The Vinyl Thread - Ropin the Wind - The Something Awful Forums

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > No Music Discussion > The Vinyl Thread - Ropin the Wind

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

CPL593H posted:

With the swirly it's not really intentional. I'm pretty sure the vinyl they use to make the disc is dyed black. I've only noticed this because I have a bright rear end light I use to inspect records before and after I clean then. Also a lot of records do turn out to be transparent. Old Mofi and Japanese pressings of stuff are a few off the top of my head. My copy of Power, Corruption, and Lies by New Order is also transparent when held up to light. It's kind of fun to find this stuff.

Certain pressings of Unknown Pleasures turn transparent purple under strong light, too. Mine doesn't.

Also, am I doing this right?

# ¿ Apr 4, 2021 23:01

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 01:34

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

CPL593H posted:

You're not doing it right, everyone else is doing it wrong.

If I'm honest with myself, I think I remember buying one of these. Maybe.

pwn posted:

Y�all keep saying �transparent� when I�m pretty sure you mean �translucent�

Sorry. My copy of Unknown Pleasures still isn't translucent, tho.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2021 01:00

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Ballz posted:

A month or so ago somebody here posted about acid-free taping that can be used to help fix seam splits. Anyone got a link or more info on it? If I recall the adhesive is meant to be placed INSIDE the sleeve and helped reinforce it from any record rattling around inside.

Was it this?

# ¿ Apr 25, 2021 03:28

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Turbinosamente posted:

Oh come on, you can count on seeing every Herb Alpert record that isn't Whipped Cream too.

Anyone else come across dozens of Sing Along With Mitch albums, or is that just in my locality?

# ¿ May 3, 2021 01:16

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

So I got fixed last Thursday :sever:

, and I've been either seated or horizontal since. It's been a good reason to catch up on some listening. Because of the pain, malaise, or possibly gray-market opiates affecting my judgement, I thought I'd share.

Here's tonight in no particular order:

I haven't yet contributed much to the thread aside from admitting, with photographic proof, that I have four copies of Whipped Cream and Other Delights (I've since found another copy in my outcasts); does this count?

# ¿ May 25, 2021 04:09

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

I had a good weekend.

There's a local sale each Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day weekends run by a British ex-pat. He advertises by hanging up sequential song lyric signs Burma-Shave style, and always has a garage and multiple giant tents filled with cleaned, graded, and reasonably priced lps (and cds). I've yet to go away empty-handed or disappointed. This weekend he was joined by another set of guys on the other side of town with tents filled with a bit of curated stuff and box after box of dollar records. Unlike the usual, the dollar records weren't a complete waste of time(!);

A couple shops in the area have decent selections, but gouge gouge gouge, so I'm happy to have done well this weekend.

1$ Records (after cleaning, all are VG+, except for one of the Ventures records which still sounds pretty good):

8$-12$:
[img]https://i.postimg.cc/fWY49Hx7/45416-AB6-718-C-4116-9296-BEC38-FECCDA4.jpg][/img]

And the more expensive lps that were still pretty good deals:

Also, here's my storage setup for those who were asking for suggestions earlier in the thread. It was made by the amish; lps stick out a bit, but I still like it:

# ¿ Jun 3, 2021 02:30

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

RC and Moon Pie posted:

The live Ventures album has part of a superb version of Caravan. Here's the whole thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRXyWvyZJoA

Sweet Jesus, that solo. Why they cut to shots of Japan instead of showing Mel Taylor doing his thing is beyond me, but I love when they finally do cut back to the man after five goddamn minutes and he's still cool as the other side of the pillow.

Thanks for sharing.

# ¿ Jun 4, 2021 02:25

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

BigFactory posted:

The easy advice is to skip the 80s and go right to the 70s. Most of the big name brands made very solid, dependable decks. Unless you know what you�re looking for, quality dipped starting in the 80s.

My advice for people looking for vintage turntables is that simpler is usually better. Auto start and return are probably going to break on you at some point and you�ll be cueing manually anyways, so if you can find a deck that�s just a motor switch and speed selector you might be happy in the long run.

Second. I've had to convert malfunctioning automatic tables to sorta-working manual ones. It never works well-enough that you'll be happy with the results. Also, remember that shipping and turntables, unless they're professionally packed, don't generally get along.

The Walrus posted:

Not enough people recommend Fluance turntables in here - they're all in stock now and especially if you live in Canada they're the best price to quality ratio around. They also look sexy.

