Jonathan Freer (aka Jonny B Goode)

How long have you been collecting records for?
As a kid I remember my uncle spinning some records like, CCR, The Police, Men at work, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Uriah Heep to name a few. I was intrigued with these black spinning discs and used to wonder what is that magical sound! I was introduced to music at a young age as my dad n uncle were fond lovers of music with good taste. I started collecting vinyl from the year 2012 when I found my dad's old Gerrard TT up in the attic. It had just the motor, tonearm and platter. I had to build it up from there... Once that was fixed, boy was I bitten by the vinyl bug and was happy that I could get my hands on records to bring back those old memories. I had a lot of CD's and cassettes which my friends used to borrow and never came back. I didn't have this problem with Records. I still have a good collection of tapes though. Also due credit goes to my cousin who is an ardent vinyl enthusiast himself, who showed me the ropes of how to deal with vintage Audio and vinyl.
How Large is your vinyl collection?
All I can say is that, I need to buy a new Record Shelf as all 4 compartments of my 5×3 shelf are full and so is my Dewan. There are 800+ records in my collection. I also have a decent collection of cassettes some belonging to my father and the rest that I have collected since my school days. About 500+

Which is the most valuable record in your collection?
All of my records are valuable to me as I have spent time and money searching and finding these beauties. But some hold sentimental value which I cherish the most. Some records which are mint and rare finds and still have the posters and stickers along with them are a treasure.

Tell us about your turntable setup.
I have a simple set up which is: A Technics SUV470 PXS Stereo integrated Amplifier, Technics SL -Q303 Direct Drive Automatic TT with an AT95 cartridge and a Technics SL- 203 servo automatic belt drive with a EVG 2235DE Cartridge. Pioneer cs88a and Sansui SP95 speakers. A SONY TC-FX6C tape deck and my trusty old Discman. I have a second setup which is an AT -LP60 turntable ( I won this from TRC by winning a photography competition last year, thanks guys such a cool player) hooked to a NAD 302 Stereo Amplifier and JM Focal Lab Chorus 705 bookshelves.

Any advice to people that are about to start their collection?
I started by collecting any Record that came my way, but now I can easily tell what I can let go and what I can pick up. I would say get bitten by the vinyl bug and follow your heart, as there is no coming back, once you go black. 😜 You will learn to tell a warped, scratched and bumped record as time goes by, I sure did. Dwell in the experience and immerse yourself in the sound and the feel of vinyl records. You will learn of so many new bands you never knew existed. * Also Don't forget, you will be broke sometimes after you have just picked up your favorite records. 😜 All the best, keep digging. Jah bless!
What genres of music do you like?
I hardly listen to any of the new age stuff you get these days. So be it any Genre if it's post 1940 and pre 2000 it's got my attention. From Jazz, Blues, Rock n Roll, all forms of Rock, Reggae and a bit of fusion and Indian classical at times. As a front man / vocalist for my band Polly Wants a Cracker I can say I've been influenced by James Brown, Ozzy Osbourne,Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and Robert plant to name a few. In the end if the music suits my taste,i would listen to it.