I posted this in the Turntables group on Facebook. It’s a “private” group with almost 13,000 members. Is it any wonder that records continue their hold over obsessive hobbyists, against other music formats?
For a few years after college I earned a very modest living talking into a mic at an AM radio station. The format was Adult Contemporary, and the program manager let the DJ’s take whatever records we wanted the station couldn’t play. Recently I was asked if the DJ demo records of old were “hot stampers.” From the records I got from work long ago, and still have, I’d say yes.
For example, there is my copy of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Live at Hollywood High. In my Pioneer PL-112D turntable I like using P-Mount cartridges with standard adapters. The VTA [vertical tracking angle] hits nicely with the fixed height of the tonearm. My Grado Green completely falls apart on the hot grooves of “Accidents Will Happen.” It buzzes like crazy on Elvis’ vocal! Swapping in my humble Audio-Technica AT-92ECD, installed in a spare head shell, it easily sails right through the same track.