I have an RT85, and it's awesome. It's set up well from the factory (alignment!), and the Ortofon Blue cart is worth the price of admission. It also comes with a pair of white cotton gloves so you can feel extra-fancy whilst setting the thing up.

I'm a little biased, as it's the first turntable I've owned that wasn't used, broken, cobbled-together, or brought back to life. Still happy, tho.

Edit: the speed monitoring/control is also excellent. I have absolute pitch, so when a turntable is off it drives me bonkers.

Pretzellogic fucked around with this message at 02:31 on Jun 9, 2021

# ¿ Jun 9, 2021 02:12

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

I'm on vacation, and both the wife and I enjoy digging through thrift stores. Found a Goodwill that had, along with Firestone Christmas and Sing Along With Mitch, a bunch of Paul Revere and the Raiders albums. They were trashed, natch, but one stood out:

Someone either really hated �I'm Not Your Stepping Stone,� or they hated someone who loved it. I've never seen such tactical destruction.

It's just mean.

Pretzellogic fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Jul 1, 2021

# ¿ Jul 1, 2021 01:22

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

beeker posted:

no record shelf is complete without a "weird" section!

Amen to that. My "Church-thrift" section has some of my most interesting stuff. Where else can you find endless amounts of Hawaiian music, a similar amount of organ music, some dude shredding on a banjo, Japanese easy listening, Brazilian covers of pop music, and a whole subsection of state-sanctioned Soviet pop albums pressed at the glorious Medal of Lenin-winning Aprelevka Record Plant?

Spinning tonight (in the 40ish minutes I've got):

# ¿ Sep 9, 2021 00:41

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

petit choux posted:

Who dat?

Vaporwave

CPL593H posted:

Somehow not a one of you has mentioned Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk.

Is this close enough?

# ¿ Sep 9, 2021 04:42

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

hexwren posted:

part of the thing with vinyl was that there was a sense of discovery, I could go to three different goodwills and a savers and look through the records and find different things and consider what I might want and would have to be satisfied only buying a couple things

now the records are picked clean daily by internet auction vultures, the only thing left is sandblasted wasp hymns and sleeveless easy listening - if even that

i don't even really bother very much any more.

When thrift store digging, embrace the weird. You're not going to find a VG+ Funhouse or mono Beatles album, but after you get past the endless Judy Collins, Sing Along With Mitch, and Ray Coniff Singers, there's still interesting stuff there. I'm partial to Hawaiian music, though, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Vultures are gonna vulture, and their grabbing stuff can even be seen as (kinda) a good thing, as said albums are entering the marketplace again and might be bought and loved, instead of languishing in a display case next to a sunny window or stacked horizontally until they're warped beyond saving.

Example: the owner of one of my local shops has been telling me to check out his satellite location in the corner of one of those enormous antique places off the thruway for years. When I finally wen a couple weeks ago, I found thousands of in-good-shape and clean albums priced $3-$8, and a 50% off all vinyl sale. Cue me stopping there after work for a half hour each day for two weeks, gradually working my way through the stacks and walking away with 10-15 albums each time. I've picked up a ton of mildly obscure 80s and 90s indie rock, mostly from Hoboken NJ, and lesser-known garage and psychedelia albums, all in good to great shape.

Moral of the story: don't lose hope. Record stores still have bargain bins, and Crate-digging can still yield results; it just takes more work to keep ahead of the bastards, and a commitment to weirder stuff. Keep the faith.

# ¿ Nov 18, 2021 02:02

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

hexwren posted:

i dunno if I'm putting across how dire things are here. like, no. around here, when you go to the thrift store, there are about five to ten records' worth of hosed-up cottage cheese people singing about jesus in the 1950s, a couple not-even-kaempfert-level easy listening discs, all run over by the sandpaper truck in the parking lot, and that's it. it takes about eight seconds to go through the available records in a given thrift store here.

i am absolutely willing to buy some wonky "playing mantovani on a hammered dulcimer" record or dumber and weirder than that. I own multiple rod mckuen albums. it's not that my standards are too high, it's that the records are gone

the thrift environment here (austin tx) is one where there are no records to even consider. the record stores are fine and I enjoy shopping in them, but that's a whole different thing

Oh. drat. That sucks.

