Your First System

When I was 17 a retired friend of ours had a stereo that he had assembled and mouted in a pine box. Rather ugly. However, Once I paid $150 to him I found that he had an EICO HF85 preamp, an HF 90FM tuner with a multplex decoder all that he hand assembled, and a Pilot SA232 amp. The turntable was a top of the line early 60s Garrard which listed for over $200 in 1960. I snagged a couple of JBLs which ran me another $100 and a new Empire cartridge for $50 and I was ready to go. I never knew how fortunate I was to have all that collectable tube gear and a $300 system that I would envy today. I have been searching for that sound ever since. Go figure. By the way I purchased this in 1972 along with my first car, a 1967 Pontiac GTO. They were both sold in 1974 for what I paid for them. I hope someone still has both of them today. Anyhow I was a lucky teenager. I just did not know how lucky.

Mine must have been in the mid '60's. It was the first boom box I guess. I remember it was a textured grey suitcase looking thing with a handle on top. On the sides were the speakers, they hinged out and detached for better sound-staging! In the middle was a turntable that folded out of the "suitcase" housing and it was even nicely suspended. After a year or two it required a penny taped to the tonearm to keep it tracking!

My dad was a true influence on my requiring good equipment, NOT! I think he found it next to the camouflage waders at the corner five and dime.

Thanks for the thread, I have not thought of that thing for years.

jd

Pioneer 8 Track with matching speakers from 1973. Listened to this to death. In college, my Dad got me a pair of pro JBL monitors matched to a Dynaco Amp and a pro Sony cassette deck.

Around 1970, Sansui 3000A receiver, speakers were various drivers thrown together, turntable was an early Bogen, with a hand-made tonearm that would really get a good laugh if seen today. I forget which coins were used to balance the arm, front and rear. Counterweight was a mass of wood, hand carved, as was the head shell. There was no anti-skating. Cartridge was a Shure that cost around $19. I got the turntable from a friend who upgraded to a Lenco. Lamp cord for speaker wire. I was in heaven!

Late 1980s - Bare bones Technics receiver, Kenwood CD player, and Bose 201s.... ugh. I could have chosen some Baby Advents instead of the Bose... what was I thinking!?