Memories........What made you catch the Audio Bug?

I don't recall a moment that the light bulb went off but I think it was turned on when I was a baby. My older sister was ten years my senior and my brother was seven years older than me. I even have a sister that is seven years my junior.

My folks didn't have much but they always had really great country music playing on the radio. That was back when you could pick up am stations all over the country so we listened to the Grand Ol Opry nearly every night and blue grass on the other nights. My older sister was the original bobby socks, pony tail mid 50's teenager playing those 45's of Elvis, Chuck Berry, The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly on her little portable record player. My older brother influenced me with folk music, James Brown and some of the lighter stuff of the era.

My grandfather played the fiddle and would dance a jig at the same time. His method of playing was with the neck of the violin pointing at the ground and the instrument body near his bicep. Many of his friends played bluegrass and Irish folks songs with him on a regular basis. If anyone is familiar with the Springfield, Missouri area and all of the incredible country/bluegrass talent surrounding it, that is where my family's roots are. My father, may he rest in peace, moved his little family from there for a better life but we went back regularly and I remember well those hillbilly summers of wonderful music and very interesting characters.

My brother took me to see The Rolling Stones when I was about 12. This was in Omaha on their first US tour. Perhaps 250 people showed up and they (Mick Jager) were so mad they only played three songs and stormed off stage. I even heard Mick mention on a VH1 interview (it may have been a history of rock and roll thing) a couple of years ago that the one place he would never play again was Omaha. He also took me to see the Trogs. Remember Wild Thing?

Honestly, with that kind of environment I didn't know that one could live without a daily fix of music. My grandpa, mom and dad, and older sis are all gone and I owe them a great deal for the gift they gave me. I've tried very hard to pass this along with my tiny family and since my grandson loves to sit and listen to jazz with me maybe I will succeed.

I realize it's not too late to form an appreciation for classical music but I can't shake my roots of being a hillbilly at heart. I'm just like the people that influenced me so much; much, much more than anyone that knows me can tell. I needed a good shave yesterday. I can still fondly recall going to the cistern to fetch water and using the outhouse, carrying the split oak in for the stove and gathering eggs each morning. Taking a bath in a wash tub before going to somebody's house for a spell (a good time) was time for anticipating the event. It's no wonder I feel so differnet from my contemporaries.

I'm reading all these great stories, and loving them! I also notice a trend of a love for music for a while, THEN followed by a general or specific point in time where the concept of getting the equipment comes into play. Maybe it's when it can be afforded?

As an tangent to my story, I had been into music for MANY years before buying my first true hi-fi equipment (Adcom GFA-1A amp and Apt Holman preamp in ~1984). My mother loved to listen to music, especially female vocals (Helen Reddy, Crystal Gale, etc etc). And I had two older brothers who each listened to a lot of music. I remember my first 45 and LP, The Who "Love Reign On Me" and J. Geils' "Full House Live" in ~1971 and ~1973 respectively. I remember getting huge into ELP in 1975, and Pink Floyd (Syd Barret era especially) around the same time.

Stereo-wise, I had the equivalent of a close-and-play, and a portable mono cassette recroder/player.

I graduated to a Fisher all-in-one, with receiver, cassette, and turntable. I remember opening up the speakers and seeing a single driver, and a second "driver" that just was taking up the hole - no wires! Within a couple days, I found out what a passive radiator was, and realized I was NOT ripped off. I upgraded the full range driver with a Radio Shack speaker, and the step up was dramatic.

College had me with an Aiwa minisystem due to space limitations, and about 400 cassettes!! Ah, what a group of misfits we had on our floor: a dance/disco music freak, an Ozzy Osbourne freak, a Deadhead, a Southern rocker (Molly Hatchett, Allman Bros, Mountain, etc), an alternative geek (me), and these bizarre brothers who always seemed to have only 3 songs they ever played: Monkee's "Daydream Believer," CCR "Have You Ever Seen The Rain," and the theme from the "Beverly Hillbilly's" (!).

It was my between my freshman & sophomore year that I discovered the higher end gear at Nantucket Sound, and my junior year that I bought the Adcom and Apt gear.

Last note: the Deadhead was into some stereo, and I had listened to and loved his NAD 3020 integrated as well! I bouht an Aiwa ADF-990 cassette deck from him, and I still have it to this day!

Ahhhh, memories.....

