Tom said it all. I do however use Gruv Glide although at a much lesser level than the instructions say. It's a must for Linn owners because without some type of anti-static the felt mat will lift with the record in the winter which is a major annoyance. I don't know if it will damage the vinyl with time but doubt it. It's easily removed with a normal, quick wet cleaning on my machine. At least that's been my experience.
