Brain Keeps Antique Record Player In The Family [PHOTOS]

My wife Holly's great uncle passed away late this summer. Johnny was in his upper 90's and had lived a long full life. He was a World War 2 veteran and was loved by family and friends. Family members had been slowly going through his belongings at his home in Marion and had contacted me because Johnny had a small collection of vinyl records. The family knows I collect, and they welcomed me to whichever ones I liked.

I went over this week and found a collection of records you might find in a collection of someone Johnny's age. There was a lot I wasn't interested in, but I did find a Johnny Cash album and several by John Denver and Glen Campbell. Well worth adding to my collection. Johnny's son told me that I could listen to the records if I wanted to on Johnny's old player in the living room. After all these years it still worked. What I found was a hidden treasure to vinyl fans like myself. It was an old, wooden console record player with a built-in stereo receiver.

It was a little dusty, but we plugged it in and the thing took right off and played right away. These pieces are amazing. Looking at it you can tell that back when they were popular, they were the center of your living room. They were built into pieces of furniture. This one, an old Magnavox model, was in fantastic shape. Two drawers slide open on the top of the console. On the right, you have the turntable.

Everything in this unit was in working order. I'm not sure if Johnny ever changed the needle or not, but it seems like it's still in great shape. On the left side, you have the stereo receiver along with controls for volume, treble, bass, and the tuner. Some of the buttons don't turn quite like they used to but they all still work.

I asked Johnny's son if they were going to be hauling the player back home with them. They said that they didn't really have a need for it, and told me it was free to go home with me. I was astounded. Units like these aren't easy to find in working order and can cost you a lot if you do find one. Holly and I hauled my new treasure home last night and set it up in our living room.

Last night I blasted songs from The Eagles, Johnny Cash, and of course some Glen Cambell on the player. There's just something about the rich, full sound that can't be duplicated by today's players. I can even pull in KHAK on the FM tuner. As Holly and I sat and listed last night, I told her the coolest thing about the player is that we know where it came from. We know who owned it first. Now, everytime we fire up a record, we'll think of Johnny and the years of enjoyment he got from the very same player.