We know, we know, "who even plays vinyl these days?!" We know there are a grip of DJs out there who remember buying 12" singles on a regular basis (it wasn't even that long ago that many drum & bass and dubstep DJs were still setting funds aside weekly to cop new white labels). We also know a lot of you are students of music, and should have some kind of vinyl collection iny our house, even if they are just the records your parents played during your youth. And while it might be cool to cop a decent deck to play your wax, some of you might have other needs. Maybe you just want to own something quirky and weird to play your vinyl on; maybe you want to impress your gear-loving friends. Whatever your aim, we've collected a batch of odd turntables that we've found on these Internets. Some might be a bit more left than others, but hey, maybe you androids will go on a scavenger hunt and luck up on some proper leftfield hardware.
Mr. Wizard's homemade record player
Cost: A few bucks (if that)?
This is some of the most DIY shit ever. If you thought Busta Rhymes talking about Timbaland making a beat out of cups and pencils, you might be amazed at how easy it is to make a record player. Watch Mr. Wizard break down how easy it is to hear your tunes using a pencil, some tape, a pin, and a piece of construction paper.
The Soundwagon
Cost: $99
I feel like I'd seen one of these before Yoga Frog showcased his in the Scratch documentary, as the Invisibl Skratch Piklz crew were already world traveled and showed these little gems off in other videos. Dubbed "the world's smallest portable vinyl record player," the Soundwagon literally rides in a circle around your vinyl. It was dubbed "the vinyl killer," and as many proper audiophiles say, if you love your vinyl, don't put this on your prized wax.
The Crosley Revolution Portable Turntable
Cost: $79.95
This badboy weighs less than 2lbs., is battery-operated, has a headphone jack, and has USB connectivity so you can transfer your vinyl to digital files (although we're not 100% sure how crisp it'll sound). This'll be great for those of you digging and NEEDING to hear the treasures you're finding on the spot.
MNM
Cost: ??
The MNM is a take on the "Maneki-neko lucky cat," with two golden arms, a turntable, a slot machine, and a projector. It's definitely more than a turntable, but think of the fun you could have with this piece of equipment during your parties... again, assuming you could even get your hands on it.
Evan Holm’s Submerged Turntables
Cost: ??
Evan Holm's massive Submerged Turntables art installation has the platter underwater, but plays the music perfectly. We figure it's a 1-of-1 situation, and would need a dedicated space in your house (i.e. an entire room) to house, but that's also assuming it's actually for sale.
The Scratchophone
Cost: $1975
These handmade pieces are worth it for the turntablist that isn't trying to lug a grip of equipment to their shows (especially if they're a part of a band). we're talking an ergonomic, fiberglass shell, anti-skip tonearm, direct drive turntable unit that you can strap up and take your cuts on the road with–they are even customizable, with the ability to have a double strap, your own unique colors, and more. It's even compatible with Traktor and Serato!
The Audiowood Sound Garden
The Angelis Labor Gabriel
The Sony PS-F5 portable record player
Cost: this website dedicated to its history.
The QFO
Cost: Discontinued; probably a few racks on eBay
When Q-Bert asked Vestax for "a new instrument for the turntablists of the next generation," the QFO was their answer. Think of it as a turntable and mixer built in one; this is another deck that's primarily for scratch DJs/turntablists, and seemed to be a hit when Q-Bert was touring with it years back. It's super hard-to-find, but was an impressive addition to the world of turntablism technology.
