Record Brushes

[Lxgreen]

I’ve been using this brush for a couple of years and very happy. Seems to be effective at removing dust and anti-static. Supposedly they are used by Japanese detectives to dust for fingerprings.

ASB-1
Furutech Select Series Antistatic Brush​

 

[Lardawg]

Thank you for sharing this link for us all. I thought it was a useful demonstration!

From what I could see from the video, I thought the Ursa-Major did a really great job compared to most of the others. To me it seemed to not leave much in the way of the very small white dust particles behind on the record... equally as good as the Hart and Ramar, if not better from what I could see in the video.

I just ordered the Ursa-Major in Olive wood, as I like the wood grain structure. For $59.50 including shipping to the USA, it is relatively inexpensive (at least compared to the Ramar and the Levin) and figured it's worth trying it out.
View attachment 88117
Best wishes,
Don

I find the Ursa Major brush works the best of all that I have tried. Relatively inexpensive all things considered.

 

[No Regrets]

I find the Ursa Major brush works the best of all that I have tried. Relatively inexpensive all things considered.

I’ve been enjoying mine as well. Very well made, I love the wood grain of the Olive wood, and it works well !

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

My favourite is goat's fur in a wooden handle from Monolith Audio. It cleans nicely and has been with me for 2-3 years, I believe.

 

[ACHiPo]

I also have a relatively new Audioquest brush that does not work well. I just ordered a Hart audio based on Fremer's review.

Mk 11 Hart SS Wet or Dry Vinyl LP Record SuperCleaner Winner M. Fremer Video | eBay

Place the record on a cloth covered flat surface, and work the fluid into and with the groove with the Mk 11, wash the Mk 11 in clean distilled water before rinsing the record with fresh distilled water.

www.ebay.com

Hopefully it works better getting dust and hair off records between wet cleaning.

It seems to work very well. The fit and finish leave something to be desired, but I have no complaints about its ability to get dust and debris off a record.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Today, I used the Furutech DeStat III before placing the record on the table.

Why do you advise to use this before placing the record on the platter?

 

[Audire]

Why do you advise to use this before placing the record on the platter?

I’ve been told that with the Furutech that it shouldn’t be brought close to the electronics on the table. So, I use near my vinyl rack. However, from what I understand some other anti static devices - like the CS Port - may be used nearer the table.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I’ve been told that with the Furutech that it shouldn’t be brought close to the electronics on the table. So, I use near my vinyl rack. However, from what I understand some other anti static devices - like the CS Port - may be used nearer the table.

Thank you!

 

[Bill Hart]

I've had a love/hate relationship with dry brushing records for decades. I have lots of brushes that I've accumulated over the years. The Analog Relax seemed to work better when it was new- I should contact the manufacturer and find out of there is something I should do.
I don't have any static issues once a record has been cleaned- I work and play in bare feet to minimize the risk of a charge. I've messed around with various inner sleeves- most shed. I've come to use the Japanese round bottom ones, very flimsy- but I resleeve outside the record jacket in a protective "sandwich" that involves an outer jacket. (Makes for a fatter LP package on the shelf).
Once the record is clean and static free, I use a bulb blower and for touch up, along with a piece of silk when necessary, to dab/grab a piece of lint. @Neil.Antin turned me onto a similar bulb blower with a HEPA intake and the Tiger Cloth, which I now use for touch up. (I don't "wipe" the record- if the air bulb doesn't blow off the detritus, I can usually pick it up with the Tiger Cloth). This is very effective for "touch up" of a clean record that has gathered some surface lint during exposure of surfaces in handling and play.
Though I use pretty tight filters on my HVAC system (the one in the music room is dedicated to that floor) and separate HEPA filters in the cleaning area, there's only so much you can do to control dust. I vacuum, dust, it doesn't matter- you can see the stuff floating in the air with the right light/angle.
I guess everybody has their own approach and after some experimentation, finds a method that works for them.
PS: the killer inner sleeve of the moment for me is the one used by Craftman for their 2 x 45 Three Blind Mice reissues- it is probably just HDPE, but has a silken feel and is a little more substantial than the cheapies usually found. I reached out to Disc Union, their distributor, to see if there is a way to buy those inners in bulk.

