Vinyl Care


I just got a new turntable and cartridge after not having one for years.

I need a recommendation for a relatively inexpensive record cleaner.

I really never took proper care of my records,and would like some basic advice on how to keep them clean on a regular basis.

I also need some guidance on care and cleaning of my cartridge and stylus.My currant cartridge is a Rega exact.

Please know that I don't have a big collection of valuable records,just a bunch of old rock recordings amassed over the past 50 years.

I have started buying some new records,but only select prized albums that I have lost or have been worn out.

Thanks.

twangy57

Showing 1 response by whart

I mitigate static largely by how I handle LPs. I work in bare feet (as opposed to socks and/or shoes on a carpet). After the record has been cleaned, it does not exhibit a charge. Pulling a record from a tight paper sleeve can charge it, as can resleeving. I’ve found that those round bottom Japanese inners are some of the best for leaving little residue or particulate matter from the liner. 

Sure, I have had a Milty type gun forever, but rarely if ever use it. When I resleeve, I put the record in an outer jacket cover with some protection on the back side, rather than shoving it back in the jacket, which also mitigates friction and static in my experience. The rug in my listening room is a huge old Persian that is almost threadbare- we’ve had it for decades and it was very old when we bought it. It does not contribute to a charge the way a deeper pile plush rug would. 

On occasion, I’ll see dust flecks that come from the room-- though I use a pretty powerful Hepa air scrubber when the system isn’t powered up. Those I can remove through a combination of air puffer and Kinetronics Tiger Cloth that Neil @antinn turned me onto. I used to use silk for this purpose. The Tiger cloth works better and is cheap- you can find it at Amazon.