Question for vinyl junkies (gmku and the rest...)
 

Okay, i just got my first vinyl ever today. I bought a record player last week at a goodwill for $2. My qustion is how should i go about cleaning the record player and playing the record without scratching it,and getting the best play out of it? should I clean out the player some way? thanks alot guys...

Make sure the needle is good, and replace it if you're not sure.
I personally clean my records every time I play them with a standard D4 record-cleaning brush. If you want to use a fluid, just use a few drops of distilled water; I have found that stuff like D4 record cleaning fluids can cause buildup and have stopped using it.
This might sound stupid, but do not ever touch the playing surface. It's totally possible to own a record for your whole lifetime without ever touching the playing surface with your fingers. I hate seeing people grab the edge between their thumb and forefinger. Just slide it out onto your hand, with your fingers on the label and your thumb on the edge. Easy as pie. I know this is elementary, so forgive me if this sounds condescending to say.

Also, I recommend not storing the LPs in the inner sleeve with the opening facing out the jacket opening. Not only does this increase the risk of accidentally having the record roll out and hit the floor, but storing the inner sleeve with the opening facing up makes for a good seal against dust coming into the jacket. I also put my LPs in outer polybags, but I am anal like that.

Congrats! I have a method of "deep cleaning" and "regular cleaning" I can tell you about.

Here's a link that describes the process. Good for those used records you pick up from flea markets etc where the owner might or might not have cleaned them well. Also for records you haven't played in years. http://rateyourmusic.com/list/gmku/g...se_old_records

For regular cleaning, I use a microfiber cloth like you can pick up at optometrist offices, and a 50/50 mix of distilled water and denatured alcohol. Most often, if I think a record is generally pretty clean, I just wipe the surface gently with the cloth without using the solution.

You should also invest in a small camel-hair or other soft hair artist's brush (very tiny one) and use this, with a little dip in denatured alcohol, to clean the tip of the stylus after every few plays.

But the best thing you can do is buy only vinyl that's in good shape to begin with. Find a used record store you can trust.

I concur with SC's rec to use poly outer sleeves. Protects not only the jackets but the record inside from dust, moisture, etc.

the vinyl is not old, its brand new and still packaged, and i dont plan on buying any old vinyl anyways, but thanks for your tip about cleaning the stylus, i should probably clean it before a play.

i never really clean anything...sometimes ill wipe off the stylus, sometimes i'll blow the little motes of dust off the vinyl.. i never really clean 'em proper, they all work fine. i hope i didnt offende any vinyl nuts.

(heres a fun fact!!: i bought my first vinyl, VU&Nico, months before even owning a player!)

That's cool. Great one (VU & Nico) to have in the LP format. Gatefold? (I have 4 LP copies, by the way. And one CD.)

Most new and well-maintained used vinyl won't need the deep-cleaning I outlined. That's just for those really dirty ones.

Many audiophiles claim that the stylus "cleans up" dust and such as it plays the record, and that therefore the only real cleaning you need to do is cleaning the stylus after every record or so. (this is providing you start out with a clean record, of course)

As a case in point for the deep-clean method though: Against my own better judgment, last summer I bought a copy of Axis:Bold as Love at an antique shop. I know better. These places usually don't sell real clean copies. But I couldn't resist. It was an 1st pressing on the tri-colored Reprise label, considered kind of rare, and the cover was in good shape. Sure enough, it sounded like a bowl of rice krispies when I first played it at home. So I used the deep-clean method. About 50 percent of the noise was gone! So I went back to the sink with the record again and cleaned it again. This time even more noise was gone. I cleaned and played another two times, and with each cleaning the sound improved dramatically. There are still a few pops here and there, but it is now what I think most collectors would call a VG+, maybe even EX, copy. Not bad for what I paid for it. And very playable.

Oddly enough, that's the same way I started my collection. My first LP was an original Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Are You Experienced". It's still in good shape.

gmku- yep, gatefold. also, very awesome one the Axis Bold As Love, man. thats super-sweet! i haven't bought any used vinyl in my lifetime. yet.

I buy used vinyl all the damn time! I clean it with a record cleaning kit that I got for christmas from my exwife's dad. cool present.

I clean things reguilarly, especially old jazz and classical music.

a good microfiber brush is handy though.

stylus should be clean. clean it!!!!

Vinyl takes much more care than digital. I think of it as an art of sorts, the care and preservation of LPs.

its not like you have to clean them all the time, i never clean mine unless i pick up some old one and i just clean it once. i do find the stylus picks up dust and may have to be blown of if it builds up.

