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Nitty Gritty, Inc. has closed its doors

beatcomber said:
How does a $467 Nitty Gritty unit compare to a $199 Record Doctor, performance-wise?
Click to expand...

I own both ... we'll kind of sort of.

Purchased a Record Doctor from Audio Advisor in 2002 (as I recall) ... this one is different (I've read) from the Record Doctor being made today.

Then I bought the Nitty Gritty 1.0 in 2013.

The Record Doctor was still working (but looked it's age) when I put on the shelf (care taker status). IMHO ... they both work (performance wise) the same ... the NG 1.0 is better build quality and a much nicer looking unit
 
Darn,

I bought the Mini Pro 2 and now (as a result of this post) cant seem to track down the replacement lips ... I guess I held off too long. I was hoping to pick up a dust cover as well. I see Soundstage blew off all the accessories cheap but are now out of stock. Wonder if there will be any suppliers for parts to the existing products?

I see the machines are still getting sold.
 
Condorsat said:
I own both ... we'll kind of sort of.

Purchased a Record Doctor from Audio Advisor in 2002 (as I recall) ... this one is different (I've read) from the Record Doctor being made today.

Then I bought the Nitty Gritty 1.0 in 2013.

The Record Doctor was still working (but looked it's age) when I put on the shelf (care taker status). IMHO ... they both work (performance wise) the same ... the NG 1.0 is better build quality and a much nicer looking unit
Click to expand...

That's pretty much the answer I expected to get. The Record Doctor is a good product, but some of the parts seem kind of dodgy; I don't expect it will last a long time. But I'll bet it is eating into Nitty Gritty's business.
 
Sorry to hear that Gayles health problems has caused NG to shut down after almost 40 years of serving the audio community. I agree with beatcomber that the early Record Doctor was better built and as I remember it was mfg by NG. The early Record Doctor was my first RCM and maybe with just a little less attention to cabinet material it was mechanically the same as the NG-1 and did an excellent job of manually cleaning records. The NG RCMs are just as capable as the VPI RCMs and where space is limited their smaller footprint can be an advantage. If your on a very tight budget I'd highly recommend a "vintage" Record Doctor over the present model being offered by Audio Advisor. Hopefully KABUSA will consider continuing the production/parts/servicing the NG products.
 
Love My Record Doctor (V ???) Not sure which version but its only about a year old now. I assume NG's shutdown does not impact the Record Doctor machine or parts in any way??? or does it ???
 
About a year ago, I purchased a used Model 1.5 (automatic rotation, manual fluid dispense). I think it's an older model because it has a vinyl oak cabinet. It seems to work fine (good suction) but I've been meaning to send it to the company for their reconditioning service. Sounds like I may be too late.

I've never had any fluid come out the bottom though. Is that unusual? I did stick a wire up the outlet tube as recommended and there was no obstruction.

IMG_1108.jpg
 
jwhvt from reading the NG owners manual their recommendation is to use NG record cleaning fluid or if home brew a minimal amount of alcohol that wont damage the hoses/glue. The NG RCMS are fairly simple and anyone with minimal mechanical skills sould be able to do any repairs, if you need parts contact KABUSA.
 
majick47 said:
jwhvt from reading the NG owners manual their recommendation is to use NG record cleaning fluid or if home brew a minimal amount of alcohol that wont damage the hoses/glue. The NG RCMS are fairly simple and anyone with minimal mechanical skills sould be able to do any repairs, if you need parts contact KABUSA.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Someday I'll open it up and make sure everything looks good.
 
My impression of the record doc is inadequate ventilation of the motor chamber, dunno about the NG equivalent.
 
With 40 years of trial and error NG had plenty of time to get any bugs out of their RCMs and also the "Record Doctor" that was close to the NG-1. Audio Advisor who in the last few years subcontracted their model out to a foreign mfg who probably had no prior experience building RCMs might of saved a few dollars but long or even short term reliability is questionable.
 
Readers E-Mail on Analog Planet

Nitty Gritty Closes Its Doors <<< link

0817NG.JPG
 
Yes Gayle told me a long time ago that unless you are cleaning tens and tens of records daily the liquid evaporates and there's no real need to check the drain.
 
How sad that NG closed the doors. I also had a great experience dealing with Gayle (who sold me my Minipro 2). I am very sorry to hear of her health issues.

The KAB website indicates that the vac sweeps are back in production and will be available soon. I also suspect that clever folks on this website and others will find suitable home brew alternatives as these things are not cheap.
 
beatcomber said:
How does a $467 Nitty Gritty unit compare to a $199 Record Doctor, performance-wise?
Click to expand...

I have the $199 Record Doctor and like it fine. I don't own an NG. Given the brand name and history of the Nitty Gritty line, that would be a business I'd be interested in buying. 39 years of sales and customer relationships is an awful thing to see go to waste. S
 
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