Zen and the Turntable….

Better Than Nothing?

by Nick Seiflow

Unity 1 Turntable with Grace Tonearm and Audio Technica 95E Cartridge – Created by the Gnomes of Zontar?

Here at the TT Shop we spend most of our time listening to music (how we suffer…) through a variety of turntables, and of course the trusty ol’ Quad 57s. I for one can think of few better ways to spend my days. Actually that’s a lie. There are no better ways.

Some of the tables we listen to are expensive, even works of mechanical art, and some are finds that materialize in the occasional dumpster. With a little attention even the dumpster tables can do a remarkable thing – and that is make music.

It gets me thinking. What’s better – nothing, or a Plastic Horrible that might have been unceremoniously chucked next to the bags of cat litter and left to die? That’s an easy one. I’ll take the table, please.

At the Shop we’re geeks; a table with a thousand component parts will stop us in our tracks and we’ll reverently marvel at homo Sapiens and his/her abilities. But we never forget that the Turntable, just a good soldier, is there to Stand and Serve. When all is said and done what we want is a black Frisbee thing, spinning in the right direction, and with a pointy bit in the right place.

Let’s put the turntable in its rightful place; it’s a messenger sent by the Gods of Music. If we don’t like the message we shouldn’t shoot the messenger.

It’s just about the music. And anything that gets the music out of the groove and into our brains is a wondrous thing. Whether it’s the Uber-Table created by the Gnomes of Zontar, or the P. Horrible, it really doesn’t matter a bit. We love them all.

Long may they all  spin!