Greetings From Cheshire

[Analog Addict]

Hello one and all, found this site in a link from someone for whom I was repairing an A&R A60. As you can probably gather from my username, I'm quite fond of vintage kit and have quite a collection of old amps (valve & transistor), tape decks, turntables, tuners & speakers, that I've picked up or restored over 40 years of collecting (I'm a habitual hoarder who never throws anything away). Don't get me wrong there is a place for digital and I use the medium for my mobile disco.

Hope to be able to contribute in near future.:)

[Alex_UK]

Hi Frank, and welcome to our little corner of the web. Whenever I meet a Frank I'm always reminded of a rather terrible joke an old boss of mine used to tell (ad nauseum) - "should an engaged couple be frank & ernest - or should one of them be a woman?" - I laughed the first time, but after 9 years the joke did wear rather thin... ;)

You'll certainly find many of us with a fondness for the older kit, though I think it is fair to say there are a lot of digital heads here too, and plenty of DIYers - so as in all great communities, a good cross section of interests.

Mobile disco, hey - been there, done that, got the hernia from carting all the gear around, and a knackered record collection into the bargain - life on the road was hard on vinyl, so digital these days must be so much easier. I gave up about 15 years ago, but around 20 years ago at the peak of my "career" I was gigging so much I made myself ill (both physically and mentally) and put the day job in jeopardy, not to mention never seeing a Friday or Saturday evening - but earned almost as much in a year as I do now! I also used to have a few "residencies" at Clubs and Pubs to supplement the weddings, birthdays, engagements etc., and also worked with a local BBC radio station at outside broadcasts/roadshows. Very much enjoyed it, but I did laugh the other week when I went to a work friend's wedding - the music being played was literally in a Time Warp - all the old staples that I used to get people up on the floor were being trotted out (Grease Megamix, Come On Elieen, Love Shack etc.) and I was genuinely amazed that a) nothing much had changed and b) all the 25 year olds loved and knew every track!

Anyway, I've banged on for long enough, welcome to AoS, and hope you enjoy your stay.