I remember very clearly the specific demonstration that started it all - for better or worse. In 1956 or thereabouts, a dealer in my home town of Lancaster, Pa. played the Dvorak 8th. Symphony on a system consisting of McIntosh and Fisher tube electronics connected to the large JBL speakers. (I think they were the famous JBL Hartsfields) When the Dvorak got to the trumpet part in the second movement where the trumpet's sound decays and sort of hangs over for a moment, I was blown away! I had never heard that decay clearly hanging over the soundfield. I was hooked from that moment on, and have never looked back. By the way, the dealer was the concertmaster of the local orchestra, so he knew exactly what he was doing!

Don't worry Ed, I don't plan on getting the supercharger, so you'll be safe when I'm on the road. About a month ago Lugnut gave me a pretty good briefing on superchargers and his experience with them. And after realizing the rammifications of increased power and torque and the other upgrades required to accommodate it, I've decided not to do it. It pays to consult wise and experienced people like Pat.

Soju and Asahi? Slappy were you stationed in Japan or near the DMZ in South Korea? I can see it now, Slappy and his homemade sign, "Will Tatt For Beer"! LOL. Slappy, you should have a booth at Alexis Park this coming January where you'll do custom tattoos for all your fellow Audiogoners. I can't wait to get mine Maori-Style! Just yesterday I registered with CES and should be getting my badge in a few months and I booked my room half way between Alexis Park and the AVN Expo, heheh.

Chams, it sure seems like you attended a very muscially and hi fidelity enlightened college! The diversity of musical tastes must have been fun, and if they started blasting all at the same time, a bit crazy too! Ahh, the passive radiator! About the time I discovered those neat unpowered guys I also discovered the effects of sympathetic radiation when I placed some small speakers on top of my Dad's KLHs. The little speakers had much more bass than I'd heard before and realized it was because the 8" woofers of the KLHs were moving to the groove even though they were unplugged. Yeah, that NAD 3020 was something special. About 12 years ago, I had the opportunity to talk with Peter Bath the designer of many of those early NAD classics. The design firm I was working for at the time was doing work for Amcli LIn and AMC. Although my knowledge of audio was quite limited then, Peter could immediately see I was an enthusiast and we became immersed in a fun and engaging discussion of audio equipment and designs. It is always a treat when you can meet a talented person like Peter and they turn out to be genuinely nice and childlike in their passion for what they do. I'll never forget this man. The only other time I had such fun talking to an audio designer was when I met Gilbert Yeung at CES 2003. Anybody that creates monoblocks in the form of high heel pumps or a preamp using a purse for a chassis has my respect both creatively and comically!

BTW SonicBeauty, great thread! This is what Audiogon is all about and threads like this forge a bond between like-minded audio and music lovers. As Chams_UK said, "Ahh the memories".

It was in 1968 that my buddy took me to his business associate friend's apartment to transact some business. I was all of 18 years old and had never heard a component system, only junk like big wooden box Magnavox consoles. I knew that real stereo equipment existed from looking at Lafayette Radio catalogs but never believed that it could be much better than my family's big wooden box with the lattice wood grills. Also, the cost was mind boggling; imagine paying $400 for an amplifier? I couldn't.

My pal's business contact, let's call him "Jack" lived in an elegant city apartment. When he opened the door, my naive self walked into a darkened living room illuminated by flickering candles. My senses were caressed by incense and a familiar herb scent.

I was immediately sat down on the couch and given refreshment. The room was so dark that I could barely make out the record player, the amplifier, and most astounding of all, the two large walnut wood boxes on the floor. My goodness, speakers that weren't attached!

Jack was older than me. He had a goatee and styled dark hair. I still had peach fuzz on my face. He kinda looked like the devil. After a few minutes I was really disoriented and trying to conceal my growing panic. Jack mentioned that we should listen to some "sounds". That made me feel better. I was hoping he'd play that stereo. I'd never seen anything so cool looking!

Guys, you know what came next! I couldn't believe the sound that was made when the needle hit the album. This hugh enveloping thump that rolled across the room calling everyone to attention. From the very first second the experience was exhilarating, intoxicating!

After a few minutes of "Surrealistic Pillow" I was down on the floor in front of these magical boxes that could actually take you truly into the music. I swear I could've seen and touched Grace Slick. The Airplane was in front of me! I finally understood the true meaning of "Plastic Fantasic Lover". Then my favorite band, The Stones doing "Aftermath". I forgot where I was. I was "in" the music. I was not laying on a carpet. I had become a spirit.

There was more: Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Ultimate Spinach, and Hendrix. Eventually, I landed. I looked at everyone like I had just awakened from a deep nap. Jack has seen this reaction before. He smiled and asked me if I'd gotten into it.

When it was time to go, I walked over to the long bureau and looked at the ultra-cool equipment. I said to myself "I shall have this. It is essential to my life. I can now no longer live without it". A month later I was in Lafayette Radio and bought my first rig.