· By Tel Ganesan
VINTAGE RECORD PLAYERS (Demo)
Carpentry work goes beyond hard and dirty labor to thoughtful, thorough analysis of how surfaces will best host the work. How deep will the shelves go? Will we build a floor to support a record player that needs a shelf of its own? Vintage electronics collectors build records, but can we build them to sustain them for the years to come? Or are those things destined to break and end up in a dumpster? The album is the sonic representation of time and memory. You wouldn’t buy a brand new record player with the intention of shredding vinyl, would you?
In a vintage vinyl record, the first groove is typically in a thick layer of plastic, vinyl glue, or tissue paper. A vintage record player needs a robust and consistent environment. It needs to be treated with care so that it doesn’t develop micro-dust and scratches and will also need some ventilation to clear the debris and live noise from its microscopic bits. I hope to build a record player to resist hard wear, but won’t require it to be perfectly pristine or perfectly symmetrical. Vintage turntables aren’t perfect either, so I won’t demand a perfect vinyl surface either. I want the player to be able to be used, for as long as it can, for anyone’s pleasure. But that should be the way it is. Every table and record player I have built has required research and experience, and it’s great to create new and exciting new designs, especially when they come with new ideas. I’m glad vintage players have been around long enough that the attention to detail and design has become possible.
Update: I have since removed the photos of my current record player build, as I’ve come to an agreement with a vintage turntable manufacturer that allows my custom design to use their vintage patterns. It’s a great deal for both parties! You can see their pictures of vintage tables and record players here. You can read about the entire arrangement, including details on how I got this deal, on my blog.
Update #2: These tables, this place, are actually in Pennsylvania. You may be able to get them closer to you, depending on your location.
Update #3: I have removed all photos of my current build, as it is now complete and I am starting work on a new table. I’m hoping to bring the new table to my local swap meet or DIY store soon, and to share more of my findings and designs.
Update #4: All of the steps and research of the record player were eventually documented in the book Piano Projects by Patrick Drumm and Walter Pennington. This book is available from my local indie bookstore, Smash Books, for $20 (US).
And if you are wondering about my other audio-related projects…
I created the Quintant turntable in 2009. The Quintant is a retro record player, a record player built from vintage records. This is a design that still uses the original needle, the ceramic encasement, and even the stylus. It features a vintage pocket-sized amplifier that features a line-in for playing vinyl records from vintage players, a vintage vintage tone arm, and a vintage vintage vintage player. The Quintant’s record player is built from new materials, so it is not a fully self-built project like my current record player. It’s also not a true vintage turntable, as it relies on new analog circuitry.