Another post about vintage audio

I have been building an "audio rack."
This is the snooty audiophile name for "stereo stand."
Since reuse/recycle is a way of life for us bottom feeders it is nearly 100 percent scrap metal/wood.
The uprights are angle iron which was cut for either a harrow or who knows what some 15 years ago and has been setting around covered in moss and rust ever since. I'm not sure what the angle iron was robbed off of before that but it is fairly straight and there were only a few random holes in it.
The shelves are adjustable. They are held up by other chunks of angle iron which are bolted to the remains of old windrower sickles. The teeth of course were removed first...
The actual shelves are 1950's birch plywood that my wife salvaged. The feet are made from new carriage bolts screwed though one inch round wood discs cut from an old school desk.
I was going to go all audiophile and make the top from two layers of plywood with a cork insulation between the two to deaden the turntable but it was way too much effort. Instead I attached the top with double sided camper tape and drywall screws. After all, I am a "bottom feeder."
I suppose it will not have proper sound deadening characteristics but I doubt my hearing is all that good anyway.
Here it is with some of my accumulation of old stereo treasure. I first set it up with the Dynaco AF-6 tuner, Tube PAS-2 preamp, and much maligned Stereo 120A amplifier. On top is the Rec-o-Kut turntable with Fairchild 282 tone arm. The tonearm which tends to fall off of its bearings every so often.

Later I moved the AF-6 tuner into the living room and connected it to my little Optimus SA-155 1-watt amplifier (Goodwill $5) and Optimus 77 speakers. Thus I was able to torment my daughter with high-brow singing in Latin with lots of symphony type accompanying orchestration early Easter morning after I went back to sleep and missed the Easter Sunrise service. (We did make it to the later service but most likely only because I was anxious for ham which is always served at Easter potlucks as a snide insult to Jewish people, Seventh day Adventists, and supporters of the religion of peace-though the use of exploding people and beheadings.)
But, I digress...
Here is the living room setup which was approved by my somewhat understanding wife. She even fished my home built dipole antenna out from behind the bookcase to bring in the station better. It has been carefully tuned to the strange and wonderful left side of the dial. (Said without a trace of irony!)
I really need to do something about the wires going to the LCD TV.

I will note that in all my frustration with the expense vs quality of "vintage" stereo equipment I did price a good amplifier. I bid on an Adcom made in the late 20th century, after seeing what new ones sell for on Amazon.com. I was shocked at the selling price. It would seem that good quality stereo equipment is the same relative price now as it has always been. What is frustrating is that there is no medium to low-end stereo options anymore. It is all cheap crap made to fall apart and the sound quality is pretty poor.
I now have to decide what to keep and what to sell...I suppose....
I still have my first stereo. It is a Kenwook KA3500 which I purchased well used from Butch McKimmie (spelling?) of Discus Records when he went out of business some years ago. He was a very interesting fellow and now he is a Google search term. Perhaps he will find me. I would like to talk to him again.
But, this is not getting any farm work done. The sun is sort of shining! I must fertilize Muddy Valley, grind feed, put tractors together, spend money I don't have, scratch my arse, work on the stacker, service the corn planter, scratch my arse,  fix a baler, or something...
Have a nice day...