Archival Turntables: Califone Promenade

In lieu of going to the gym, I'm hosting an LP recreation hour at home.  My turntable of choice is the portable Califone Promenade.  I was fortunate enough to score mine at a local Boys & Girls Club garage sale.  The Promenande is a tube amp player with speed adjustments for 16, 33, 45 and 78 rpm records.  It also doubles as a low watt PA system in case you need to direct a local pep rally or communicate with your neighbors from a remote location.  The entire unit folds up into its own portable case.  Inspired by Frank Fairfield, I have dreams of carrying my Califone on flights as my only carry on luggage. The Promande is a relatively rare Califone unit.  If you love records and you don't want your LP sound system tethetered to a specific room, sift ebay listings for the more common solid state model.   Here are some photographs of a rare bird Promenade currently on offer via this auction.  But it now!

 

  

 

 

 Califone Tube Amp Turntable via ebay

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Wishful Shopping - Analog Edition

Here are some analog items that I wish I were buying as gifts (or, in a true Christmas miracle, unwrapping myself).  Since many of these artifacts are out of production or difficult to source,  I  recommend that you print out the images below and create your own wishful tree ornaments.

 

Contax T2 - via ebay 

 Rene Herse - Bicycle Quarterly Press 

 Audiotronics vintage turntable - via ebay

Clairefontaine french ruled notebooks

 

Stowa Flieger Wristwatch 

 

 New York Times - Print Edition

Vintage Pelikan Ballpoint Pens - via ebay