2. analog
  3. 1429663926

Recommendation for a 12 year old

So a very good friend of mine's daughter is all into the vinyl scene. I took her to Amoeba Records here in Los Angeles and she picked out some Beatles, some AC/DC(!),and some Nirvana. Guess she's a rock and rolla at heart...gotta love that.

Anyway, she has a turntable that her mom purchased that ran a hundred dollars or so, and as you might imagine it does a fine job of finding it's own way around the records. Groove...what groove?!

So my question is this: What turntable would you recommend to a twelve year old that doesn't completely thrash her records? I am guessing that it should be an automatic or semi-automatic TT to ease with the placement and removal of the tonearm on/off the record. Something used and easy to find. Hopefully loaded with its own cartridge as well.

Any ideas?

GLR
glrtrgi
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,800 posts
 
I would go with new. I have had little luck with the reliability of used, older turntables.

In one of my systems, I have an Audio Technica AT-120LP available for $250 with free shipping from a number of eBay sellers. It has a built-in preamp, a decent sounding cartridge, and is built like a tank. She will have this turntable through high school and possibly college. It is a manual turntable, but I don't think that is an issue to a generation of kids that would be accustomed to using iMacs and iPods and iPhones and iEtc.

I am a big believer in starting kids out early with decent equipment that produces decent sound. It is how an appreciation for good sound can start.

Rich
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Buy her a DJ turntable like Technics SL 1210 mk2 fully manual and then you will see. Technics is hard to beat, it's like a tank! Kids alsway tryin' to "learn" how it works and only with this turntable she could do a backspin and even scratch with dj needles like shure m447. You will be totally safe as this table/needle is hard to broke and parts are cheap.
jrinkerptdnet
430 posts
 
not sure about a 12yr old and a "manual" turntable ... last time I saw a 12yr old who was very careful with anything was, was, hmmmm ... not sure I have ever seen a careful 12yr old! And then you have the "friend factor" ... those obnoxious little ones who pal around with your eh-hem "careful" 12yr old.

Stick with the best "do no harm" $100 semi-auto, fully-auto or linear tracker you can afford from the used market. Maybe a P-mount type so the kid has nothing to fiddle with.

My 2 cents is worth .... 2 cents
ebm
9,311 posts
 
TW Acustic Black Night w/10.5 tonearm.
glrtrgi OP
69 posts
 
Thank you to those who posted reasonable and reasoned responses. I will begin my hunt and am hoping that I have a budding audiophile on my hands. A big responsibility for sure!!Thanks again.
More to discover