No, not me, I'm not old enough (or rich enough). It's a piece of equipment that has served me faithfully for over 40 years.

Back in 1975, I was young, and had little money. I'd moved out of home and badly needed something to play music on. I scrimped & saved and finally got enough money together to buy myself a "sound system." I opted for a Sanyo system, that included an AM/FM radio (FM virtually unheard of in those days,) a turntable, and two (count 'em) TWO speakers. And a microphone input AND headphone jack. It was a piece of furniture- imitation wood grain and imitation brushed stainless steel. (these days it would be called a gramophone.) The following year I saved up & bought the tape (cassette) deck that was part of the "system."

Over the next years I used it at every opportunity, playing vinyls, cassettes, recording, and listening to the radio.

Over the years, the tape deck died, as did the turntable, and I replaced the speakers with better ones. But the tuner still worked fine.

Years later when I got back into music and got into Band In A Box, I used the tape deck input as an amplifier. When I finally bought a "real amp" I only used the Sanyo to listen to the radio, or to listen to TV (a stone age "theatre system.")

However, today I decided to put it out to pasture. I had a spare sound system that I installed into my music room, hooked it up to the TV, and can now listen to the radio without any static or hum.

But I couldn't bring myself to toss it into the rubbish (just yet?) I put it into my rack where it can sit & enjoy its retirement.
Sentimental... yes
Hoarder yes.
But every time I look at it I can remember the many hours that it has served me so well.

Enjoy your retirement, Mr Sanyo.

Has anyone else got any old equipment that they use regularly? (pre 1970 Fenders or Gibson's don't count )

Keith, I haven't got anything to put to pasture, but I sure can understand your feelings. That little system cost you a lot of hard earned savings, you loved it - and still do, and it gave you pride that you worked hard to purchase it and own it.

Sadly, we live in a 'chuck-it-out' world now. Too expensive to repair of maintain anything, and there's a better design right on the shelf.

Eventually, you might need the space. In the meantime, it's absolutely fine to leave it in the rack and when you look at it, reflect on all those great years of enjoyment it gave you. One day, but doesn't have to be today.

The other interesting thing is that if you can keep it long enough, one day it will be a collectors item.

I've got a few 1930's fully restored valve mantle radios and a fully restored valve radiogram (pre-war). All are in perfect working order. I don't ever use them, but I love what they do, and how their inventors shaped the technology we enjoy today. They were "inventing the future".

Trev

I have two in storage that still play that I don't discard because they play 8 track cassettes too. There's two boxes of 8 track cassettes to explore one day.

That Sanyo gear from the 70's was excellent, as were their speakers. If it were me, I'd look for a pair of matching Sanyo speakers and a used good condition turntable. They can be had cheap at garage (boot) sales, and your vinyl will never sound better. I have tons of 70's gear, and it still sounds fantastic.


Regards,

Bob

Know what you mean about that older equipment. Had a tape deck, tuner, equalizer, turntable all with wooden sides...actual real wood! Used to rub 'em down with teak oil every week! Nothing like electronics encased in wood. Those were the days.

As you can see from my sig below, I've still got a Yammie DX7II. Have to admit, I lust after the Motifs and that new Montage that was just announced, but in my heart just can't see myself ever giving up the DX...kinda display it like a badge of honor...I was there back then...but...we're just both antiques now.

Jeff

I actively use a much greater percentage of my older equipment than my recent equipment.

The older stuff, like my stereo system that hasn't changed since I set it up in 1976 in the dining room, sounds and works perfectly. A lot of stuff I bought for computer production of music is now in the storage room for lack of drivers.

If I have it and it still works, I still use it.

I have the tuner I bought back in 1970. And the speakers on it I bought from a buddy in the Marine corps when he was headed home and didn't have the room in his car for them. They are working out in the shed.

FM virtually unheard of in 75? Where were you living?

