A few posts ago, in a screen shot from Ghost World, Thora Birch is shown holding a copy of an album by R. Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders. Lo and behold, here’s the album for your listening pleasure.
In an interview at this link, Crumb talks about his record collecting habit. Robert had to edge-ya-ma-kate the interviewer a bit about shellac 78’s, and the web page design is too “interesting” for easy reading. But it has some good comments and information, including this gem that, believe it or not, I’ve wondered about for years. How often does Crumb replace the stylus on his vintage, Swiss-made Lenco L75 turntable?
“In the 1970s I had some hi-fi components put together for me by a sound engineer wizard, which I’m still using. When this set of components wears out, I’ll have to get some help in finding the right stuff to replace it. About once a year I have to order a new stylus from a small company in England, the Expert Stylus Company, which will re-tip your stylus with a new diamond tip specially made for pre-WWII 78s. It now costs about 100 euros for this service.”