Hi y'all

[monodude]

Another newbie here. Male, 34, Dutch. Avid vintage vinyl collector and lover of good audio. Do freelance work as a soundtech, also work at a 2nd hand vinyl store.

Looking forward to share and read about experiences with tonearms, cartridges & pre-amps. I use Audio Technica's cartridges, three different ones.
The main reason why I like these -and some other- AT cards so much is their fine ability to track the difficult outergrooves of a record like no other cart out there (correct me if I'm wrong). After all, what's the point of investing money in vintage vinyl when you're not getting the most out of it?

Have been 'working' on my set-up for a couple years now. My current setup is by now means hi-end class-a, but it sounds good to my critical ears. Of course, there's always room for improvements and I have been making those step by step -when the budget allows it.

Thanks for reading.

Menno

[Reid Malenfant]

Hi Menno, welcome to AoS :) You'll fit in here like a tailor fitted suit with your love of vinyl, plenty of vinyl lovers on this forum as I'm sure you have gathered ;)

I hope you enjoy your stay here! All the best to you :cool:

[monodude]

Thanks Mark!

[jazzpiano]

Warm Welcome Menno! Love the Atco Buffalo Springfield choice - while I am mainly a jazz/classical fan, they are one of my nostalgic favorites, along with the Flying Burrito Brothers.

Best,
Barry

[monodude]

Thx Barry. Buffalo Springfield. Oh yeah, one of my all-time favs! Beautiful label too.

[Alex_UK]

Hi Menno - welcome from me too.

So - we know about your carts - but what about the rest of your system, and what do those Audio Technicas of yours dig out of the grooves - what's your music tastes?

Hope you enjoy the forum. :)

[monodude]

Hi Alex,

First Q, see below.

2nd: British and US pop/rock/psych bands (and a few singer/songwriters) from the 60's and early 70's. Some of my favs: Moby Grape, Dylan, Neil Young, Yardbirds, Love, PG's Fleetwood Mac, H.P. Lovecraft, Fab Four... etc.
I try to collect 'best sounding' pressings, rather than sticking to originals only. Most of the stuff from this era is heard best in mono (IMO) and that's the format I tend to gravitate to. I'm into matrix numbers and all that too, it has helped me greatly in determining what pressings I should get and which are to be avoided.

Cheers,

Menno

[jazzpiano]

Menno, please feel free to share your knowledge vis-a-vis pressings, where mono is best, etc. It is only in the last few years that I learned that many engineers regarded stereo as a gimmick and so put all their creative energy and sense of perfection into the mono pressings, and then just tossed-off the stereo versions. In jazz this was true from about the mid-50s till '59/'60, and after that the 'stereo' concept was embraced and worked with to get the best results.

Best,
Barry

[monodude]

Funny enough, I find a lot of jazz in stereo from the late 50's and first half of the 60's often not sounding half as dated and un-cohesive as with popmusic from that same era.
Not that I'm much of a jazz listener, just started putting a toe in the water (got some Miles, Coltrane, you know, beginner-stuff).
But I've made a habit of playing at least one unknown (to me) jazz album while working in the record store each week. Any special recommendation from the 50's and 60's, Barry?

Cheers,
Menno

[Wilbur]

Welcome Menno,big vinyl fan here too :)

[morris_minor]

Hi Menno,

Welcome from me also :)

I don't want to tread on Barry's toes here :eyebrows: but if you're looking for more jazz artists to check out, try Dexter Gordon.

If Miles's Kind of Blue appeals (modal jazz etc), then One Flight Up should be right up your street ... For a sample try Tanya.

Cheers,
Bob

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wstX3NjWL._SS400_.jpg

[jazzpiano]

Hi Menno,

The list would be extensive, so I'll start with a few that might be "grabbers" and this by no means is a cut - they are still great records:

* Charles Mingus - Tijuana Moods (RCA)
* Thelonious Monk - Monk's Music (Riverside)
* Bill Evans - Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Riverside)
* Jimmy Giuffre - The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet (Atlantic)
* Chico Hamilton - The Chico Hamilton Quartet (Pacific Jazz)

Best,
Barry :cool:

PS - No worries Bob, your suggestions are as good as mine, maybe better.

[morris_minor]

PS - No worries Bob, your suggestions are as good as mine, maybe better.

I doubt that :)

But certainly a +1 from me for Jimmy Giuffre and Thelonious Monk :cool:

[monodude]

Much appreciated guys (also the welcomes)! I may have to order some of these for the store, if we don't have them already.

Cheers,
Menno

[Barry]

I would recommend:

Thelonious Monk - 'Straight, No Chaser', Columbia Legacy CK 64886

Charles Mingus - 'Ah Um', Columbia Legacy CK 65512

as well as 'Reincarnation of a Lovebird'.

Check out Coltrane and Charlie Parker as well. Then there is Ben Webster, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakely, Bill Evans, .... The list is near endless!

Enjoy

[monodude]

Ah, thanks for that Barry. I'm sure those Legacy's are mid-priced, which makes a little easier and offer good value for money (with bonuses et al).

I tend to see 2nd-hand Ben Webster records fairly often, some Dutch-only live records too. He seemed to have quite an audience here.
Speaking of pressings that are limited to one country, we have a copy of this:

http://www.birkajazz.com/graphics2/newYorkContemp.jpg

A pretty rare record. I thought it sounds interesting. Quite experimental. How do you rate this?

[Barry]

Ah, thanks for that Barry. I'm sure those Legacy's are mid-priced, which makes a little easier and offer good value for money (with bonuses et al).

I tend to see 2nd-hand Ben Webster records fairly often, some Dutch-only live records too. He seemed to have quite an audience here.
Speaking of pressings that are limited to one country, we have a copy of this:

http://www.birkajazz.com/graphics2/newYorkContemp.jpg

A pretty rare record. I thought it sounds interesting. Quite experimental. How do you rate this?

I'm afraid I don't know of it. With a line up that includes Don Cherry and Archie Shepp, I would expect it to sound a little 'avant guard'.

If you like that sort of thing, then check out some of Ornette Coleman's work.

Regards

[The Grand Wazoo]

I second the vote for Dexter Gordon - 'Go' is my favourite, also 'Our Man in Paris'.

[morris_minor]

I've just been listening to some tracks by Art Pepper (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/art-pepper-p7311), whose name would be good to add to the list. Pepper maintained consistently good standards throughout his career despite a heroin addiction and numerous spells in prison. (Of course you could also say "because of" rather than "despite" I suppose .. .. )

Try Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61k6YBFpsfL._SS400_.jpg

or Art Pepper plus Eleven:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5127UN4kp-L._SS400_.jpg

[jazzpiano]

Bob is absolutely right on with the Pepper recommendations - He's the one I felt funny not putting on my short list. I'm partial to 'Modern Art' but this is an artist you want to explore broadly. Unfortunately, original pressing vinyl on Art Pepper (much beloved in the Far East) could require a special trip to the bank.

~Barry :)