopropyl with distilled water then isopropyl and distilled with a wetting agent. It'll save you money in the long run because it will prevent stylus damage over the years. The chap from Expert Stylus advised me to get some toothpicks - put a thread from a cotton bud - use spectacle lens cleaner - and clean your stylus at the end of each side of a record. Sorry to rabbit on but I explained it as succinctly as possible.

I also have two set up records from HiFi News and Cardas - well worth it. Most importantly don't get bogged down and enjoy yourself - vinyl has a habit of you exploring musical tastes and genres you otherwise will not.

For used LP buying you’re fortunate to be in Portland!

Music Millennium is great for new LP’s, though you will pay full retail for them. MM also stocks a fair number of used LP’s, and at generally reasonable prices, some as low as $2-$3!

Here are some other good used LP shops in Portland:

- Crossroads Records, 8112 SE Harold Street (just off Foster Road). This is a multiple-vendor operation, one large room with individual sellers. Thousands and thousands of records, so plan for at least a few hours of browsing.

- Jackpot Records, 3574 SE Hawthorne (a block away from Fred’s Sound Of Music hi-fi store). A good little shop with a limited but high-quality inventory. They are also a new reissue label, their release of The Flamin’ Groovies’ fantastic 1976 Power Pop classic Shake Some Action (produced by Dave Edmunds at Rockfield Studious in Wales) due later this month.

- Little Ax Records, 4142 NE Sandy Blvd. (right by the Hollywood movie theater). A small shop, but with very hip inventory. At LA I finally found a copy of Out Of Hand by Gary Stewart. They also had a copy of John Simon’s Journey album, but as I already have a copy (found a few weeks ago at Tomorrow Records---see below), I left it for another person of exceedingly-good taste ;-).

- Tomorrow Records, 700 SE Hawthorne. A medium-sized shop, with a very diverse non-Rock inventory, particularly Jazz (though also plenty of Rock). They also sell 70’s-vintage mid-fi components, if you’re into Japanese receivers, Dual record changers, and JBL-type loudspeakers (I’m not). Great inventory, reasonable prices.

- 2nd Avenue Records, 400 SW 2nd Avenue. This place reminds me of the late-60’s hippie-era shops of my youth, though without the patchouli oil/skunk stink (thank God ;-). Kind of a mess, but with lots of records and associated parapherlania (t-shirts, etc.) at good prices. Very narrow isles inside, metered parking outside.

Of course a Google search will lead you to lots of others, but the above is a good start. Discogs is also a great source, though the seller’s adherence to grading standards varies somewhat.

As for record cleaning: IMO absolutely required if buying used LP’s. Do NOT play a used LP without a deep cleaning first! A vacuum-style cleaner from Record Doctor, Pro-Ject, or VPI, as a minimum.

And then you will need LP storage shelves. Check out the IKEA EKET for a cheap option. A 4-cube 27.5" square assembly for $60, better imo than the LP collector-favorite Kallax (more structurally stiff, with a back panel).

Michael Fremer did a little test whereas he played his copy of The Who Tommy kept in a tattered record jacket that he has played hundreds of times. The test proves that records are virtually indestructible if taken care of. It sounded as good as day one. The video can be seen on you tube, Analpg Planet. So don’t be afraid to play your records! Digitizing/recording them is unnecessary, unless you want to of course, which can also be fun.

The albums I have from when I was a teenager… not well cared for generally, sound fantastic. I use a Nessie record cleaner and use Last treatment. My current turntable stylist drops deeper into the groove and produced great sound even from most of those albums. 

Last Record Preservative is a great product, which I have been suing since it was introduced. So is Stylast. Last founder Walter Davies was my first high end dealer, when he had a little shop in Livermore, CA.