On the Yes/Wakeman/Prog chat: I find myself beginning to appreciate progressive rock more as I cruise into middle-age. Is this normal? I feel like there should be some sort of "talk" given to those watching their youth dissolving away and finding that they're going through changes, like affinities for odd time-signatures and appreciation for architecture.

My ears feel funny.

# ¿ Nov 18, 2021 16:22

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Read After Burning posted:

CPL593H, it finally happened. I've been listening to records since March 2020, and as I'm sure the thread knows by now, I'm nowhere near an audiophile. However, the other day....it happened!

My first moment of audiophilia (that felt nasty to type): The first half of Side A of the latest release of the Tron: Legacy OST sounds like rear end! >:| Strange (almost rhythmic) fuzzy static-y bits in some of the quiet parts, and even a couple of pops! I cleaned the disc several times, so I'm pretty sure it's just the pressing itself. I then spent a few minutes complaining to my partner about how this was no doubt due to Disney just wanting a quick buck and not giving a poo poo about quality. I felt like I was channeling you for a bit.

I know, I know, you're thinking "No poo poo, dummy, don't buy poo poo like that" but dammit, I like this soundtrack a lot. Thankfully, the second half of Side A sounds a lot better. I was just bummed that all the strange noises interrupted my scheduled "Ooh, here come the goosebumps" when the synths start up in The Grid. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFXYuw96d0c&t=46s)

Anyone else get the latest reprint of the OST, and if so, does yours also sound pretty lame? Looks like a few folks on Discogs say they got the same thing, although other folks' apparently sound fine.
https://www.discogs.com/release/21293563-Daft-Punk-TRON-Legacy-Vinyl-Edition-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack

Got one for Christmas; it sounds pretty bad. From the needle drop it sounds like there's schmutz in the grooves: a rhythmic grinding that kills the sound. I took it off after a minute or so.

# ¿ Dec 28, 2021 20:32

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

BigFactory posted:

its a galaxie 500 kind of day

Apologies if you've answered this before; what make/model turntable is that?

# ¿ Mar 20, 2022 03:37

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

wa27 posted:

I just went to a garage sale, picked out three records (Switched on Bach, Nancy Sinatra's Boots, and Sugar). Then I waited five minutes while the guy looked each of them up on eBay and told me it was $35 for the three...

�and your reply?

# ¿ Apr 2, 2022 18:40

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

midge posted:

Over the last decade yard sales, thrift stores, etc have all become near pointless. They've turned from a place of "I really need to get rid of some of this poo poo" into "people are willing to buy my treasure!" - I've given up. Some hobbies like knitting, crafts, etc you'll find someone offloading poo poo, but *COLLECTIBLES* , which is a broader term now then ever, you can mostly forget it.

As long as there's been yard/garage sales, there have been those that don't understand that the transaction is supposed to be a "here, you take this away" situation. As a seller, you're supposed to get rid of your crap; any money made is a nice bonus. I still look, and you can still find cool stuff (just got a working 8mm projector for ten bucks this weekend), but there are always those akin to that old woman at the garage sales on Evergreen Terrace: "NINETY DOLLARS!"

I once had someone tell me that the high sale price of an item was due to its "sentimental value." THEN WHY THE gently caress ARE YOU SELLING IT?

My Lovely Horse posted:

My semi-related problem is I keep wanting to look up stuff on records in shops (is it the original release, how was this album received, stuff like that) but I'm afraid if the owner catches me with my phone out they'll think I'm price matching them on discogs.

I've never known them to care. Also, so what if you are? If you were to then start waving your phone around and trying to haggle with them, they might begin to care, but a quick price check to see if it's worth purchasing isn't a big deal.

If I'm in a shop and on discogs, it's usually so I can check before I purchase something that I don't already own it. Middle-aged decrepitude continues to turn parts of my brain to tapioca, and a quick "wait a minute" check has kept me from double-dipping no less than three times in the past year.

# ¿ Apr 3, 2022 04:02

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

petit choux posted:

Uhaul "small" size boxes are perfect for records. Heavy when full!

Most liquor boxes are the perfect size for records, and are smaller/less heavy when full. Also: free!

# ¿ May 31, 2022 20:52

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Game-Blouses posted:

As I wait for the repairs on my turntable to be completed, it�s probably a good time to get some basic things for operation and maintenance.

Any recommendations on a static brush, sleeves (I think I saw mofi was preferred), entry level cleaning stuff, etc.?

