Vinyl Lovers
After a marathon session of ultrasonically cleaning some of my vinyl treasures, I discovered that a few of them had what I'll call "skip-scratches" on various cuts. I have many more to clean (i.e. somewhere around 5 to 6 hundred, mostly original 60s & 70s LPs) and fully expect to encounter more bruised babies along the way, not all of which I'll probably replace with vinyl re-issues or re-pressings. Some of my all-time favorites, however, I definitely will want to replace, providing I can find good quality re-issues/re-pressings. I know there is much to learn about this, and I am just beginning to scratch the surface (no pun intended). For example, there are issues of so called "virgin vinyl", quality of the vinyl mix, thickness of vinyl, recording from original master tapes, if still in existence and in good condition, quality of the actual pressing process, etc., etc., etc.
So, I guess my question for you all who know much more about this than I, is where the best places are to buy the best quality vinyl re-issues or re-pressings. Local record shops are few and far between and most of them don't have much in the way of variety or stock in anything other than used records. I'm familiar with Discogs but, frankly, am reluctant to buy used records on-line because I don't entirely trust the purveyors' ratings and the endemic hassles of possible returns. Most of the re-issues/re-pressings I've purchased, thus far, have been from or through Music Direct. I've noticed that some of their offerings actually come from companies like: Island Records; Impex; RHINO and other sources.
So, what are some of your go-to, solid, reputable standbys?
Thanks Much!
Irvington Music in Portland Oregon has a vast collection of used classical records. All graded. Better Records sells vy expensive rock records. He listens to many copies of the same record to find the few that sound really great. It's enormously time consuming because he has to listen in real time and that's what you're paying for: his time so you don't waste your time. A few jazz and classical but mainly rock. |
I buy a lot from Discogs. I sort for price and condition. Then I look at seller ratings. Unless you can actually look at the media before purchasing, you’re taking a chance one way or another. I don’t expect 100% accurate, occasionally you may get a lemon. But for the ease, vast choices, ratings, there’s no comparison. |
@ghdprentice: I started using the Zerostat when it first came on the market. It was somewhat effective, but required one to squeeze and release the trigger v...e...r...y s...l...o...w...l...y. A real pita to use. When the Nagaoka Kilavolt No.103 was introduced I got myself one, and was pleasantly surprised by how much better it was. But it is unfortunately no longer in production. I now use the even better Furutech DeStat III. It is not cheap (typically selling for $310-$330), but after keeping an eye out for one on ebay, I snagged one new-in-the-box for $199. Highly recommended! |
Yeah, demagnetizers have different directions….squeeze trigger and slowly approach the vinyl careful not to make sudden movements…hover and slowly withdraw….. test by holding it next to your arm to see if the hair rises. on a side note, with 500+ albums how do YOU sort? my collection is 70% 60’s/70’s/80’s rock, then some jazz, mostly modern and progressive. So I sort kinda alphabetically…. Blind Faith goes together with Dave Mason, Steve Winwood, Traffic, Spencer Davis Group. Or Al Dimeola goes together with Chick Korea and Stanley Clarke. This system makes sense for me but with some artists the side collaboration tentacles just go all over the place.
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