The current resurgence in the popularity of vinyl LPs has a number of causes.
Not the least of which, in an age where much (if not most) music takes the form of pirated mp3 files, nothing really says
I own this quite like an LP, complete with dust jacket. If you think about it, the vinyl album is probably the
only media format we can't make ourselves.
There is also the whole "scratching" DJ/Hip-Hop thing. Granted, most serious vinyl collectors wouldn't dream of subjecting their prized discs to this sort of abuse. But I think they know they owe the DJs who used this technique a small debt of gratitude for keeping the format alive, and turntable makers in business.
Lastly there is a cool retro vibe with a lot of older technologies. I know a couple of guys who swear by their hand-honed straight razors. Its the same thing with LPs. I think people like the ritual involved with getting the disc out of the duct jacket, putting it on the platen and delicately cuing up the stylus. It also tends to make people listen to an album all the way through - the way the artist meant it to be played and listened to. (There is some evidence to suggest that the random access nature of CDs contributed to the decline of the album as an art form. And when's the last time a mainstream popular act put out an album with an instrumental on it?)
I've fixed up a couple of older turntables for friends. Its amazing how, thanks to the internet, you can fairly easily buy replacement cartridges, styli, and turntable belts. (Virtually every turntable dating from the pre-CD era will need a new belt by now, its the first thing I check.) A can of compressed air, a soft brush, and a couple drops of synthetic motor oil can fix 90% of problems. A soldering iron, and a continuity tester will fix a lot of the rest. I also use
Magic Potion to restore faded and cloudy dust covers to like new condition.
