Initiating the youth

[Dflip]

I didn't make the staff party last night, well not until after 10 p.m. I had a funeral to attend for the last surviving member of my dad's family. Unfortunately it was a four hour drive there and four hours back.

The day before I brought over a few pieces of equipment for the party. A pair of Heresys and a Scott LK-72/299C amp. What I didn't know at the time was the son of the person holding the party is going to Humber College next year to study Jazz playing. After I got things set up, he called six of his friends who were literally drooling over my "old school" equipment. They used it yesterday afternoon and were in heaven. They are going to use it for another party on Friday night, since they seemed to love it so much. a bunch of grade twelve students who love music.

It was nice to see that enthusiasm in those so young.

[billybob]

My friend's 18 year old just graduated and celebrated his birthday, a couple or 3 weeks ago. Last weekend I told him in parting that I had a pair of Klipsch speakers for him, if he wanted them. He looked interested!

[tigerwoodKhorns]

I assume most of us around here are 40 years plus. I started with audio when I was about 12 and bought my first nice system at 19.

[dtel's wife]

Interesting you bring this up.

The new Crutchfield catalog arrived a couple of days ago and Buddy (seven year old grandson) was browsing through the catalog, as we were driving to town. He commented on the Klipsch speakers for sale in the catalog. At first I doubted what he was saying. He quickly replied, "Maw-Maw, I'm telling you the truth...look here they are.." proudly waving the catalog in my direction.

His next comment, "That's a good catalog isn't it Maw-Maw, it has Klipsch speakers in it?"

He was really impressed to see Klipsch speakers advertised in that catalog.

[jbsl]

Obviously the boy has been taught very well!![]

[oldbuckster]

my first nice system at 19.

And, I bet the word KLIPSCH wasn't part of it ................ not if you bought your own stuff !!!!!!!!!!

[Coytee]

And, I bet the word KLIPSCH wasn't part of it ................ not if you bought your own stuff !!!!!!!!!!

Yo Pops... I bought my EV Interface "D's" at age 18 and my LaScalas at age 19... with my own cash too.

[mark1101]

One of the interesting things I see in my own kids (ages 15, 17, 19) and their friends too is that they will listen to a lot of older music and music of all types. They are really opened minded. About 2-3 years ago they went into and then out of the Rap phase. That is completely gone now. Now they seem to be most interested in classic rock from the 60s & 70s, 80s hairbands........and even some older stuff from the 50s (like Elvis). I also see a slow but steady migration to country music.

They could care less about sound quality. Earbuds are just fine. They don't understand at all why I put so much time, money, and effort into sound reproduction quality and equipment.

I remember how when I was in high school it was super cool to have a hot stereo and honestly only the kids with money had Klipsch speakers back then. Of course they were envied as having the best sound. It was all vinyl, then cassettes, and reel to reel and sound quality was of the utmost importance. Big and loud speakers ruled. Our music tastes were stricly current rock which of course is today's classic rock. We were not nearly as open minded in our musical taste.

Now, my son has his Ipod playing into a Denon reciever and then into a pair of heresys. He hardly uses the heresys at all. Mostly uses earbuds.

[dtel]

You are right about the kids today being more open minded, at that age I also was also stuck on current rock. I think as they get older they will care more about the quality of the music they listen to and not so much the convince of how it's reproduced.

Maby if there were not so much good music being released when we were their age we may have also listened to other styles.

At the time country was completely different than it is today, now it's almost like soft rock, I still don't like the country from back then. And rap, I don't care for at all, there would be a couple of the beats I could listen to until they open their mouth and talk all over it. I think we were just lucky !

[tigerwoodKhorns]

my first nice system at 19.

And, I bet the word KLIPSCH wasn't part of it ................ not if you bought your own stuff !!!!!!!!!!

No Klipsch back then. I started working at about 14. We did not have any money at all so I always saved. I bought JBL L60T's and custom made subwoofers using Cerwin Vega drivers, a Soundcraftsmen amp and DBX 120 for a crossover. There were no premade subwoofers back then besides a really expensive JBL one that was the size of a refrigerator.

My L60's had an 8" driver and I wanted the Heresy because it had a 12" woofer. I thought that it would have had more bass. Luckily it was two times as expensive so I didn't get it. It would have sounded aweful with my Denon receiver and CD player.

[Brac]

I bought my first pair of Forte II's at 21. From Sound Advise, on Kendall Drive in South Miami. 20 years later I finally got a pair of Khorns, funny thing the khorns were built when I was 10yo.

[Daddy Dee]

dflip,

So you are corrupting the youth, eh? Good work.

It is actually a very cool thing to see youngsters enjoying vintage gear.

[fenderbender]

One of the interesting things I see in my own kids (ages 15, 17, 19) and their friends too is that they will listen to a lot of older music and music of all types. They are really opened minded. About 2-3 years ago they went into and then out of the Rap phase. That is completely gone now. Now they seem to be most interested in classic rock from the 60s & 70s, 80s hairbands........and even some older stuff from the 50s (like Elvis). I also see a slow but steady migration to country music.

They could care less about sound quality. Earbuds are just fine. They don't understand at all why I put so much time, money, and effort into sound reproduction quality and equipment.

.

We can thank Guitar Hero for that!!!

It's true...we were so sound oriented in my youth...started playing Bass at 13 and saved up enough working by 15 to buy a vintage pre CBS fender jazz bass and ampeg tube amp....just because it had the "tone" I wanted.....My hood was well off and we would go to different houses to hear a Fisher of a Mac amp that our dads had....

my 18 year old daughter loves classic rock now she's out of her pop phase....but the ipod with earbuds rule her world!

[Dflip]

dflip,

So you are corrupting the youth, eh? Good work.

It is actually a very cool thing to see youngsters enjoying vintage gear.

My sectretary's son is the one who is using the integrated and his buddy was over today. One is a jazz student and the other into rock, but only tubes for his guitar amp. We had a good discussion. I won't talk about the cd/ipod connection they had worked out, but needless to say it was not up to my standards. A good cd player would have really made a difference. They thought they were still getting incredible sound from "old school" stuff. That worked for me.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

With some guidance these kids have a great opportunity to put together a system.

I remember being afraid to buy used speakers when I was growing up. I figured that all speakers were abused. The world is a better place now. I spent about $3000 on my first "real" system in 1988 to 1990 (it took a little while). For much less today you can have quite a system. I rarely buy anything new anymore in audio.

[Invidiosulus]

Marvel is responsible for my sickness.

Although I have spent far more on gear to make music then I have on stuff to listen to it.

I think if young people are pointed in the right direction they can develop the taste for quality and are often willing to work and save for it.

My first electric bass was paid for by working minimum wage as a janitor(cheap but well playing yamaha), my first guitar was a Taylor acoustic.

Soon afterwards I bought my 70's Fender Jazz bass.

Current count is 4 guitars, 3 electric basses, 2 tube guitar amps, and 2 bass amps.

My first speakers were some JBL L46 that just happened to come my way.

I gave my little brother his first pair of speakers to have as a dorm room setup, a pair of Sansui SP50 with an HK/430.

The SP50's sounded fair to middling but now he has a set of L46.

Someday I'm sure he'll own some Klipsch.

After all, he's made the pilgrimage to indy.