Diving back into analog...which turntable to buy

You can sleep easy tonight Zd542, you are among friends.
I too am a dyed-in-the-wool subjectivist. :)

If you want to "talk amounst yourselves". Start your own thread.Im just asking to those who know more about this what tables they recommend in my price range...pretty simple I would think

If you want to spend is $1,000 dollars it is doubtful that you will find anything that consistently sounds as good as digital. In my experience, digital at it's best takes a lot of beating. I currently have over $12K in my TT/phonostage/cartridge vs. about $2K in my digital Sony HAP-Z1ES and very often digital sound is still king, although it varies by recording and particularly the master.

I recommended a used Scout. Johnnyb53 recommended the new Pioneer that people seem to like very much. Eventually, you'll get recommendations for a Rega P3, Pro Ject and an entry level Nottingham or Thorens. All good TT's. I still would pick the VPI because it sounds great stock and has the best upgrade path.

Another option would be to use a dealer that knows what they're doing. For what you're looking to do, I would call Larry at Hollywood Sound in Hollywood FL. I've done business with him in the past, and he's the best at getting the most value for your dollar. All he does is TT's and should have anything you want in stock. I know several other AQ members that can confirm he's a good person to do business with.

VPI? Not sure if it'll cut it given that the OP didn't like his LP12. Forget about the elastic band hypothesis, the Pioneer is cheap and good and is what the OP wants to spend on a secondary source.