noname875 Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 I'm looking at getting into vinyl with Christmas money, but being a pastor's son, money is tight. On that note, I would like to know what the bare minimum would be to play a vinyl record without scratching it. I can get better equipment later; for now, I'd rather save some money to actually buy records. You know, start a collection first, then get a decent setup.Any advice/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flood Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 if budget is an issue.. spend a little time combing goodwills or other thrift stores for vintage turntables & receivers.. you'll get way more for your money than the new entry level turntables currently on the market. you basically need a table, an amp, if the amp is newer you'll most likely need a phono pre amp and a set of speakers. hunt around at thrift shops/pawn shops/craigslist and you can probably find some cool stuff really cheap... and then maybe drop a little cash to get a new needle noname875 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuneout Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Check this out it has a lot of information that can help with a small-cost setup http://www.reddit.com/r/vinyl/comments/xs9yh/baller_on_a_budget_the_cheap_setup_thread/ Ignore the part about the Dayton speakers since those aren't as acclaimed as they used to be (quality of production went downhill since this was posted) I had the Lepai Tripath amp mentioned in this article and it worked great, cheap cost brand new but made really well. There's also a lot of information here http://boards.vinylcollective.com/topic/88504-beginner%E2%80%99s-guide-to-hi%E2%80%93fi/#entry1512901 your hardest part will probably be finding a good table, and if you're serious about the hobby you should expect to drop at least $200 on that alone, unless you start looking into vintage tables, but the link above also goes into that. noname875 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noname875 Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 So, my best option would probably be to find a vintage table, then. Any tips on how to tell if what you find is a good buy, or is buying vintage a stab in the dark? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuneout Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 It's hard. If you can ask around you might find that your parents or their friends may have an old one laying around. Those tables from the 80s are made to last. At least you can tinker with those and find out if they're working/get a feel for the technology and if it ends up not working well anymore at least you didn't spend money on it. I have not had the best of luck at thrift stores or rummage sales but I've seen a lot of success stories here and elsewhere. I have a vintage Technics now that my friend found and fixed up and it works like a dream, but it took a lot of trial and error messing with other tables to get to where I am now. It's an overwhelming (and expensive) hobby at first but it's better than putting $100 towards a portable Crosley that will sound like total garbage and end up turning you away from vinyl. noname875 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noname875 Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 Thank you both for the advice. I'll have to shop around some before deciding anything, I guess, but luckily I live in an area where I know many who might have old turntables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuneout Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 I'm a broke college student myself so I know the financial struggle but that reddit thread I linked has a ton of helpful comments worth a browse on how people built their first setup that didn't cost an arm and a leg. People here are always really helpful too, but good luck! I hope you're able to find one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jase Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 As a pastors son, just tell the flock at church god wants you to have a sweet rocking turntable. They'd be idiots to not give toward that. Seriously though, when thrifting for quality budget gear. The best indication is to lift it. If it feels heavy, there's a very good chance it's good quality. If it's plastic and lightweight move on. Speakers are an easy find, there are a ton of good quality vintage speakers about that really don't cost much. Again, just pick them up. If they feel heavy, buy them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flood Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 if theres a church bulletin that does ads, or a bulletin board.. post a notice that you're looking for record players... i know my grandparents all had sweet console based systems that i loved playing growing up.. you might be able to score something free for the cost of getting it out of their garage/basement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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