Its about time LP's made their come back. I haven't bought a Cr@ppy Dum? yet and do not own a CD player. I am in the market for a new stereo console or a GOOD repairman to tune "Old Betsy" up out here in the Boondocks. Any Ideas?

I live in Calif. but usually get back to the Twin Cities once a year. I have old radios, record players & lots of old records but like the new stuff too. If you want sources in the Twin Cities for old radio & phonograph repair, go to the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in St Louis Park & the Northland (Antique) Radio club for info to find out who is repairing & selling them.

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The AV surround sound system you have doesn't do LP justice. You need a good 2 channel amp and even better a late 70's early 80's receiver like a Pioneer SX series. Back then watts were really something and amps were built like tanks.

I have a few thousand LP's, 8 tracks an other 45's, 78's and now you can record those LP's to CD's and have the original sound, you can't find it better, don't have room all the players and record's so the CD's work out great. You can not beat the old LP music.

I'm not sure if he's still around but when I lived in Mpls I'd go to Dinkeytown by the UM campus to see Jerry Rankin (I think that's the name) -- "The Needle Doctor" or all things turntable. They really know their stuff! Not inexpensive but my LPs sound great!

As readers of Rolling Stone probably already know, Vinyl sounds more realistic and 'live' than CDs. It is not engineered the way modern CD's / MPs are engineered - which are missing digital signals on cheap tinny MP3s, and over-amped on every sound level on some CDs. There is no 'air' there, as they say, on CDs. They are portable, like casette tapes, which is their use. My 19 year old daughter bought a turntable at the Needle Doctor, and she's joined her old Dad in listening. Cover Art, actually turning the record over, (IE you have to pay attention...) and better sound (I have 6 speakers and old heavy amps, one a tube amp) make this music sound live, not just 'loud.'

I read this story with interest and bemusement. At Cheapo Records we have one the largest collections of vinyl in the country and have offered it continuosly since 1972. Used LP’s have always been a fun and economical way to build a music collection. It is refreshing to see a new generation of music fans take an interest in vinyl records and I certainly hope that continues, but it’s not as if the records ever went away. Pat

If you want to get started try freecycle.com craigslist.com or ebay in that order. (Freecycle might turn up all this stuff for free!) Pick up an old Technics Turntable, a preamp, Dynaco Stereo 70 Tube Power Amplifier, and a pair of Klipsch Heresys with horn tweeters and midranges. You'll be very pleased with the sound and probably be able to listen to gear that costed many $1000's for $0 to $600 depending on your luck. There is a lot of this stuff in closets around the city. Enjoy.

Perhaps I'll go dig my turntable out from the basement and give my old vinyls a spin.