Any carbon fiber brush should be good. This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071DWG4C8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've had good luck with this weird gel goo stylus cleaner, but many just gently drop their stylus onto a piece of magic eraser.

Mofi sleeves are the bees knees, but these sleeves are nearly as keen (and cheeper, like the budgie):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CV42DNB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you want to clean records, Spinclean is probably your best bet without breaking the bank. I have a �Vinyl Record Washer" like this one that works just as well, but if you buy off-brand you need to ditch whatever cleaning fluid that comes with it and buy Spinclean's stuff, so it might be worth your while/cash to just go full Spinclean.

Edit: I forgot outer polyethylene sleeves. These are good.

Pretzellogic fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Jun 10, 2022

# ¿ Jun 10, 2022 01:09

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

CornHolio posted:

Are slipmats worth it? As in, do they do anything?

Rubber, Cork, and Acrylic generally keep static down. They also make leather ones, but I've no experience with 'em. Said things are not technically slipmats, as they're not designed to let the record slide around, but they're sometimes referred to as such. Actual slipmats are usually felt; they look neat, but usually increase static.

I have both cork and acrylic ones I've made over the past year or so. I'm partial to this cork one on my backup turntable, as it's one of the geekiest things I've ever made:

# ¿ Jun 22, 2022 21:42

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

lament.cfg posted:

That's your backup tt?

Well, secondary. It's the one beside my bed.

I don't have a problem.

# ¿ Jun 22, 2022 23:01

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

CPL593H posted:

Welcome to the thread. Your copy of Whipped Cream and Other Delights is already on its way.

I never got mine.

# ¿ Aug 31, 2022 01:57

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

funk_mata posted:

It was sent straight to your local thrift store. That is where you will find them.

Oh. In that case, I probably picked it up at some point.

# ¿ Sep 2, 2022 03:20

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

I remember seeing an automotive ad that used only the first line of the Dandy Warhols' �Bohemian Like You,� and then awkwardly cutting to a bunch of �Cause I like you/Yeah, I like you� and "whoo ooh ooos."

Fake edit: found it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm3A4uKbM6U

Also, using �Pink Moon� to sell Volkswagen Cabriolets is a little tone deaf. I know the song sounds pretty and lyrics are open to interpretation, but whatever the song's talking about, it ain't good.

# ¿ Sep 5, 2022 22:19

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Turbinosamente posted:

Man all I got by her IS Switched on Bach. Anyways latest pickups from the thrift store are thus:

I'm fully expecting 3/4 of these to suck. Something new for the shelf of local folks at least, I can slot it it next to Chuck Mangione. Armand is best known as one of the owners of the House of Guitars store here, btw.

Met Armand at The HOG once as a kid. I told him I liked his Christmas commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UhSzcm7Hfc

Can't believe you fond those at a thrift store and not Record Archive or something.

# ¿ Sep 9, 2022 21:26

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Turbinosamente posted:

I am a terrible native to Rochester as I've never been to HOG and only ate a garbage plate semi recently too (wasn't even from Nick Tahou's- extra shameful). And yeah, it's weird what pops up in the Webster Savers. That's where I got a pristine copy of Triumph- Never Surrender some years back too. I can only figure that somebody out there is a big fan of 60s art rock when it comes to the Armand records. Some different Herb Alpert albums were in the racks too but I didn't want to risk the scratches on one.

Best place for a garbage plate is Mark's Diner on Monroe. Also, get to the HOG if you can, if only for the insane amount of memorabilia on the walls. Unless you've OCD, ad the bottom floor will make your skin crawl (and it's actually improved in the past decade).

End Rochester stuff.

Tonight's finds/listening, with at least two plucked and cleaned due to recent conversations here:

Also, how the hell does one get a gang tag to work?

# ¿ Sep 12, 2022 00:12

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

petit choux posted:

Aldo Nova LOL What's the bottom right?

Yeah, Aldo Nova was a blind buy at a Goodwill. Bottom right is Purples - Nancy

pwn posted:

You buy an avatar, where you enter your title text is where the magic happens

Here is the Crosley Crew code you would add to your title, for example
code:
[timg]https://fi.somethingawful.com/images/gangtags/crosleycrew.gif[/timg]
Often when a tag is born a mod or admin will give them out but you can add whatever you want to your title, is

Thanks!

# ¿ Sep 12, 2022 05:07

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Background: I buy a lot of records at Thrift stores/yard sales, then I store them until I get a chance to clean and listen to them. Been on a run recently.

