NorthStar
New member
Holy crap! Someone has been busy, now will have to steal my wifees brushes to try it out(and no I don't have any myself). In all fairness I think I can't look at a brush or pad anymore, just spent three days of my vacations detailling my cars and yes they look good.
Did start the work with the isopropyl alcool on the needle yesterday, started off by having 2 negroni's first to calm my nerves, going back and forth on a needle is something I'm really not used to do. It did a good job as you can see but there is still some goo on it, will continue probably tomorrow or better yet on Saturday when it's suppose to rain. Did improve the sound quite substantially, never would have guessed :disbelief:.
The Hyperbrush, never seen it around here but I'm sure it can be found as there's some French on it :snicker:!
View attachment 2010
Looks much better than before, but that's right you have some more to remove (at the base of the stylus, you can see all the accumulation still remaining). The stylus should be long and straight. ...The tip's end looks good though (diamond's point).
Those 'sponge' sticks (Q-tips type), they work better than normal Q-tips. Just go to your local drug store, in the ladies (makeup) section. ...Ask the girl working there; say Bob sent you, and he said to ask you for Eye Shadow Sponge Sticks.
The HyperBRUSH from Track Mate, perhaps at The Source (Radio Shack), or London Drugs audio/video department.
Or something similar; what you want is that stylus cleaner type of 'carpet' brush. It's important, because it finishes the job.
BUT! Keep at it the way you're doing (use the isopropyl alcohol at 99% without mixing it), and add two drops at the end of that 'sponge' stick, and move the sponge only from the inside and going out; you know, so that you don't damage the fragile cantilever.
And make sure you don't leave any moisture by squeezing gently the sponge tip with your two fingers.
You don't want it to be too dry either, but have some alcohol there to remove the rest of that very sticky goo there at the base of the stylus.
Then when it is totally removed use the other end of the sponge stick to dry any excess of moisture from the cantilever, gently. ...Just by dropping gently the stylus on it.
And I hope that you are performing all this operation with the cartridge removed from it's shell (and tonearm). ...Or just the tonearm would do if the shell itself is the removable type.
Again, that last snapshot you took from your stylus is looking much better than the one before.
And when you'll be all done, you'll hear that last stage of sound improvement.
I'm glad Dan that you shared that with us, plus the snapshots you took, because I'm sure you're not the only person with a 'dirty' stylus in dire need of real cleanup.
Then after that it is simply common routine to maintain your stylus in clean shape after each spinning session.
And clean albums are important. If you want to play some less than clean ones, just switch cartridges for those dirtier LPs.
But clean your stylus after each side play. ..Takes only few seconds. ...With a regular stylus soft brush.
* That very gooey and sticky stuff at the base of the stylus; it is from very dirty LP's grooves.
Dirty albums (and many of them are) are a killer to the entire analog TT system! ...But you must know that.
And then, ... looking at the first snapshot of your stylus; ... horror, the horror!
... Truly though. Alright I'm out of here; till next time when your stylus will look brand new.
...And pardonnez-moi for my French 'accent'.
.
