>Hey, I was wondering if anyone has the vinyl killer, that kooky little van
>that will drive around your records.
>
>http://etown.com/news/article.jhtml;$sessionid$BSSEGGAAACSDVUPZJEHSFEQ?artic
>leID=1571
>
>If anyone has it, how about a review? I'm curious to know if anyone
>actually thinks it's safe enough on records to warrant owning for anything
>useful like taking to record shows to try out records, etc.
>
>Brian Poust
Brian, I have one. I ordered it from the company that was advertising it in
GIANT ROBOT magazine about a year and a half ago. (I can't remember the
name).
I would have to say it lives up to its name; it's a cute-looking novelty
item, and a fun concept toy, but I would never, ever use it on a record that
had ANY value, financial, sentimental or otherwise.
A. It has a heavy, thick needle - the kind that are on little portable
plastic Mickey Mouse record players from your childhood. The kind of needle
you really, really wouldn't want to lay onto any record that you like,
value, love, or is worth money of any sort. I haven't figured out a way to
replace it with another cartridge or needle, and it wouldn't matter anyway -
the speaker is the size of a silver dollar, and a good needle would be
useless. It sounds like a tinny transistor radio, which you wouldn't want
to waste a decent needle on.
B. It runs on a battery, and if it's a fresh battery, it runs too fast.
The very second the batteries start to wear down, it runs too slow, both
speeds which are extremely annoying.
C. You must run it on a PERFECTLY FLAT and STILL surface. It's extremely
sensitive for having such a thick needle that you'd think has a deep grip on
the grooves; if the record is not PERFECTLY flat, it will slide around or
completely off the record, scratching it very deeply in the process. The
same thing will happen if it's jostled, bumped, moved, OR if the record is
old, scratched, dirty or otherwise marred in any way.
Basically, it's a cute idea and fun to watch, but for 80 bucks, I'd buy an
old turntable to test records on at shows. If someone brought a Vinyl
Killer to a show to 'test' on records *I* was selling, I'd run for the
hills.
Miss Becky
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