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Anyone experienced with Sound Guard?

Recently someone on Vinyl Asylum reported wonderful condition/sonics on some used LPs that had been treated with Sound Guard. I was in the hobby years ago when SG was popular but never tried it. Now my curiosity is up.

Looking through my audio junk stash, I found a SG Record Preservation Kit I must have acquired in trade years ago. This includes a bottle of the SG fluid (80% full) and the blue felt applicator pad. Before I begin experimenting, thought I would ask a few questions.

1. If you have used Sound Guard, what are your impressions of its value?

2. Does anyone have a copy of the application instructions they could scan and E-mail to me? I'm wondering if the fluid should be applied to the record and spread with the pad or applied to the pad then wiped on the record?

3. A note on the bottle refers to the spray pump which I don't have. Anyone still have an old, empty bottle who would be willing to give me their pump?

Thanks for any help.
pryso
9 responses Add your response
rushton's avatar
rushton
2,445 posts
 
I used it, and it was a mess to get cleaned off my LPs. It left a sonic signature and attracted dust over time. Never again. Use Walker Audio Prelude or Audio Intelligent and don't apply anything as a "preservative." Your records and your ears will thank you.
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stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,470 posts
 
I used it once many years ago and threw it away. I remember it making the record noisy.
bkonig
127 posts
 
My friend used it many years ago. It gunked up his stylus and had no sonic benefit.
chashmal
605 posts
 
A tremendous setback. Residue that attracts dust and adds filth to the grooves. Go with Walker and a VPI and leave the rest alone!!!
xiekitchen
821 posts
 
My friends and I all bought into the stuff in 1979-1981 or so and used it quite a bit... benefit was less static... after 3-5 years or so you would play a disc and there would be this white dust residue building up on your stylus, apparently the stuff would come off. Yes I remember it muted the sound over all just a bit; most if not all of those LP's have been replaced. You would have to wet vac clean them many times to get that gunk off now.
racamuti's avatar
racamuti
362 posts
 
Most of this kind of stuff has a shelf life anyway, so you shouldn't use it.
crem1
672 posts
 
I tried SG like all the others and found it to be worthless. Save the brush, ditch the SG.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Not on my LP's, like they said ^^^

Optimal LP playback is achieved when the playback stylus traces the identical path as was traced by the cutting stylus. Gunking up the groove surfaces with *anything* necessarily interferes with that goal. One good look at LP grooves and a modern stylus at 200X magnification or better will convince you that *nothing* is too fine to interfere with that interface.

No Sound Guard. No Groove Glide (yuck). No Last. Just use the best available cleaning regimen, which Rushton already described, and a well made, well maintained RCM.

P.S. Don't even save the brush. It's already contaminated with old Sound Guard. Toss the lot.
pryso OP
1,933 posts
 
Wow, thanks guys.

Most questions in audio result in all kinds of answers with very little consensus. This appears to be the exception. Believe I'll "dispose of" the fluid and find another use for the pad.
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