The Great Vinyl Experiment
- Thread starter Justen
- Start date
This was so badly needed, thank you.
Not true, I have a VERY mistreated copy........
Sunday WILL never be the same...........
sqdlvr
Well-Known Member
Hey if you were gonna use a PF album, I'd suggest the Crossword Puzzle, being a PF fan that has to be the worst album the put out...just a bunch of odds and ends thrown together, the Notebook was better...but good test subject on cleaning vinyl...hmmm maybe you should've just tried it on a Scott Baio album I still see sealed copies of it at the SA or GW and they are there forever!!! LOL
Justen
Send Lawyers,Guns & Money
Who'da thunk there were so many Partridge Family fans?
Anyway, a brief, slightly more sober analysis....
After several days I've examined the record closely. Despite my fear of Armor All being a dust grabber, there is no appreciable sign of dust, nor is there any filmy residue. It was very difficult to thoroughly get that **** off though, so I'd probably never use it again.
A brief yet excruciatingly tedious listen of the album reveals no obvious degradation in overall sound quality, so I think if any of these chemicals are truly detrimental to vinyl I would have heard it, since I left them on for four hours in undiluted concentrations. Just as an aside here, while I am certain I lack a "golden ear", I am a video editor by trade and I spend a lot of time listening for bad sound- I can hear 60hz hum when a power cord crosses a mic cable, when a forklift rumbles in the background of a voice over, a wireless mic whose transceiver battery is getting weak. I'm pretty sure if the signal got bad, I'd hear it....
The bottom line is that all three substances did a decent job of cleaning the album. Personally i'm sticking with water/alcohol/dawn because it is A) cheap, and I'm a cheap bastard and B) relatively mild and not likely to create any long term damage. The more expensive cleaners may work better (or not) but I don't think you'll harm your records with the DIY solution.
I won't use Windex simply because it has a known effect on Polycarbonate- if you use it on clear plastic the plastic will fog, and do so fairly quickly. It may not have any effect on PVC, but not worth the chance to me. If you do use it, I'd recommend a good rinse when you're done.
Armour All? Well it certainly made the record look pretty! Really hard to rinse off though, and while I don't feel any film left on it, I wouldn't swear that there isn't any there. I'm concerned what is there will muck up the stylus more than affect the vinyl itself.
So your friendly neighborhood drunken redneck recommends sticking either with the expensive cleaners OR a mild DIY blend, whichever makes you feel good about yourself since I doubt there is much difference between the two. You can be the audiophile "must preserve every atom of sound" type or you can be the cheap as$ "look what I bought and cleaned for only 25 cents" collector, as long as you are happy in your role.
Look for my next experiment on static control devices.....
Anyway, a brief, slightly more sober analysis....
After several days I've examined the record closely. Despite my fear of Armor All being a dust grabber, there is no appreciable sign of dust, nor is there any filmy residue. It was very difficult to thoroughly get that **** off though, so I'd probably never use it again.
A brief yet excruciatingly tedious listen of the album reveals no obvious degradation in overall sound quality, so I think if any of these chemicals are truly detrimental to vinyl I would have heard it, since I left them on for four hours in undiluted concentrations. Just as an aside here, while I am certain I lack a "golden ear", I am a video editor by trade and I spend a lot of time listening for bad sound- I can hear 60hz hum when a power cord crosses a mic cable, when a forklift rumbles in the background of a voice over, a wireless mic whose transceiver battery is getting weak. I'm pretty sure if the signal got bad, I'd hear it....
The bottom line is that all three substances did a decent job of cleaning the album. Personally i'm sticking with water/alcohol/dawn because it is A) cheap, and I'm a cheap bastard and B) relatively mild and not likely to create any long term damage. The more expensive cleaners may work better (or not) but I don't think you'll harm your records with the DIY solution.
I won't use Windex simply because it has a known effect on Polycarbonate- if you use it on clear plastic the plastic will fog, and do so fairly quickly. It may not have any effect on PVC, but not worth the chance to me. If you do use it, I'd recommend a good rinse when you're done.
Armour All? Well it certainly made the record look pretty! Really hard to rinse off though, and while I don't feel any film left on it, I wouldn't swear that there isn't any there. I'm concerned what is there will muck up the stylus more than affect the vinyl itself.
So your friendly neighborhood drunken redneck recommends sticking either with the expensive cleaners OR a mild DIY blend, whichever makes you feel good about yourself since I doubt there is much difference between the two. You can be the audiophile "must preserve every atom of sound" type or you can be the cheap as$ "look what I bought and cleaned for only 25 cents" collector, as long as you are happy in your role.
Look for my next experiment on static control devices.....
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piece-it pete
What, me worry?
But you haven't tried the original liquid in question!
Pete
Pete
Justen
Send Lawyers,Guns & Money
Which was? I'm not sure what you mean, but I'll happily continue my experiments!
piece-it pete
What, me worry?
Why, the single malt, of course. 
Pete
Pete
jcmjrt
Addicted Member
Justen
Send Lawyers,Guns & Money
Why, the single malt, of course.
It cleans my soul pretty well....
piece-it pete
What, me worry?
Hehe, I'm sure it makes the rig sound better too.
Pete
Pete
tentoze
Twangophile
I think you've taken the right approach here, amigo.
Justen
Send Lawyers,Guns & Money
Too late, I'm afraid. Luckily I've never noticed a lack of Partridge Family albums at the thrift stores...it wouldn't have matter *what* album I used, someone here would have complained!
Try some Yoko Ono. They won't raise a ruckus; they already are one!! :lmao:
BrocLuno
Lunatic Member
Thanks for the run-down. Good work Never noticed a clouding on Windex cleaned LPs - but maybe I'm going blind? I'll look some more. Suspect it's only polycarbonate and not PVC, but will test myself by putting 1/2 old LP in container of Windex and letting it sit overnight, rinse and dry. I'll keep and eye on it for a week or two !! Will advise.
Never noticed a clouding on Windex cleaned LPs - but maybe I'm going blind? I'll look some more. Suspect it's only polycarbonate and not PVC, but will test myself by putting 1/2 old LP in container of Windex and letting it sit overnight, rinse and dry. I'll keep and eye on it for a week or two !! Will advise.
After 40 years of not considering alcohol on my LPs, this thread made me decide to try it on a couple. I received a copy of Santana Lotus this week and side one had goo on the first cut. (I haven't been brave enough to try Goo Gone either but the name implies it might work.) And for the last 4 years my copy of Luck of the Draw has had some goo on "I Can't Make You Love Me."
I got out the Isopropyl and a Q-Tip. A little scrubbing and then the clean end, plus a distilled water rinse and a trip on the 16.5 . . . The goo is almost gone.
I am going to try it more carefully and play the two LPs today.
But all that to say thanks!!!!!!
I got out the Isopropyl and a Q-Tip. A little scrubbing and then the clean end, plus a distilled water rinse and a trip on the 16.5 . . . The goo is almost gone.
I am going to try it more carefully and play the two LPs today.
But all that to say thanks!!!!!!
