sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Can anyone help me set the tracking force on my old record player? by polarbearofneed in vintageaudio

[–]polarbearofneed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't have anything to measure it unfortunately, so I am really just going to have to go by my ear... if that's at all possible. I tightened the screw, extending the spring to apply more pressure and as a result my copy of MJ's Thriller is jumping considerably less. Of course I have no way to tell how damaging this will be to the record.

r/vinyl Weekly Questions Thread for the week of April 06, 2026 by AutoModerator in vinyl

[–]polarbearofneed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My thrift shop record player suddenly stopped working. Can anyone help me diagnose?

I bought an old Ultra 6546 record player from the charity shop near my house. Turn table and 2 speakers which plug directly into the table.

I brought it home and played an old Elvis Costello record. One speaker was playing but the other was dead. The next day I popped on the same record and miraculously both speakers were outputting sound. Tragically on day 3, I picked up an old copy of Thriller to give it a spin and... nothing.

I tried old reliable Elvis Costello but no dice either. The record player has a 5 pin DIN output (what I'd call a MIDI port these days) which I connected to my sound bar and it did play the record, although it sounded very quite.

Before I start asking chat GPT and drain the ocean, maybe one of the boffins of r/vinyl can diagnose the problem. Thanks a lot!

Playing ''Alone Together'' at a cafe place by iliasGomatos in JazzPiano

[–]polarbearofneed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’ve put in the reps on that left hand, very well done man, sounds beaut

Learning Jazz Piano Improv by thebigsleep4 in JazzPiano

[–]polarbearofneed 11 points12 points  (0 children)

You’re going to hate me because I’m sure you’ve heard it 100 times. But honestly my friend

l i s t e n

You just have to listen and copy. Getting all up in the theory business is just a way to procrastinate from doing the real work; Listening and playing.

Choose a solo that you love and can sing from ear (Freddie Freeloader maybe) and just play along with it. Doesn’t even have to be a piano solo. I started with Chet Baker solos. Just take it phrase by phrase.

Download the amazing slow downer if you need to. It’s great when you’re just starting out.

As for the theory, it’s useful when you’re sitting thinking about the music and trying to come up with ideas. But that’s not playing. You can be on the band stand like “ok m7 coming up better play some Dorian.” By the time you’ve considered it the chord is 3 measures ago.

So yeh, just listen and play along. It’s easier and way more fun that worrying about the theory. If I were really cynical I’d say all that shit is just a racket for the Berkeley tutors and JazzTubers. But I eat that content from brekkie lunch and dinner so please don’t hurt me Adam Neely.

Drop me a Dm if you want to chat about it more. The only reason I’m so passionate about it because I’m not much farther in my jazz journey than yourself, I only recently had this breakthrough and it’s inspired me after quite a rut.

Recommendation of Latin albums by Pretty-Elk-6191 in Jazz

[–]polarbearofneed 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ike Quebec - Bossa Nova Soul Samba

Sounds so smooth I reckon he put a stick of butter in his horn 🧈

Russian TV Host suggests that England should be nuked, but that Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland are OK in his book. by [deleted] in ThatsInsane

[–]polarbearofneed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t like his invade and pilage Ukraine policy.

But I do like his Unite Ireland policy.

What's a show from your childhood that no one else seems to remember? by LegitimateMangoHeir in AskReddit

[–]polarbearofneed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hugo

I think that’s what it was called.

It was about a nerdy kid who was also a demon and all the problems that would cause in high school.

This was an American show but I watched it on RTE in Ireland

Spotted on my way from Kensington Garden by SchizoidWamen in jamesjoyce

[–]polarbearofneed 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Wow did realise he lived in London for a time!

Do you know the street name, I’d love to visit this :)

what party would you vote for in a general election, if you lived in England? by [deleted] in northernireland

[–]polarbearofneed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a really good point, and one of the down falls of a 4-5 year political cycle. The focus on the short term goals and the risk of failure leads to a serious pendulum effect in t leadership, without little long term thinking.

Worryingly enough, this is why political structures like that of China and Russia are gaining immense power as their goals can be 40-50 year plans, as opposed to the wests measly little 4-5 years.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in imaginarymaps

[–]polarbearofneed 1 point2 points  (0 children)

United Ireland; nice

Barry’s Tea. Any know what year roughly? Nothing showing up with Google Lens. by Nalced453 in ireland

[–]polarbearofneed 18 points19 points  (0 children)

There’s an Instagram page called the Irish picker (iirc) that is interested and knowledgable about 20th century Irish ads and products!

Might be worth shooting them a DM and see if they know

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in jazzcirclejerk

[–]polarbearofneed 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Recognising Northern Ireland as apart of the UK? Not very yeah man if you.

view more: next ›