2. vintage
  3. 162360-2319

Roots, ie: how did your music/sound/audio life/listening begin?

With all the high-end I have had, Magnepan, ARC, Bryston, Conrad Johnson, and many others....my music listening beginning was very humble.  For Christmas when I was about 11, or so, my parents bought me a "higher end" Montgomery Ward table radio and a small "transistor" radio for under my pillow to go to sleep by.  Many "things" throughout the years, but that table radio was the beginning...and it was Rock and Roll.  WLS out of Chicago, KAAY out of Little Rock, KIOA out of Des Moines....and more.  My maturation process began in the Air Force and my discovery of a love for Jazz and female vocals (a tip of the hat to time in New Orleans).  So I believe a Wards radio started my addiction.   It is either odd or crazy for me to have interconnects that cost more than some "systems" I have owned.  Of the other addictions or hobbies/interests I have had, audio has given me the lowest cost per hour and the most shared with family and friends.


whatjd
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,771 posts
 
My experience was very similar to yours. I got a Sylvania transistor radio when I was around 12 years old, @1958, and sleeping in a room that was detached from the rest of the house so my listening was completely unsupervised. We lived on the South Plains of Texas, 3000 ft. elevation, cloudless skies and very few radio stations close by. I could get AM stations from all over the country, depending on atmospheric conditions, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Nashville, Chicago, the border-blaster stations from along the Mexican border and others. So it was a mix of country, rockabilly, rock, blues and gospel, along with the 'put your hands on the radio' evangelists. It gave me an deep appreciation for all kinds of music, though any experience with classical came along considerably later.
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
There was always music, or an instrument, or someone singing in my mothers home... Just alway was... She played a mouth harp loved to dance and play, all my family would join in, washboard, spoons, tom toms, piano, guitar, the usual. We would gather around JBL Metrogons 1959-69, YUP... Mac and Thoren. Quite good... Dance, Dance, Dance.

When my father was home from the local WARS, he would join in..

I never new there was anything better than Mac for years... Still not a lot.. IMO

Regards
dbphd
1,633 posts
 
iI suppose it was my favorite aunt's RCA red seal recording of Jose Iturbi playing the Chopan Heroique Polonaise that first got my attention.  But it really was a neighbor's JBL C34 rear-loaded corner horn, Gerard changer, and amp with a separate power supply he designed and built that sent me off to the several shops in the west LA area.  IIRC, that was the early or perhaps mid-50's, and I was either a senior in high school or a freshman in college.  Hot stuff was Fisher, Macintosh, Concert Grands, and Patricians.  Of course I couldn't afford to buy anything, but I did modify my Fender guitar amp to work with my little RCA 45 player.  Then came Heathkits and home built speaker cabinets.

db
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Floating weightless, fascinating lights dancing, bending, sparkling. The most wonderful feeling in the world, beyond words. Literally. 

Until some few years later I heard my dad telling someone how Charlie (he always for some reason called me Charlie) was such a good swimmer because we took him to the pool when he was only a few days old. By this time I was old enough to understand the lights I had seen were the lights above the pool seen as my dad let me float and submerge.  

So that was the beginning, or as far back as I can recall anyway. Soundwise, already said it was the Seattle Symphony violinist in grade school, so no point repeating that one again.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
I got my first turntable for Christmas when I was 4 years old.
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