How did you get started?

My father can't carry a tune but loves music. He got into the hobby in the golden mid-Fifties with a Rek-o-Kut TT, a Shure cartridge with the first Fisher stereo amp--saw one on auction recently at about $300--and EV drivers in custom horns. He made sure the kids had something to play their records on so they wouldn't have to use his system. I learned not to drop the stylus on the disc and to keep the volume down at startup.

When I could, I started to build up my own system. An ELAC changer, a Dyna SCA-35 kit (thanks Mom!) and homebuilt speakers with Wharfedale drivers. Later, a Connoisseur turntable with Decca arm and cartridge, HK Citation 12 kit and ESS AMT-1 speakers. Didn't find a preamp I liked before the divorce.

Kits were a great way to learn and get great sound into the bargain. You can still do it today, but the marketers take up so much bandwidth that it's harder to learn about them.

Unsound, I was sent to boarding school in Europe at 15. I know what goes on while you're away (parents gave my bike to the chauffeur, what on earth happened to... ). Congratulations on your emancipation!

I was on the school playground after lunch when a dirty man in a raincoat approached me. "Hey kid, I want you to try something. Don't worry, I'm not gonna take nothin from ya." And he slips me a slim package in a brown wrapper. "If ya want more, the directions are in the bag." and he disappears. Inside was a copy of Brubeck-Tjader, and the address of The Record Hunter...

I was walking down 27th street in Milwaukee when this big, long, black Lincoln Towncar pulled along side of me. As I glanced over to see what this shadow was, a window rolled down and a southern gentleman (I could tell by the accent) said "Hey dude, you wanna get high?"
"I don't do that anymore." I said, almost telling the truth.
He chuckled for a moment and replied, "You gotta check out what I got, then you can go straight."
I was tempted to turn and run as my mother had instructed when I was a little boy, but he had not said anything about candy, so I figured he must be okay.
"Watcha got?" I asked affecting my most sofisticated tone.
The man called to someone up front who steered the car to the curb. The salesman got out. He must have been all of 6'-9" tall and tipped the scale at over 300lbs. I stepped back, for obvious reasons. The man pointed to the trunk of the car which suddenly popped open.
"Check this out..." he drawled, or was he drooling? I don't remember it was a long time ago, and not relevant to the story.
My eyes popped out of my head, and my chin hit the ground. It was disgusting. As anyone who lives in Milwaukee and near 27th street can tell you santitation was not a big priority to the city fathers. I tried to look up at the big man but it was not possible with my eyes hanging out like they were. After replacing the orbs into their sockets and dusting off my chin I glanced into the trunk again. The original affect thankfully did not reoccur.

The cavernous trunk contained all manner of hifi gear. I was drawn immediately to the MacIntosh gear by the bright lights and multiplicity of knobs (I am not particularly bright, so such things are very interesting to me).
"That's cool!" I muttered pointing at the MacIntosh reciever.
"You're not real bright are you?" asked the big man in a friendly voice.
"No sir, but I sure would like to get some of that stuff in there. What is it?
"This is stereo equipment." he answered.
"What does it do?"
"It plays beautiful music."
"I gotta get some, but can I listen to it before I plunk down my hard earned paper route money?"
"Of course," he replied "what do you want to listen to?"
I pointed to a bunch of stuff. He removed several boxes from the back of the trunk and handed them to me. I almost stumbled under the load. It was all I could do to carry all the boxes. There were two Klipsch speakers, a B&O linear tracking TT and a Nakamichi cassette deck.
"I'm gonna run home and listen to this stuff, if it sounds as good as you say I'll come back and pay you the $8000, for all this stuff."
He turned around and winked at the driver.

I ran home and sure enough, the system was everything he said it would be. Some of the music was so good I nearly wept as I listened.

I still feel bad about never going back and paying the man, but I told him it might take a while before I would be back. As far as I know he's still there on 27th street waiting for me.