grant:
"But the real one is electronic or musical components. I don't know what it is, but printed circuits and flanges and tubes - oh, vacuum tubes!"
Yesssss!
A couple of weekends ago, I had the unhappy task of getting rid of my old, faithful tape deck. It was a massive two-tape, silver ghetto-blaster thing, the size and shape of two brieze blocks; a bit like the one at the top of this page. I had a sentimental attachment to it - not only had it served me well for a long time, but it had been given to me by my Granddad, who'd used it himself for several years previously. I can still remember him showing it off to me when he first bought it (well, after it fell off the back of my Uncle Dave's lorry), by playing the demo tape of trains and aircraft travelling between the speakers at house-quaking volume. "Feel the power!" he said (or his face did, anyway).
I'd hoped to give it to a loving home, but nobody wanted it, so throwing it out became the only option (large object, small flat). I determined to take a souvenir or two off it, thinking I'd maybe keep the little flap at the front that bore the Sharp emblem and model number (yes, that sentimental, and sad). I got the screw-driver out and within half an hour I'd gutted the thing and had a bin-bag full of tasty components. Gorgeous, fascinating things. Tape decks are especially good because, as well as the metallic green bread boards, there are loads of mechanical elements. Looking at it, and the way it went together, I marvelled at the sheer number of different design solutions they must have had to come up with. Amazing. And, as you say grant, the components are beautiful. |