At that time, FM was in it's heady days of "album cut" rock stations here in the USA. I can remember finding WMMR FM in Philly on my transistor radio as a pre teen guitar player somewhere around the late 60's and realizing that they were playing the album long version of the songs as well as album cuts not heard in the top 40. I was hooked.

I kinda wish I still had many of the old amps I went through.... some were turds, but some are classics. Even the turds were cool in some way or another.

Australia I assume.

Back before that a buddy bought a "quadraphonic" system. We all thought we were going to have to buy 4 speakers instead of two.

The Kenwood tuner I bought in 1974 is still fantastic. I chose it for extreme selectivity specs. I live two hours north of New York City (got no snow!) and, with an FM antenna and booster on the roof, could pull listenable FM from Boston and Philadelphia on that Kenwood.

Yeah, from what I recall we got FM radio commercially from the early 1980s. Keep in mind that we didn't get colour television until 1973.

And prior to getting cars in 1969 we used to ride kangaroos to work.....

Keith,

This is not a slam against "The Outback" but Tommy Emanuel said in an interview that he had to be prepared for either AC or DC mains when he was gigging in Oz. Is that still the case over there?

Worse, the outlets were seldom marked resulting in his "letting the smoke out" of several amplifier.

Don

Hi Don,
No, I've never heard that. Of course they use generators for some open air gigs, but to the best of my knowledge they would be AC.
Having said that, with the amount of time that Tommy has spent on the road over the last 50 odd years (he started on the road at age 6)he played at some pretty remote places in the outback.

We're really quite civilised now.

Don, it ain't as bad as people might lead you to believe.

There sure isn't any DC Mains and never has been. That was an Edison thing - Tommy's pulling your leg.
(Well, I confess that there was some DC distribution way back when for a few building with elevators that had DC motors, but that was a special dedicated supply into some high-rise buildings).

All domestic outlets here are 240V 50Hz single phase. No exceptions. Yep, some lower-voltage gear might have smoked, but somebody would've had to cut the plug off and fitted another, because every domestic 240V outlet in Australia is exactly the same.

And there's nothing worse than letting the smoke out... I hate that.

Keith,

You were doing so well up to that statement. (chuckle)

After 4 pints of "Tooths" this wee Irishman became very uncivilized (or so my mates reported later).

Wow!

Don

The shop near me, unfortunately also one of the best in the area and they are always loaded with work because of it, wants a $65 DEPOSIT just for the intake. It was $25 at first, then $40, now $65. As people bring stuff in, and they repair it, far too often the repair costs are close to what a new unit costs, and the customer just abandons it.

From the customer side, why pay $185 for a repair when a new item with a year warranty is $225? If I pay the $185 I have my 12 year old thing back or I pay $40 more and have a new one.

From the shop's side, we just put in $58 worth of parts and 6 man hours into this thing and now he doesn't want it? On to the resale shelf it goes.

That's good for us because that makes for some affordable used gear. But your premise is exactly right. The microwave mentality has really taken over.

Does a 1925 King Alto Sax count?

Yamaha TX81z?

Roland MT-32?

Akai S-900?

Old Carvin PA speakers serving as the speakers for my CD/LP stereo system at home?

I've got a cassette deck and tons of cassettes I just can't throw out. I may digitize them some day.

I still have a lot of vinyl LPs and a turntable hooked up to my stereo. There are titles that you can't get anymore.

I have a closet full of sheet music and music books. Some I'll never play but can't part with.

That's about it.

Notes

some of my old stuff that has retired seems to be appreciating much faster than my pension fund.

i paid £70 for my sound city 50 plus valve amp in the 80s. ebay now has them on for £5-600.

roughly the same time i paid £35 for an ibanez mostortion stompbox which now goes for ten times that on ebay.

not sure my late 90s peavey stage wedges have gone up like that. seems like there is a watershed after which new stuff just depreciates

as to gibsons i had a friend in the 60s with a prewar J45 but he never let on it was pre korean war.............

Time to sell, bro! Then you WILL be able to retire!!