The guide
The old record player, explained.
Plain answers to the things people ask about old record players: how they make sound, where they came from, how to look after one, and what to check before you buy. Put a record on while you read.
- 01How an old record player worksA record is a long spiral groove with the sound pressed into its walls. Everything on a record player exists to drag a tiny tip through that groove at a steady speed and turn the wiggles back into sound.
- 02Old record players through the erasFrom a tinfoil cylinder in 1877 to the turntable on your shelf, here is how “the record player” changed shape, decade by decade.
- 03Caring for an old record player (and your records)Old record players are tough, but rubber, needles and old electronics age. A little care keeps one playing, and keeps it from wearing out your records.
- 04Buying an old record player: what to checkA good old record player can sound lovely and last decades more. A tired one can chew records. Here is what to look for before you buy.
