Charles Altmann has raised the bar: don’t talk oldskool and turntables unless you’re prepared to build your own turntable out of raw parts and wood.

Altmaan DIY Turntable

By using simple pieces of plywood and raiding his mother’s sewing box, Altmann says he kept his total parts cost under US$50. He even sources intake valves and valve-guides for the bearing from Harley-Davison. (Yes, the motorcycle manufacturer.) He has separate plans for building a DIY tonearm from more wood and a knitting needle. (Don’t worry — the knitting needle is part of the mechanism, not digging giant grooves into your records.)

Via the excellent Spanish-language media blog mediateletipos.

Sounds like this is begging to be made into a media installation. Previously:

David Ellis’ Turntable Trunks and Other Digital Deck Art

I’m back from a week at the Anderson Arts Ranch doing interactive Flash work, so I figured I’d get into the CDM posting groove gradually — a little analog before getting back to digital.