radioshack

For new sounds, old sounds and favourite sound discussion...

Moderators: sunny, BzaInSpace, runcible, spzretent

Post Reply
somewhereacrossforever
New user
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2004 2:21 am

radioshack

Post by somewhereacrossforever »

right, i'm new here... i've been introduced to spiritualized thru my best friend a few months back. i just got amazing grace yesterday and i love it! anyway, i was going thru the liner notes and i am intrigued by something that is, perhaps, very silly to those of you who are musically inclined. what the heck is a "radioshack"? where i come from, radioshack is an electronics store. but you sure as hell can't play one of them now, can you. if anyone can please shed some light on this it would be much appreciated.

thanks!
twentysixdollars
Known user
Posts: 1319
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: United States
Contact:

Post by twentysixdollars »

Well the term Radioshack was first used in World War II to refer to bomb-shelter radio sheds (shacks) on or near the front, generally in Japan. The store emerged shortly thereafter. The term is British in origin, the store is American.

I have no idea what the reference you mention is. Perhaps it's the name of a studio.
grim66
Known user
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: los angeles

Post by grim66 »

maybe this has something to do with the phone receiver jason sings into on rated x?
twentysixdollars
Known user
Posts: 1319
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: United States
Contact:

Post by twentysixdollars »

spzretent wrote:Radioshack?

Dont shop there. Nothing ever works from there. Poor mans electronics.
You missed a spot: Poor man's electronics, sold at full price! Their house brands are generally good for a week or two.

Has anyone else noticed a sharp downturn in quality by Panasonic (& JVC, one of their holdings) in the last few years? And a corresponding upshot in durability by Sony? Who knew? It used to be the opposite.
somewhereacrossforever
New user
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2004 2:21 am

Post by somewhereacrossforever »

good god, i'd never shop at radioshack! thanks for the warnings tho. i didn't know where the term originated, what it referenced, etc. and since i am always up for learning something new, i thank you for that as well. until i can find out what the notes refer to, i shall carry on (somehow).
fonadi
Known user
Posts: 41
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: OKlahoma
Contact:

Post by fonadi »

actually, in the early 80s, Radio Shack used to sell a house brand moog. the synth was actually a moog synth with radioshack slapped on it. and yea, radioshack usually sucks, but old synths you see that say radioshack are usually moogs or arps, and very good build quality. i saw one about 2 months ago for about 700$US, and it sounded very good, and very sturdy, although it was about 20 years old. very good condition.
BzaInSpace
Site Admin
Posts: 3864
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: HELL

Post by BzaInSpace »

[/quote]

Has anyone else noticed a sharp downturn in quality by Panasonic (& JVC, one of their holdings) in the last few years? And a corresponding upshot in durability by Sony? Who knew? It used to be the opposite.[/quote]

Absolutely... although I was unaware Sony was a force to be reckoned with now.

As something of a connoiseur of personal stereos* (well until the aquisition of a MD) I found Sony models in the past would last 6 months to a year.
I won a fairly state-of-the-art Panasonic personal stereo way back about 1986 when I was a boy... it lasted until 2000... even then it died due to me!

It boasted considerably good audio, and had a 5 band equaliser, much better than the dreaded bass-boost.

Recent purchases under Panasonic have been rubbish.... I dont think any still work.

* I can't believe I said that
twentysixdollars
Known user
Posts: 1319
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: United States
Contact:

Post by twentysixdollars »

This is exactly the same situation I've faced. I listen to most of my music on portable devices and on headphones. Believe it or not the woes I've faced with Panasonic (& JVC, both trademarks of the same company) lately include the headphones, which in all price ranges last about six months. I like my MiniDisc, but sometimes I can't be bothered to rip the contents of this or that CD to MD, and I also have many tapes lying around. I had a Panasonic "Walkman" cassette player, also with graphic equalizer, and auto-reverse, from 1989 to 1997 without problems. It would probably still work today if I hadn't damaged the playback mechanism semi-deliberately. I also had a Panasonic portable CD that gave me about four years of fairly heavy use. But in the two-year period starting in 2000 I went through five tape machines (three returned on warranty) and three CD players by Panasonic and JVC. I eventually purchased Sonys and have had no trouble since. I sort of regret buying the Sony Walkman right around the time they instituted the Mega Bass system but just before they tweaked the circuitry (in the following model year) so that it did something.

It's more or less the headphone jacks that constantly failed on the players. (Only one was an actual mechanical problem). On the headphones themselves one channel goes due to weak soldering in the cans.

RadioShack offers pretty good extended warranty plans. They cost extra, but if you're buying Panasonic or JVC (or even Sony) they might be worth it.
BzaInSpace
Site Admin
Posts: 3864
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: HELL

Post by BzaInSpace »

twentysixdollars wrote:
It's more or less the headphone jacks that constantly failed on the players. (Only one was an actual mechanical problem). On the headphones themselves one channel goes due to weak soldering in the cans.
Yeah, that's what I found too.

Incredibly frustrating... one channel would begin to fade off, then eventually would disappear altogether.

Again, I think the Panasonic model I once owned was 'Walkman' too. And I never had any problems with this.

Maybe the price range reflects this, I never spent more than say £40 on any tape player...
twentysixdollars
Known user
Posts: 1319
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: United States
Contact:

Post by twentysixdollars »

The symptoms you mentioned are all the same ones I've had. I think quality control has just really taken a striking downturn. Ditto for Aiwa, which is now apparently a discount brand but which used to be reliable for lower-end portables. But as for the price range, I don't think you're remiss in not spending more than #40; above a certain level the quality of the device simply stops improving and the bells and whistles become less attractive. I remember dropping about $150 (US) on a Panasonic tape machine in the late eighties. It was all digital and very nice, and as I mentioned it didn't fail till 1997, but my back-up Panasonic (which admittedly saw less use) was in fact older and is still working today and cost $30.
Again, I think the Panasonic model I once owned was 'Walkman' too. And I never had any problems with this.
Not sure what you mean by this, as Walkman is a trademark of Sony and their equipment is fine now. But in the eighties it was pretty fragile.
will this do?
Known user
Posts: 1036
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: Somewhere in the South of England

Post by will this do? »

(see above)
synthiA
Known user
Posts: 102
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Contact:

Post by synthiA »

they're talkin bout a keyboard. a cheap piece o shite electronic keyboard that they stick thru a fuz box and an HH preamp and get great sounds. you don't need much.

if it breaks you buy another. cheap casio cz's were the soundbed for LGM and PP. i'm pretty sure the pp tones were generated from a casio.
brenteboy
Known user
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 5:13 pm
Location: button moon

Post by brenteboy »

I live in Northampton,does anyone know where I can find my local Radioshack store? I'm intrigued now. Never heard of them personally.
it's fun to take a trip, put acid in your veins.
fonadi
Known user
Posts: 41
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: OKlahoma
Contact:

Post by fonadi »

radioshack in england is called Tandy i think. or at least it was when i lived there. I know there is still one in Hounslow down teh street from the Safeway/carpark thingy, and that oddly shaped office building. walking towards teh city cenre i think. can't remember the name of the streets though. there was the Houslow central tube in the area too it think. although, not sure about northhampton. uselss post man, useless.
Juzba
Known user
Posts: 72
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: Europe

Post by Juzba »

The nicest Tandy store in all of England:


http://www.saunalahti.fi/~relas/kuvat/i ... 8_025H.JPG



taken in St Austell one day before spz @ eden 2002
Post Reply