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What do you use to clean the stylus of your turntable?

I'll start from this last reply: a friend of mine also suggested something similar – he lets the stylus clean the record, then he cleans the stylus. I think I might consider a cheap machine to wash the oldest records. But when I watch the stylus of my TT after I played an LP, it usually looks as clean as it was before playing it. The advantages of having kept my collection in their sleeves for years, tightly close to each other...
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Max
 
I have had no problems with Clearaudio Elixir on my Arkiv/Akiva/Kandid but only use it occasionally.

Generally use an SC2 dry and very occasionally an AT637 with Clearaudio Elixir for a deep clean.

The difference a clean makes to the quality of replay is significant and worthwhile.
 
3-5 Mins does seem to be excessive.
I used my AT stylus cleaner years ago and never again after I lost a stylus tip during a clean and in my opinion to have that much vibration running through the stylus and cartridge may well cause damage to the internal workings of the cartridge.
 
Tim Jones said:
I use...absolutely nothing, and never have. This mania for 'cleaning' things - be it the vinyl or the stylus - has always seemed a bit weird to me. The pressures between stylus and surface are well known to us, aren't they? If it gets fluffy, give it a blow. Otherwise be prepared for the road to greater and potentially cart-wrecking madnesses.
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Buy yourself a nice high quality loupe (thread with links here) and I guarantee you will change your mind!
 
I only ever used a little stiff stylus brush. (Although all of my albums, s/h and new, had been cleaned with a KM machine at my local record dealer before playing them.)
 
Tim Jones said:
use...absolutely nothing, and never have. This mania for 'cleaning' things - be it the vinyl or the stylus - has always seemed a bit weird to me. The pressures between stylus and surface are well known to us, aren't they? If it gets fluffy, give it a blow. Otherwise be prepared for the road to greater and potentially cart-wrecking madnesses.
Click to expand...

Now there's a thought. Not one I've entertained since using higher end coils, though, if even before that. Stylus profiles have changed over the years, but in the early days, a spherical tip at a reasonable VTF could clear muck and a hand-held brush/pad did keep crud at bay.

It's not just the record, it's undue wear on the cartridge as well, with grotty records.
 
I check the stylus tip after playing every record side - even after wet cleaning a record there is often a build up of crud.

I once had to pick solidified matter from a tip with a sewing needle - never again. I am sure my cartridges last a fair bit longer with regular cleaning using an AT637 moistened with a drop of purified water.

With a cheaper open ended cantilever I would use iso alcohol sparingly.

mat
 
I use this Rodico putty, a product used to clean watch parts. It was recommended by Expert Stylus years ago and I’ve been using it since. A ten dollar supply of it will last years. I cut a piece off, shape it to the size I want and stick it on the end of a toothpick. Every four sides I lower the stylus onto the putty for a couple seconds and that’s it. I used the green paper for years before that, but was informed by ES to stop doing so with their rebuilds. I have an AT vibrating stylus cleaner but haven’t used it for years. The putty seems to do the trick just fine.

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The only stylus I've ever owned that needed regular cleaning was the DV 17D2/D3 because of the tiny cantilever. I am, as ever, open minded though...
 
Nothing, I've never cleaned one.

I wouldn't mind one of those AT ultrasonic jobbies but I ain't shelling out north of 50 quid for one.
 
Nagaoka stylus cleaner and a carbon brush once a week for me, I'll tell you the story about how my now ex girlfriend ripped the cantilever off my Lyra Delos another time.

I still miss her(the Lyra that is).
 
p147 said:
3-5 Mins does seem to be excessive.
I used my AT stylus cleaner years ago and never again after I lost a stylus tip during a clean and in my opinion to have that much vibration running through the stylus and cartridge may well cause damage to the internal workings of the cartridge.
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Agreed. Instruction manual states 5 to 20 seconds...

It also says to use the Stylus Cleaning Formula, "If The stylus is extremely dirty"

Information extracted from Instruction manual, available on vinylengine.com
 
Flux hi fi electronic stylus cleaner

Flux arrived and used a good few times ...its doing its job ..i've no experience of other "ultra sonic or sonic" cleaners ....I'm using it prior to each session and in combination with VP Dustbuster which i use after every LP ..plus the records are cleaned with an anti static brush prior to playing each side ....my records have never sounded better :D
 
Flux Hifi Electronic ultrasonic cleaner user ( expensive but about as good as it gets possibly ) then stylus dipped in a VP Dustbuster then a gentle back and forth brush.
 
I'm about to buy my first "expensive" cartridge, an Audio technica, and was going to get one of their little gel-pot cleaning things that you dip the stylus in to periodically.

They haven't had much of a mention here though. I half expected them to be all the rage...
 
HarryCrumb said:
I'm about to buy my first "expensive" cartridge, an Audio technica, and was going to get one of their little gel-pot cleaning things that you dip the stylus in to periodically...
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Keep the records clean and 99% of the time all you'll need will be a squirrel-hair brush. Jewellers' blue putty costs about £4-5-6 for enough for 12 lifetimes (or thereabouts). I have an AT ultra-sonic and suspect that I have used it 10-20 times in the 30 years that I have had it.

The only comment about those gels pots that I have heard from a user after more than a few hours ownership, has been less than enthusiastic.
 
Vinny said:
The only comment about those gels pots that I have heard from a user after more than a few hours ownership, has been less than enthusiastic.
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I have used the VP dustbuster gel for years.
It works very well. Used frequently with AT 95.

Doesn’t work on 2m Black. Maybe the shape of the diamond.
 
HarryCrumb said:
I'm about to buy my first "expensive" cartridge, an Audio technica, and was going to get one of their little gel-pot cleaning things that you dip the stylus in to periodically.

They haven't had much of a mention here though. I half expected them to be all the rage...
Click to expand...

Harry, i would assume your talking about their version of Vinyl Passion dustbuster ....i'd suggest looking at the relative costs ..as can endorse the VP dustbuster as Big Tabs does ... I have an Ortofon Quintet Black S stylus
 
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