crazy things we've done for gear

scuba

scuba

My idea of spin class.
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In the pursuit of our passion for tube gear, we have all gone to various lengths to get our hands on the objects of our desires. Having just done what on the surface would be the craziest thing I have ever done in the name of audio bliss, I was wondering to what lengths others have to gone to.
My own latest bout insanity had me driving for 3 days from Calgary, Alberta to Portland Oregon (785 miles each way) and back in order to trade a Lenco 75 for a Scott 222C + $$$ to match the one I already have. A great idea on paper, but a butt numbing ride in practice. Thank god I have an understanding wife who shared the trip with me even though she has absolutely no interest in audiophilia. On the up-side, I got to get my hands on the sweetest sounding amp I have heard in quite a long while (upgraded by NOSValves in 2004) as well as visiting one of the prettiest and interesting cities in North America. I also got the chance to meet someone who shares our mutual passion for audio gear. Fellow Ak'er Two Sevens seemed to be as thrilled with the turntable as I was with the Scott.
Can't say that I would do something like this again but I have no regrets about having done it.
So! The question remains. Am I alone in my insanity or are ther others out there who have similar stories to tell? I'm looking forward to hearing them.
 
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I once drove from Missouri to North Dakota in the middle of winter to get one of these:

55_kiel_table_310990.jpg


1929 Atwater Kent Model 60 in a Kiel Table. My darling wife came along too, we dodged the snowstorms, and we had the largest and best tasting stack of enormous pancakes in Jamestown ND that I have ever seen before or since. The stuff of which legends are made. :thmbsp:
 
scuba said:
In the pursuit of our passion for tube gear, we have all gone to various lengths to get our hands on the objects of our desires. Having just done what on the surface would be the craziest thing I have ever done in the name of audio bliss, I was wondering to what lengths others have to gone to.
My own latest bout insanity had me driving for 3 days from Calgary, Alberta to Portland Oregon (785 miles each way) and back in order to trade a Lenco 75 for a Scott 222C + $$$ to match the one I already have. A great idea on paper, but a butt numbing ride in practice. Thank god I have an understanding wife who shared the trip with me even though she has absolutely no interest in audiophilia. On the up-side, I got to get my hands on the sweetest sounding amp I have heard in quite a long while (upgraded by NOSValves in 2004) as well as visiting one of the prettiest and interesting cities in North America. I also got the chance to meet someone who shares our mutual passion for audio gear. Fellow Ak'er Two Sevens seemed to be as thrilled with the turntable as I was with the Scott.
Can't say that I would do something like this again but I have no regrets about having done it.
So! The question remains. Am I alone in my insanity or are ther others out there who have similar stories to tell? I'm looking forward to hearing them.
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You got a road trip with the missus, a mini vacation, a new amp and you met someone interesting.

Sounds like a win to me.
 
I just go to auctions. Although I must admit my wife has a knack of intimidating other bidders away it seems. A couple times she has picked up some items for cheap. Either that or I manage to draw the serious bidders away to other things. It works best with multiple bidding rings. She did not complain too much when I came home with my Kiel table, I already had the chassis and speaker to drop in
 
I bought my wife a lovely pair of pearl and 14k gold ear rings on our way home after she helped me schlep a pair of KLH Model 12's into the back of my Volvo wagon.
When she first saw how big they were she groaned.:D

Al. Wise
 
Digging through "garbage" on trash night in the neighborhood and finding a Kenwood tuner and matching amp....can't remember the model #....but they were nice.....
 
At about 14, I painted my Aunt's stucco house. It had been previously painted with bad latex paint, which was peeling off in some areas. Prep included wire-brushing the entire house in order to provide a good surface for the new oil-based paint. Manual wire brushing of an entire single-story house. Killed that summer right dead.

On the upside, though, it provided adequate funds for purchasing my Akai 4000DS and microphones, with which I recorded HS band albums, and began my illustrious recording career. Time well-spent.

Still have the deck. Still hate painting.

Chip
 
I live in Michigan and....

....I've driven to Connecticut,New York,South Dakota,Virginia,North Carolina, Illinois and Ohio to pick up various audio related items.
:smoke:

Oh,and Pennsylvania too.....
 
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Drove to within a stone's throw of New York City to pick up a vintage 1956 Klipschorn. Also picked up some Seeburg DDS1 speakers there too.... but still....... 4+ hours each way.
 
Ohighway said:
Drove to within a stone's throw of New York City to pick up a vintage 1956 Klipschorn. Also picked up some Seeburg DDS1 speakers there too.... but still....... 4+ hours each way.
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Those DDS1 speakers are MASSIVE! I've seen 'em. I've even seen them matched to the original jukebox.

Sent from my SPH-M910 using Tapatalk 2
 
I went 4 wheelin' in my Toyota Corolla to look at a local Cl listing for a barnful of gear. After going back and forth trying to find this guys driveway (no house #s to be found on the scattered mailboxes) I finally took a chance and drove down one of the several 1000' driveways. The guy was expecting me, but didn't seem to be too bright in that he should have known that getting to his house was tricky for all the reasons I listed above, and should have given a little "heads up" I luckily found the correct house..why I couldn't see that house number from 1000' away is beyond me. :scratch2: Anyway, I knocked on the door several times, and even heard voices inside. Finally I said WTF to myself and left. An hour after I got back home the guy called and asked if I was still coming. I really thought it was some kind of a joke on me at this point...I mean REALLY? I told him that I was there but nobody would answer the door. Not interested anymore BYE. His ads are still up. Maybe the douche bag learned a thing two if he's really serious about selling the stacks upon stacks of old gear...but then again maybe not.
 
robgmn said:
Not too crazy, but I once brought home a set of Carver ALIII-Plus spkrs. in a 280ZX.
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that mustve been a tight fit!
The farthest i have gone was two hours away to the middle of no where to pick up some altec VOTTS McIntosh amp SAE gear and Marantz pre. The drive was well worth it!

AB
 
toxcrusadr said:
I once drove from Missouri to North Dakota in the middle of winter to get one of these:

55_kiel_table_310990.jpg


1929 Atwater Kent Model 60 in a Kiel Table. My darling wife came along too, we dodged the snowstorms, and we had the largest and best tasting stack of enormous pancakes in Jamestown ND that I have ever seen before or since. The stuff of which legends are made. :thmbsp:
Click to expand...

That's a gorgeous table. Add in the radio and I can see myself making that trip too. Does the radio work?
 
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