Category: So-Called Radio Humor || By

It's funny, but whether I'm on AM at 620 or FM at 88.3, I'm always at the low end of the dial.

I'm in the shallow end of the gene pool, too.

Here's a clip from today. "Enjoy."

Groundhog Day interview, WRCT, Feb. 2, 2008 (MP3, 3.9 MB)

. . .

By the Way: That's a close-up of the dial on my circa 1967 Scott Stereomaster 382-8, which is my workaday stereo at home. I've got a Panasonic DVD player and some other gear connected, and it will do whatever I want, including play MP3s.

Here's a consumer tip for you: If you're looking for a really sweet-sounding stereo set-up at a low price, bypass the overpriced, plastic "home theater" stuff at Best Buy and Circuit City, and scour the thrift stores and flea-market for vintage gear. I bought a nice 1960s H.H. Scott tuner-amplifier years ago at Eastland Mall's flea market, and it turned me onto the bargains available in vintage audio iron.

I'm not talking about the real "high end" vacuum tube powered stuff for which golden-ears audiophiles pay hundreds of dollars. I'm talking solid-state, American-, German- and Japanese-made hi-fi equipment that you can usually get for $20 or less.

Buying mid-1960s and early 1970s Scott, Fisher, Marantz, Rotel and Pioneer hi-fi equipment (in working order) will give you a high-quality, easy-to-use sounding stereo system for not a lot of bucks. Some of the early '60s Magnavox stuff is nice, too. (Avoid 1960s and '70s consumer-grade hi-fi equipment, like RCA, Zenith, Westinghouse, GE, Emerson, etc.)

Of course, by buying vintage stuff, you lose out on features like remote control and digital tuning. But you gain AM and FM tuners that sound better than most modern stereos, along with extremely simple controls.

Plus, most of the brands that were considered "high end" in their day will support things like multiple sets of speakers and inputs, just like the expensive new stuff, so you can easily connect CD or DVD players or a TV with audio output.

If you can repair minor electrical problems, you're in excellent shape, because these beasties rarely need more than a thorough cleaning and maybe the replacement of a capacitor or a solder joint. Otherwise, there are plenty of people on the Internet who work on vintage stereo equipment; some better TV-radio repair shops will even take a shot at it. It's not terribly complicated to repair (though admittedly, some parts are becoming difficult to find, especially certain transistors).

Wow, was that geeky enough for you? I think I better quit while I'm ahead.