OK, record is now clean, how about the Stylus?

Oh, I'm not upset, this isn't life or death after all. I just wish that folks would present some reasonable basis for opinions besides "I believe" or "I feel". Beliefs or feelings have nothing to do with the cleanliness of your stylus.

It is quite simple to *see* if your stylus needs to be cleaned, a 40x - 100x microscope will do it every time. You can also check wear patterns which would help in achieving perfect stylus alignment. Everyone should take the opportunity to see their stylus like this, it's very cool.

Just to keep the pot stirred, did you also know that you shouldn't play a given track on a record twice in succession because of groove deformation from the diamond being dragged thru the plastic? You see, there's this little spec. called the "modulus of elasticity" for vinyl...

Best Wishes,

-RW-

>> You may want to read some archived threads about the Mr Clean ME if you haven't...<<

I haven't read the archived threads. However, several years ago, I purchased some ME from the local grocery store and shipped it to one of our UK-based members at his request. I then did some investigating on this matter.

My conclusion? I wouldn't use it. The DiscWasher SC-2 does a fine job of cleaning the stylus and I see no reason to use anything else. The ME may work as well or better, I do not know. I do know that the SC-2 does the job and the bottle I have will probably last the rest of my life.

Looking back, my comment about the expense is really not important, both methods are cheap enough. But keep in mind, the more you handle the stylus, the better the chance that you will damage or ruin the stylus. If you can limit your cleaning routine to 1/10th that of someone else - AND STILL HAVE A CLEAN STYLUS - you have 1/10th the chance of buggering your stylus.

Yes, I have buggered a stylus or two in my day. I was NEVER very happy afterwards...

-RW-

Hello RW, Definitely no argument with what you've said, all makes sense, and I totally agree with the statement of "the more you toy with these delicate things, the more chance for disaster.

One has to get a mindset, that this is how it MUST be done, and to never deviate, ot to have to many glasses of your favorite elixer while doing so.

As I mentioned in my last post though, wet methods may be suitable for some newer Cartridges, but other manufactures caution, and refrain as I say.

A newer ZYX UNIverse, or Lyra Titan Cartridge is not a Shure V-15 of old. Believe when I say this, in that if a new Stylus-Cartridge is ruined due to incorrect cleaning methods-products, send it back to the manufacturer for repair-replacement, they they will more than likely recognize what caused the failue, and void said warrantee. They built em, and they know what messes them up, and how. Manufacturers get Cartridges back every day of the week for mistakes the end user has caused.

Linn used to suggest a matchbook striker to clean a Stylus. This might not in any way hurt a Diamond, the hardest substance known to man, but what might this material do to a Cantilever, or Stylus Adhesive?

To the other poster in regards with the Onzow Zerodust, and raising the product to the Stylus. Here is where one can make an easy mistake. The actual pressure you may be applying may be many times higher than your VTF weight. By dunking you might be applying 2g, by manually raising the product to Stylus, you may be applying 10-15 grams and overflex the Cantilever, and suspension? Hard to say, when a person doesn't actually have a VTF scale built in to thier fingertips?

One could make a little base out of a piece of wood?, that the Zerodust can be set on to be a Platter height. Set on base of turntable, and dunk to your heart's content?

I do hope you folks see my posts as trying to be helpful, not snobbish, as heck, I don't profess to be any expert, but have taken good common sense advice from others here in this forum. Mark

Why wait till it's gummed up? And there is a good probability that there is stuff there that you can't see even with your microscope.

Just to keep the pot stirred, did you also know that you shouldn't play a given track on a record twice in succession because of groove deformation from the diamond being dragged thru the plastic? You see, there's this little spec. called the "modulus of elasticity" for vinyl...

That's been beaten to death so many time on so many forums.

>> Why wait till it's gummed up? And there is a good probability that there is stuff there that you can't see even with your microscope. <<

Ok, Dan, for your edification, I'm going to type this VERY slowly so even you can understand it. Obviously, you have never looked at a stylus under a 'scope. Because, if you had, you'd know how silly your statement was. If you're stylus is dirty, or not, you will KNOW by looking under a microscope. How do you KNOW now if you got it clean? You don't, do you? You "feel" it's clean, or you "believe" it's clean.

Please, do not respond with some snmart-aleck comment, get a microscope and LOOK.

If you want to willy-nilly dip your stylus every 25 minutes in a product that wasn't made for that purpose because you "believe" it works - go for it! These are my last words on the subject...

-RW-