The sweet spot for home turntable enthusiasts on a budget seems to be the $200 mark. This might be the best of the bunch.
One can only imagine the sake-fueled club hopping that led to the development of the Seiko Frequency drum machine watch.
Pete's Commodore Micro Record Player
By James Grahame
No, not the same Commodore that brought us the PET and C-64 microcomputers. Pete Verrando recently sent us photos of his very cool little Japanese Commodore Transistorized Micro Record Player. The minimalist design is ingenious -- the motor drives the record directly using a rubber wheel, eliminating the need to cram a 7" platter into the case.
Pete writes, "This 45 rpm player is early 70's Japanese vintage, and employs a crystal cartridge with a 3 transistor amplifier. The label 'Precision Transistorized Instrument' is molded into the cover. Precisely or not, it works very well after some cleanup and lubrication."
YouTube: Vintage Commodore Transistor Micro Record Player
Photos on Pete Verrando's site
More pics after the jump...
