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Stylus cleaning

foxwelljsly

foxwelljsly

Me too, I ate one sour too.
What do folks use?

I have a brush and a bottle of audio technica stylus cleaning fluid, but they're not great with stubborn gunk and the manual for my new cart explicitly states not to use fluids.

Anyone have any other recommendations?

cheers
 
I have one of those AT637 vibrating cleaner things. It seems to remove 'stuff', but as I don't have a microscope I wouldn't put my life on it.
 
foxwelljsly said:
What do folks use?

I have a brush and a bottle of audio technica stylus cleaning fluid, but they're not great with stubborn gunk and the manual for my new cart explicitly states not to use fluids.

Anyone have any other recommendations?

cheers
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Yes I use exactly the same , I have used the AT vibrating thingy in the past and the green paper.
 
I’ve used the AT vibrating cleaner and its fluid since the early ‘80s. It works superbly well. Don’t go near the Linn sandpaper, that was only ever a scam to sell new styli sooner than otherwise IMHO!
 
Tony L said:
I’ve used the AT vibrating cleaner and its fluid since the early ‘80s. It works superbly well. Don’t go near the Linn sandpaper, that was only ever a scam to sell new styli sooner than otherwise IMHO!
Click to expand...

It thought it was for Ivor T. to strike his matches on to burn a negative review of some Linn kit...
 
Tony L said:
I’ve used the AT vibrating cleaner and its fluid since the early ‘80s. It works superbly well. Don’t go near the Linn sandpaper, that was only ever a scam to sell new styli sooner than otherwise IMHO!
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I thought it was OK cos the green paper only makes contact with the diamond tip which isn't where the diamond contacts the groove.

I use the AT vibrating thingy too. That was a good investment, still works 30+ years later (touch wood).
 
If you have a detachable stylus/headshell you're laughing as you can inspect with a loupe safely.
Electronic cleaner (with or without fluid: AT + others?) Very good for maintenance. Dust Buster cum gel pots work well, but again, for maintenance. Bit concerned that pulling the stylus out of the gel does pull the cantilever away from its designed travel path (so I rarely use it). Truncated artist's brush (with or without fluid) plus steady hand and sharp focus, with loupe.; good for removing anything (but gunk only with repetitive fluid application).

Maybe other methods? These are the only ones I use/have used. If fluids are proscribed for your stylus, I guess it's because it's glued in rather than slotted, crimped or whatever (Benz comes to mind here). I've used a mild IPA/water solution ( with hand-held brush) before on my Benz to no negative effect.
 
I've got a vibrating brush that I use occasionally. I've dab a drop of cleaning fluid on the pad and that seems to do the trick. I've probably had the same battery in it for a decade or two.
 
If you have baked gunk on the tip, you will need a fine sable paint brush, a merest whisper of cleaning fluid, patience and good eyesight. 3 years ago, it took me almost an hour to get the stylus clean for a Wammer, who lives a few miles away from me.
 
Flux HiFi Sonic cleaner without any cleaning liquid every couple of weeks /month , fibre brush every few records but all my vinyl is vacuum cleaned.
I would advice against any sticky gels , especially if your stylus is glue bonded to the cantilever. Once I bought used cartridge which I haven’t installed straight after purchased , when I tried it stylus detached itself from cantilever , after some time I browsed the forum and found sellers post mentioning use of said cleaning gel.
 
foxwelljsly said:
What do folks use?

I have a brush and a bottle of audio technica stylus cleaning fluid, but they're not great with stubborn gunk and the manual for my new cart explicitly states not to use fluids.

Anyone have any other recommendations?

cheers
Click to expand...
Maybe ott I clean mine after each LP so you don't see gunk so to speak. I use fluid with a felt brush so no excessive fluid getting to the cartridge. Record cleaning machine is a great investment.
 
Stunsworth said:
I have one of those - I think it came with a VMS20E - and use it for casual cleaning if there's 'fluff on the needle'.
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I have a few actually... several of the ones with fairly stiff nylon bristles that look like a toothbrush for action man and a straight one with fine bristles that came with IIRC an MC20 Super I have.
 
I have an ortofon vibrating cleaner and just use water on it - I havent found any need for special cleaning fluid. Maybe deionised water the best, but I have found tap water dont seem to leave any residue on the stylus. I have a small magnifyer that came with it that allows me to see how clean the stylus is before and after & the vibrator & water does the job
 
Been reading old threads about this this week, and it seems many use Watchmaker's Rodico https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077B41...olid=106KG7OUEF3R0&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it or the Magic Eraser kitchen stuff

I've got what I think is a stylus brush, but it's more of a circular pad on the end of a stick than a bristled brush... quick search and it's a Clean-IT Carbon Fibre Stylus Brush https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pro-Ject-A...88&hvtargid=pla-421735011304&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Not used it in ages though as was fearful I'd bugger up - should I be worried and if not how do others use one?
 
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Yes, that is a knock-off of the brush supplied by Ortofon* with many of their cartridges for decades; also sold by many others including Pro-Ject under the IKEA-like name Clean-It. It is composed of bristles, however, they are so fine and packed so tightly that they appear as a pad. These are the best cheap manual brush, short of the one that came with Stylast. I also have a couple of Discwasher SC-2 brushes; advantages include a much larger 'pad' of bristles and a handy convex mirror on the flip side. The actual moulded brush handle retracts into a rectangular walnut sleeve, the size of which makes it quite easy to handle.

Despite all the manual brushes I've collected, I most often use an AT-637 vibrating cleaner dry, employing the same cleaning method as for manual brushes. One thing I've learned is that Elon Musk has nothing on audio-techinica when it comes to getting the most out of batteries!

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* Funny thing, Ortofon's offering now appears to be the same knock-off of their own original! The clue is in the detail of the plastic moulding.
 
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I use the stiff dense brush supplied with 2mm blk. for a bit of fluff.

It gets a very careful wet clean about once a month. Plain de-ionised water on a tiny soft brush, but only 'damp' not soaking wet. Lots of patience.
Lots of light - I usually put a clean sheet of A4 paper beneath to add more light. I use a loupe and a large light-cum-magnifying glass hoodiddy.

I find that I can hear rather than see when the stylus need cleaning.
 
Big Tabs said:
I find that I can hear rather than see when the stylus need cleaning.
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Agreed, the more often one cleans their tip, the more attuned one becomes to hearing when it needs it.

On a somewhat related note, I've lost count of how may cartridges I've salvaged from turntables I've purchased used, where the seller assured me that it would need a new stylus asap, only to find that a good scrub reveals a perfectly serviceable tip.
 
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