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Audio Desk cleaner.....still available?

I've been looking into this as my VPI 16.5 (from 35 years ago) has failed and I got taken on a "new open box" SOTA cleaner that was a trash heap no longer made (the site I used still says they are available on order....I called SOTA and they are not and you would not want one anyway).  The Audio Desk and the Degritter are the likeliest candidates.  The Audio Desk is or is not any longer in production/? Upscale Audio seems to have them, at least online. I was looking at a used one, likely the old model, but there are failure reports. I don't know about the new one, or whether it is even buyable. I'd prefer used if functional, but welcome opinions. The Degritter is the other option and it seems Galen Carol has them here in Texas. Info on that would be good too.  I'm starting to think record cleaning companies are the audio equivalent of roofing companies. Advice welcome!!

128x128howardlee
larsman's avatar
larsman
1,982 posts
 

I've had a Mk 1 DeGritter for several years now and have cleaned many hundreds of records in it and it works perfectly today, just like it did when I first bought it. These are built VERY well. Mk II DeGritters seem to be available at many retailers (Music Direct being one of many) so I don't know about making them to order and I don't know why you'd want to consider ordering one and waiting a month. 

lewm
13,110 posts
 

in my 30+ years owning the VPI 16.5 it has been dead nuts reliable, works well by direct comparison to a good US machine, is still in production, and is well supported by VPI. Unless one is burning to have a US RCM or wants the added convenience of the $5000 Clearaudio vacuum machine, I don’t get why you’d look for a used foreign made RCM with questionable if any factory support.

US=UltraSonic. Sorry.

pops
2,275 posts
 

Lou, my experiences exactly

dogberry
672 posts
 

My Degritter MkI soldiers on, and is in nearly daily use for three years now. Customer support is reported to be excellent, though I have had no occasion to use it. If considering one, here is a very long thread by users discussing their experiences. I do not rely upon it alone, and still use a Loricraft before the Degritter.

gpgr4blu
1,088 posts
 

Hi theo

On both occasions, about 4 to 5 years. The second machine I turned on after not using it for about 1 year and the pump never started up. I clean records in batches. I'll do 30 to 40 in one day and then let it go for months. The AD was a huge mistake for me.

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