 

[Ron Resnick]

On the dust point I have turned the whole listening room "wing" into a sort of clean room. I have an IQAir HEPA filter machine in each of the three areas. The IQAir is an expensive air cleaner, but it is the "Studer" of air cleaners (it is made in Switzerland). These things work really well!

I have trouble finding dust deposited anywhere in the listening area.

 

[MRubey]

I’ve been using the WASANBON three brush system for seven years. It used to be available from Jico Stylus in Japan. They quit carrying them years ago.
Id buy three sets if I could find them.
Im still using my original set. Less now that I have a Degritter.
The WASANBON brushes force you to slow down and get into a meditative rhythm as you make concentric circles with each brush in turn, covering the records surface three times. Or four if you start and end with the larger soft anti static brush.
I love them. I wish they were still available.

 

[Audire]

On the dust point I have turned the whole listening room "wing" into a sort of clean room. I have an IQAir HEPA filter machine in each of the three areas. The IQAir is an expensive air cleaner, but it is the "Studer" of air cleaners (it is made in Switzerland). These things work really well!

I have trouble finding dust deposited anywhere in the listening area.

Ron,

The IQAir looks great. Which model do you use?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron,

The IQAir looks great. Which model do you use?

HealthPro Plus

I researched the whole air cleaner thing 15 years or so ago, and I got one IQAir at that time. It was the best machine back then. I re-did the research a few months ago, and it turns out it is the best machine today.

I used to literally cover my tall Martin-Logan Prodigys and VTL amplifiers and VPI TNT with custom dust covers every time I finished playing music. This protocol was annoying AF. It definitely dissuaded me from listening to music as much as I would have absent it.

This time around I am making it easy to walk into the room and just start playing music.

I run the IQAirs 24/7 when I'm not actually in the room listening to music. I'm sure dust is still very, very gradually being deposited, but the reduction has to be subjectively at least 90%.

The whole area truly feels (and smells) like a "clean room."

Oh, and my IQAir from 15 years ago is still running strong. They seem to last forever. (Like a Meile vacuum cleaner, the IQAir is worth the high up-front cost.)

 

[Jeffy]

Thanks Ron for this.

 

[AudioHR]

I've had a love/hate relationship with dry brushing records for decades. I have lots of brushes that I've accumulated over the years. The Analog Relax seemed to work better when it was new- I should contact the manufacturer and find out of there is something I should do.
I don't have any static issues once a record has been cleaned- I work and play in bare feet to minimize the risk of a charge. I've messed around with various inner sleeves- most shed. I've come to use the Japanese round bottom ones, very flimsy- but I resleeve outside the record jacket in a protective "sandwich" that involves an outer jacket. (Makes for a fatter LP package on the shelf).
Once the record is clean and static free, I use a bulb blower and for touch up, along with a piece of silk when necessary, to dab/grab a piece of lint. @Neil.Antin turned me onto a similar bulb blower with a HEPA intake and the Tiger Cloth, which I now use for touch up. (I don't "wipe" the record- if the air bulb doesn't blow off the detritus, I can usually pick it up with the Tiger Cloth). This is very effective for "touch up" of a clean record that has gathered some surface lint during exposure of surfaces in handling and play.
Though I use pretty tight filters on my HVAC system (the one in the music room is dedicated to that floor) and separate HEPA filters in the cleaning area, there's only so much you can do to control dust. I vacuum, dust, it doesn't matter- you can see the stuff floating in the air with the right light/angle.
I guess everybody has their own approach and after some experimentation, finds a method that works for them.
PS: the killer inner sleeve of the moment for me is the one used by Craftman for their 2 x 45 Three Blind Mice reissues- it is probably just HDPE, but has a silken feel and is a little more substantial than the cheapies usually found. I reached out to Disc Union, their distributor, to see if there is a way to buy those inners in bulk.

