In a world where an increasing number of people are downloading their music, there will soon be teenagers who don’t know what a CD is, let alone a vinyl record.
But for those who remember the thrill of putting a needle on a record, who cherish the sound quality that only comes from vinyl, and who have favorite records that are too scratched to play, but too loved to throw away, there is help at hand.
Jeff Davis of Vinylux Vintage Vinyl Design turns pre loved vinyl into bowls, snack trays, coasters, clocks, picture frames, and even cuff bracelets and Christmas decorations.
LPs, 45s and Vintage Album Covers All Converted
Davis reuses, recycles and reimagines LPs, 45s and Vintage album covers. Over the past five years he has recycled around 400,000 records – that’s equal to around 120,000 pounds of vinyl.
He tells Suite101 that some of the gifts he has made have been created for the men and women who recorded them. “I have made many bowls for notable bands such as The Rolling Stones, and my very first commission for Neil Sedaka was made from records provided by his wife as a birthday gift," he says. "We've also made holiday gifts for The Kronos Quartet, Neil Young, Frankie Valli, and Paul McCartney.”
Custom Orders to Turn Old Favorite Records into New Gifts
Davis may have created gifts for some of the greatest recording artists of our times, but he says the best part of his job is making presents for people who are less well known.“My favorite customers are (typically) women who send me records that their husbands recorded – usually to pay homage to their past glory days of living the Rock & Roll dream," he says.
Other custom bowls Davis has made over the past few years have run the gamut from Barbra Streisand to the Sex Pistols. Vinylux has just completed a custom record coaster order for Elvis Presley Entertainment, creating 22,000 coasters for the “Elvis Insiders” fan club. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock festival, they are also producing 25,000 custom coasters for Barnes & Noble Booksellers.
Putting Vinyl Records Back Into Your Home
The vinyl bowls created by Davis and his team are created from a single record that has been molded to keep the look and feel of an LP. The original record label is laminated for protection, and the spindle hole filled in with a clear film. Even after their transformation, vinyl is best kept out of a dishwasher or microwave, but they are easily wiped clean by hand.
The bowls offer a wide range of genres to choose from, including rock, soul, disco, divas, country, classical and showtunes, however with some of the other products it is not possible to select an artist or genre.
Vinylux Vintage Vinyl can be found in a wide range of stores or online. Custom orders can be made by contacting Davis and his team through their website. The time has come to look at a scratched record in a whole new way.
Amanda Woods - Amanda Woods is a journalist and producer with more than 15 years experience in radio, television and print. She now enjoys sharing her ...
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