Awesome console Marty!

It's fun to think about how many people learned about music listening to these old stereos. And how our perceptions of what sounds good is likely based on some of these units. I love listening to music of the period on them, and often think that the music sounds the way it was meant to on these.

"You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"

Nokie wrote:

Nokie wrote:

Sonichris wrote:

Awesome console Marty!

It's fun to think about how many people learned about music listening to these old stereos. And how our perceptions of what sounds good is likely based on some of these units. I love listening to music of the period on them, and often think that the music sounds the way it was meant to on these.

Thanks Chris. I just looked at your amazing collection. They are to die for!!

Part of why I like to hear the old recordings on this system is the listening orientation. The console experience was never about sitting in the middle of the room with a remote control selecting tracks and trying to determine if all 5.1 speakers of the surround sound system were operating properly. I do love 5.1 recordings but this is a different thing. With a console back in the '60's and '70's, I was always sitting on the floor just a foot or two in front of the system, changing albums, adjusting volume, bass and treble, etc... It put the music more in your face and I loved it. I'd forgotten that experience but it all came back after I refinished this one this year. -Marty

"Hello Girls!"

Last edited: Jul 23, 2015 14:54:21

Sonichris wrote:

^ yes!

Listening to LP's on an old stereo is a very active experience. Reading the covers, removing the record, possibly dusting it off, putting it on the turntable, flipping it over, fiddling with the knobs. The smell of the tubes, learning each song on each side. It's very different from the way we listen to most music today.

Yeah, I'll go along with those additions to the point. I would say the convenience of modern formats takes a lot out of the experience but maybe I should say it changes the focus of the experience. For example, one could argue that the digital age is ideal for dance music - another active but very different involvement in the music. If the focus is on dancing, no one is looking at album art - it's more functional and an mp3 is fine. On the other hand, the old console experience was not ideal for dancing as the stomping in the room and/or increased bass and drums could jump the needle. The console was more for the listening and involving oneself in the album experience that included the artwork, the smell of the old cardboard, the dedication to reducing static and giving proper weight and anti-skate to the stylus as well as the other things you mentioned. -Marty

"Hello Girls!"

My dad brought one of these back from Singapore in the late 60s, but without the tape deck.

My first memories of being aware of it are back in the early 70s listening to my Dad putting on the LPs of Rubber Soul and Mann Made Hits.

It's now under my mother's staircase and she won't let me liberate it.

morphball wrote:

I grew up with these big audio system furniture pieces, and now that I'm 41 and not so impressed with LED's and blinking lights, I really miss them. As a kid, there was one in every house where I spent significant time in, and I still remember borrowing my Dad's Chet Atkins and my Mom's Elvis records and just zoning on the floor. I'm especially in love with old Grundigs right now, and hope I can find one to restore (and possibly to make some tasteful updates for CD and MP3 playback). Anyone using one for their listening rituals? Did you install new speakers, turntables, etc.? Does anyone think old record players are at all damaging to records?

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Indeed, some of the old turntables that don't have weight controls on their tone arms are not ideal for records. If that's the type of player you have, its best not to play your better records on it and reserve it for records from the dollar bin. The picture of my Fisher console (a few posts back) is misleading as I show it with a Chet LP. It in fact does not have a turntable anymore. When I acquired the well worn system, the turntable was gone. I opted to put a CD changer in the place of the turntable. I play the CD version of the Chet LP from the Bear Family box set as well as Ventures CD's as I ponder the respective LP cover art. A turntable in a console is not great as the close proximity of the speakers contribute significantly to rumble when the volume goes up. You have to watch the bass and loudness settings.

Alternatively, I could have put a reel to reel deck in the console to make it more of a '60's experience. I like the looks of those posts that show that variation. I do have a couple of reel to reel decks and a good number of reel tapes but I'm too lazy to deal with 'em and I can achieve the old experience with out the downsides using the CD player. -Marty

"Hello Girls!"

Last edited: Jul 24, 2015 16:17:43

Thanks Mike! it was fun to build, despite my injury, which BTW, WAS a fretting finger, my index finger on my left hand. It's my favorite finger, since I'm left handed. 3 months later, it's finally starting to feel like MY finger again. Playing guitar was painful at first, and uncomfortable for quite a while. I suffered though gigs, but playing for fun wasn't fun, and I haven't played as much as usual. It's finally getting better.

I kind of wish I had spent more time matching the new speakers to the old cabinet, but after I cut myself, I just wanted it finished, and pushed to get it done. I was also disappointed that the grill cloth I ordered didn't match even a little. Still, I really like the finished piece, and use it almost every day.

"You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"

Always enjoy a look back to these audio delights. I was a component guy but my rig was stolen years ago: Marantz 2220B, Duel 1019, Acoustic Research 2ax. Gone but not forgotten. There was nothing like the blue am/fm dial, the gyro tuning wheel, the meters telling when you were locked into a strong signal while the "stereo" light lighted up.

Happy Sunsets!