The bulb blower and Tiger Cloth sound interesting. I have no idea what they are but I have always thought that brushes frequently just move the dust around and contribute to the static problem. Do you have contact information of what you referred to?
Interesting comment on sleeves. I have used those round bottom sleeves in the past, Nagioka or something like that. They were good but very flimsy and not the best for frequently played lps. What do you think of Mofi inner sleeves or should I ask

 

[Bill Hart]

The bulb blower and Tiger Cloth sound interesting. I have no idea what they are but I have always thought that brushes frequently just move the dust around and contribute to the static problem. Do you have contact information of what you referred to?
Interesting comment on sleeves. I have used those round bottom sleeves in the past, Nagioka or something like that. They were good but very flimsy and not the best for frequently played lps. What do you think of Mofi inner sleeves or should I ask

Here's the air blaster with hepa filter- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081LN3HTR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and the Tiger Cloth-
https://www.amazon.com/Kinetronics-Anti-Static-Microfiber-Cloth-10x18-Inch/dp/B00009R7VT
Thanks to Neil on these. I was using the Giotto Rocket blaster before, same concept but no filter on intake.
As for the other inner sleeves, they are all OK-, but I've found that except for the round bottom Japanese, they all shed to a degree. The MA Records one is nice, but not easy to handle, expensive and it too seems to pick up lint and redeposit it.
Beyond that- the double sided lined Sleeve City Deluxe or whatever they call it is more substantial than the MoFi or QRP, but otherwise, I'm pretty agnostic. For me, it's personal preference and also how I resleeve- I don't put the record back in the jacket.

 

[Bill Hart]

HealthPro Plus

I researched the whole air cleaner thing 15 years or so ago, and I got one IQAir at that time. It was the best machine back then. I re-did the research a few months ago, and it turns out it is the best machine today.

I used to literally cover my tall Martin-Logan Prodigys and VTL amplifiers and VPI TNT with custom dust covers every time I finished playing music. This protocol was annoying AF. It definitely dissuaded me from listening to music as much as I would have absent it.

This time around I am making it easy to walk into the room and just start playing music.

I run the IQAirs 24/7 when I'm not actually in the room listening to music. I'm sure dust is still very, very gradually being deposited, but the reduction has to be subjectively at least 90%.

The whole area truly feels (and smells) like a "clean room."

Oh, and my IQAir from 15 years ago is still running strong. They seem to last forever. (Like a Meile vacuum cleaner, the IQAir is worth the high up-front cost.)

So, Ron, do you crank them, and then turn them down when listening- the db level on low is in the 20's which is below the ambient noise of my room. I could go this step next if it make sense. One unit can serve 1125 s/f, which would probably be adequate for my listening space. I do draw the line at full biohazard level 3 or 4 though.

 

[Audire]

Noticed the use of an air blaster above. We use this after using a brush at times. As you can tell I haven’t used it yet. I like the fact it is self balancing. The bulb is kind of small but it works well. … Available from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MFDPB3F?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[AudioHR]

Here's the air blaster with hepa filter- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081LN3HTR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and the Tiger Cloth-
https://www.amazon.com/Kinetronics-Anti-Static-Microfiber-Cloth-10x18-Inch/dp/B00009R7VT
Thanks to Neil on these. I was using the Giotto Rocket blaster before, same concept but no filter on intake.
As for the other inner sleeves, they are all OK-, but I've found that except for the round bottom Japanese, they all shed to a degree. The MA Records one is nice, but not easy to handle, expensive and it too seems to pick up lint and redeposit it.
Beyond that- the double sided lined Sleeve City Deluxe or whatever they call it is more substantial than the MoFi or QRP, but otherwise, I'm pretty agnostic. For me, it's personal preference and also how I resleeve- I don't put the record back in the jacket.

Thank you Bill.
I followed up and purchased some anti static fibre cloths and an air blaster. I am looking forward to trying them out. Anymore tips on how best to use them?

 

[Bill Hart]

air blaster works best for me if record held in hand at an angle and
blasted- gravity does some work; if you then mount the LP on the turntable and see any spec of dust, just dab with the tiger cloth, don't get into wiping. That's how I use 'em. And the method works fine. (Records were all previously cleaned using wet cleaning/vacuum/ultrasonic).