I'm with you, John. Really don't like similar brushes. Well, for the most part. I like LAST-type brushes for use with fluids. When flipping sides, however, I much prefer a brush like the one that comes with AT cartridges. It kinda looks like a miniature soft-bristled broom.
That little brush scares the heck out of me!
- Thread starter Johnny Vinyl
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I'm with you, John. Really don't like similar brushes. Well, for the most part. I like LAST-type brushes for use with fluids. When flipping sides, however, I much prefer a brush like the one that comes with AT cartridges. It kinda looks like a miniature soft-bristled broom.
Avoid fluids - they are sucked up by the glue used to fasten the diamond to the stylus, and eventually will reduce the strength of the glue due to the repeated moist/dry cycles. Old advice I got, fortified by seeing Lederman from Soundsmith saying the same thing in a recent lecture that's available here: http://vimeo.com/62377436
Use magic erase or a dry brush. I've used these brushes for years and years. Back to front, let the stylus sink into the brush, and pull gently.
Use magic erase or a dry brush. I've used these brushes for years and years. Back to front, let the stylus sink into the brush, and pull gently.
I've never heard of oznow...
I sometimes use a brush but I find Magic Eraser is the easiest. Cut off a piece, stick a toothpick in it and scrub away (I don't gently dip the stylus into it like some others - that feels ineffective).
What I would be afraid to use is any sort of liquid...
I sometimes use a brush but I find Magic Eraser is the easiest. Cut off a piece, stick a toothpick in it and scrub away (I don't gently dip the stylus into it like some others - that feels ineffective).
What I would be afraid to use is any sort of liquid...
I don't buy it. I have used Stylast for close to 30 years and have had zero problems.
I've used Stylast for as long as I have been an a'phile. It's never given me any problems and I like the idea that it cuts down on the friction in the groove/stylus interface. That would seem to allow for a longer stylus life and also be beneficial to the survival of the groove wall. Gruv-Glide has the same effect in principal. I like that formulation as well and have used it on many LP's that are in less than pristine condition, I think the results can be heard to speak for themselves.
Try it, you may like it.
Try it, you may like it.
I have been hearing about Stylast for years. Whether it causes any harm or not, it is impossible for me to believe that it lasts for more than a split second on the needle before it is rubbed off by the pressures of the groove, which are quite tremendous at the contact point. What is it supposed to be, liquid diamond lubricant extract?
I've become used to the brush now and don't have the fear of damaging the stylus I had at the beginning. Been using the Onzow and the brush only, which is what Ortofon recommends. I've always used a liquid cleaner in the past, and still have a bit of the Nagaoka Hi-clean 801 solution left. There seems to be a variety of opinions here as to "what's best" (haha), which I guess shows it's about a personal preference.
I also use Gruv_Glide and like that product very much. Like Davey, I use it on less than pristine vinyl. The only thing I've never tried, but want to get is the Zerostat. Does anyone have any experience with this?
I also use Gruv_Glide and like that product very much. Like Davey, I use it on less than pristine vinyl. The only thing I've never tried, but want to get is the Zerostat. Does anyone have any experience with this?
Lederman from Soundsmith, who has looked at more styli through an electron microscope than I have seen Pick-Ups, has a very simple conclusion when it comes to using solvents to clean the diamond: don't.
When the alcohol evaporates, it cools the stylus and glue. That attracts moisture, which over time and additional applications reduces the strength of the glue. Watch the video for his detailed explanation.
When the alcohol evaporates, it cools the stylus and glue. That attracts moisture, which over time and additional applications reduces the strength of the glue. Watch the video for his detailed explanation.
I've heard Peter's explanation and while I would hardly disagree with his knowledge, what is the end result of this repeated process? Has anyone ever had a stylus fall off a cantilever in recent time? (now reportedly this did happen years ago before they started using better epoxies - not to mention the ROH also affected the elastomers used back then.)
And how many times does this take to happen? So might the answer be to use "wet" cleaning sparingly?
What I always recommend is that if in doubt, contact the cartridge manufacturer for their recommendation. If anything goes wrong, it will be covered then under warranty.
It's a cleaner Carl. For me, it's the last touch after the initial cleaning. In the old days before I had the Oznow, I used the Stylast brush first and then the Stylast cleaner. Now it's Oznow first and Stylast cleaner second. Again, I have used this product for over 30 years and have never had any issues. I don't use it for any magical properties other than being the last step in a cleaning process which I think it does quite well.
I find the logic in your thought process quite humorous. You are not afraid to take a chunk of Magic Eraser which was designed to scrub tar off of concrete and stick a toothpick in it and scrub away at your stylus and yet you are afraid to brush your stylus with a cleaning solution that was specifically designed to clean styluses?? I would rather wipe my butt with 50 grit sandpaper than use magic eraser on a precious stylus. This behavior probably leads to "the maid broke off my stylus" stories that we hear about so often.
Happy to amuse you. I've read too many warnings of liquid affecting the glue that holds the stylus on that it worries me. Doesn't mean it's a valid worry - just means I'm not comfortable with it. In contrast I've never heard of an issue with Magic Eraser and have had the scrubbing method demonstrated to me (it's a gentle scrub but a scrub nonetheless) and have been doing it daily for years with no problems.
I find it best to use a cantilever prophylactic and slide it on the cantilever before every application of the Stylast. Trojan sells them in the mini-man department at your favorite pharmacy.
As Larry the Cable Guy would say, "That's funny right there, I don't care who you are."
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