Tonight:

Also, I need to learn how to take more legible photos.

# ¿ Sep 13, 2022 00:14

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Jim Silly-Balls posted:

Grabbed another interesting one while I had the camera out

Really wish someone wouldnt have slapped a sticker on it

Most record shops I've known use lighter fluid, specifically Ronsonol, to remove stickers. Soak the sticker with a q-tip/cotton ball/paper towel, let it sit, and then gently remove the sticker and any remaining goo. Ronsonol dries completely and doesn't leave a stain on the cover.

Make sure you don't get lighter fluid on a record, tho.

edit: I've also heard that a hairdryer will work, but I've never tried it.

Pretzellogic fucked around with this message at 13:58 on Sep 16, 2022

# ¿ Sep 16, 2022 13:55

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Pretty good weekend:

CPL593H posted:

This probably sounds corny but I kinda like the stickers or names written on them sometimes. It's like the record has a history. IT's cool to think about how many times the records have changed hands over the years. If there are two copies of the same record in the same condition and one has a beat up cover I'll obviously choose the nicer cover. But if you want a nice pristine album cover then don't buy records that are decades old I guess.

With you on this one; I only remove price stickers (and occasionally pot seeds). Otherwise, whatever's stuck/written on there stays. It's part of collecting old things: you're almost always collecting someone else's collection. I've always enjoyed whatever history comes with a personalized album. For instance, the Nazz album above came with some nice handwritten lyrics:

# ¿ Sep 19, 2022 04:50

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

CPL593H posted:

How do you just not notice a monthly charge on your bank statement for three years?

CPL593H posted:

And this guy just seems like a loving moron

That just about covers it.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2022 02:57

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

The Senator Giroux posted:

Their performance of Uncontrollable Urge on Fridays was so loving good.

You are a warm and beautiful human. That is how I feel.

Pretty good weekend:

That last one has an interesting backstory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flecj2Tkflc

# ¿ Oct 24, 2022 04:06

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

CPL593H posted:

Can you really even call it a thrift store record section without Johnny Mathis?

My experience:
- Mantovani and His Orchestra
- Percy Faith and His Orchestra
- Sing Along With Mitch
- Firestone Christmas albums
- late Judy Collins albums (including that one)
- at least two Barbara Streisand albums
- Herb Alpert!
- something about Buick and/or Dynagroove
- Ray Coniff singers
- Andy Williams
- Jim Neighbors
- Al Hirt
- The Four Freshmen/Kingston Trio/Lettermen
- ORGANS!
- 1-3 really good albums you've been looking for that turn out to be unplayable

# ¿ Nov 7, 2022 01:47

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

petit choux posted:

The ORGANS, some of those are really cool. Organs were what we had before they invented synths. Instead of measuring LFO period, they measured the tubes and the stops. I think I found the ultimate one when I got that Bach collection a few weeks back.

Also, that tartan smoking jacket is dope.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2022 05:26

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

CatBlack posted:

I don't really like thrift stores either. If i want some classic rock, i'd rather just pay 20 dollars for a pristine repress. If I want something more specific, the thrift store isn't gonna have it.

But you don't know what you want until you find it. In the thrift store.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2022 23:27

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

My RT-85 has an auto-stop that kicks in about thirty seconds after hitting the runout groove. Good for the sleepy, forgetful, or chemically influenced.

# ¿ Nov 16, 2022 02:57

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

Dead Goon posted:

I get my HumminGuru tomorrow!

I am so excited to ultrasonically clean some records!!

Although I might not because I haven't got any nice new, clean inner sleeves to use.

These are good: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CV42DNB

Let us know how well the HumminGuru works.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2022 19:57

Pretzellogic: Mar 4, 2005; "I wouldn't..."

CPL593H posted:

Pretty much anything that doesn't use a liquid and/or a vacuum is snake oil bullshit. I've heard from people that the wood glue method works but never first hand. I personally wouldn't try it because it sounds like a huge pain in the rear end and more importantly there's a high potential for it to leave behind residue that ends up on the stylus.

Wood glue was my main method of cleaning records before getting a generic spin-clean. It is a massive pain in the rear end, and takes too long a time, but it does a good job of grabbing and lifting nastiness out of the grooves. Creates static when peeling the dried glue off, though.

# ¿ Dec 11, 2022 22:08