My first vinyl purchase took place in 1983. Def leppard Pyromania.

I was 10 years old. It wa smy favorite record. then I got metal health by quiet riot.

prurient - black vase

My first vinyl purchase was Sgt Pepper's in 1969.

i just looked at my stylus and it is dirty as hell...

i probably need to clean the actual turntable too...

Beatles - Revolver.

$5 at some used store. I was ecstatic "WOW! This must be RARE! For $5!? Shit!"

I was wrong.

You say you got this used. Can I ask what kind it is, and do you know what the cartridge is? If it's at all possible, you should take it to an audio shop and have them check it out. More than likely, they'll want to sell you a new cartridge and stylus. See if you can get by with just buying a new stylus--but many shops these days stock the whole unit and not just the stylus. A nice Grado will set you back about 60 to 80 bucks, but believe me, it's worth it--both in terms of improving the sound quality and preserving your vinyl.

A good audio tech person can also make sure the cartridge is properly aligned.

umm, its says "precision crafted in great britain by BSR".

on the front it says "JC Penny"

lol

So it's a BSR turntable that JC Penney slapped its name on. BSR's not a bad turntable. Is the cartridge changeable?

umm, cartridge?

The S.W.A.T. theme totally rocks.

the deal that the needle is attached to at the end of the arm

haha, I got that for $1. Possibly the worst albumI have ever heard on my life.

Here's a question for vinyl junkies:

How much wear do you put up with before buying a fresh copy?

This might apply only to those who've been collecting for many years and put their records through many a sound system. I noticed my Fugazi-Repeater record is sounding a little crackly since upgrading cartridges, and there's a new sealed copy in the store for 11 bucks.

I hate this. There's always a BETTER copy out there.

I have only bought one replacement vinyl. sonic youth daydream nation.

I have several things doubled. like I have a Mudhoney EGBDF in puke colored vinyl, one in regular black, and one a picture disc.

I have butthole surfers double live twice, one with the entire booklet insert. great stuff.

I have to stop doing that. Saw a nice-looking copy of L.A. Woman today, the original with the transparent cellophane window. I have a copy, but I was just sure, since the very listenable copy I bought a few months ago was 9 bucks and this is 14, that it has to be a much better copy. It's still calling my name back in that store, I can hear it.

Urusei Yatsura's 'We Are...'. I have four copies now. The first one's fine, but I have three spare copies because the odds of finding it are diminishing between now and the end of my life.

I don't take the best care of my records, I clean them every so often, and I replace the needle every 8 months or so. I have no broken records in 10+ years of purchasing/ listening. I have about 10 broken CDs, because CDs want neglect for being such a shit format.

cleaning records you can use warm water and a very small amount of detergent, the player just make sure there is no fluff on the stylus

Would you junkies recommend buying a used or new turntable?

i have one of those cd/tape/radio/record player combos
that looks like an old vitrola(sp)
anyway it drags like crazy
making it unbearable to listen to a record
anyone know a way to fix it or who to call

i'm usually "sure, i never clean my vinyls, hahahaha" but most of the time when i'm holding one, even if it's brand new and sealed, i take it out and clean it with a record cleaning brush my mom has. checking the needle is the basic and, unless you are planing on dropping and rocking you player real hard, then there's no need for further (regular) maintainance.

first vinyl i bought: iron maiden - powerslave, that cover is awesome on vinyl!

rob cheeto said his first vinyl was pyromania, a friend went to canada once and bought me that and hysteria.

i bought a used (more like "junkyard") turntable for like $20 dollars and i had to take it to change the line-out cables in the back and one of the cables on the needle is shorting so i need to fix that too.

experts, i have a question: can the vinyl cleaning brush gather dust? because i'm starting to distrust the one i use...

I pick fuzz and lint and shit off the needle with pointy tweezers (available at a Walgreens near you.)

Can you explain exactly how you did this? I have a fair few older records. Some Dylan that I've found secondhand like Basement Tapes etc, the ones that are not readily accessible. So I buy basically no matter what condition it's in, aslong as it doesn't have deep scratches. I wouldn't mind giving this method you did for you Jimi record, to bring some more life to them.

I got a new one for my birthday and it was only around $90. That's not that expensive and it's a beauty.

Old ones are lovely if they're in good condition.

That's $90 AU though, right? So about $70 USD? That's a bargain for a new one.

thanks for all the help guys