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Is the Last Record Preservative system a worthwhile investment?

I take great care in my record collection.
1. I have a manual record vacuum cleaning machine. I also use an enzyme cleaner on a few really dirty ones.
2. I replace all paper sleeves with plastic ones.
3. I use groove glide on only the records in really bad shape. Around 1 percent.
4. I use a record jacket to protect the covers.
5. I meticulously keep the stylus clean.
6. Use a brush everytime I play a record.
  My question being is; will the Last system actually improve the sonics even after all the care I put in to my collection?
How much time is involved treating a record? How much per record does it cost if I buy the larger treatment kits? Id like to hear your experiences with this product. I have close to 3000 records. My analogy is like a great movie that I have never seen. Wow you just now saw that? Will I have an aha moment using the Last system like oh wow, I should have seen that movie years ago. Lol
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Showing 6 responses by bdp24

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,398 posts
 

@french_fries, are you sure it is Last Record Preservative you are using? How much did you pay for the pint bottle? A pint of Last is not cheap!

@harrylavo, you either have the year wrong, or it is not Last you are using. It was not introduced until 1982!

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,398 posts
 

@rshak, First was made by Nitty Gritty, but was discontinued because some chemical it contained was banned by the EPA. It was as you said, a heavy-duty pre-cleaner, made to remove mold release from new LP's before they were cleaned with regular cleaning fluid on their RCM's. My first (no pun intended ;-) RCM was a Nitty Gritty, but I found it lacking. I much prefer my VPI, but the newer Okki Nokki, Pro-Ject,  and Clearaudio machines look really good too.

If a single application of Last is done to an LP, I can't see any reason that LP would develop noise months later. If anything, I would expect the opposite. Maybe it's the snake oil in the Last ;-) .

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,398 posts
 
Thanks for the link to Larry Archibald's Stereophile review, has2be. I had seen those microscope pics of Last treated and untreated grooves, but it was years ago. Michael Fremer has also reviewed Last, and is an enthusiastic endorser. You know who else is? The snake oil suckers at The Library Of Congress, who were early adopters of Last Record Preservative. As my momma use to say about anything uttered, consider the source.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,398 posts
 
@rshak, Walter Davies states that because the Last chemicals bond to the vinyl molecules, any foreign matter in the groove will pushed off the surface of the groove (but will remain IN the groove), where it may be heard by the stylus as noise. The solution is to clean the LP well before applying Last.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,398 posts
 
I very much agree with cleanliness cleeds (I own a VPI HW-17F, and am putting together a DIY USC), but Last is not "goop". It is a very thin liquid, which when applied to an LP bonds molecularly with the vinyl, preventing the fracturing of the vinyl's molecules. Last creator Walter Davies is not just a chemist, but a long-time audiophile, engineer, and hi-fi retailer. I bought my first big system (Magneplanar Tympani's bi-amped with ARC electronics) from Walter in 1973. He's a fantastic guy, and Last Record Preservative a great product! 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,398 posts
 

Last Record Preservative creator Walter Davies claims no immediate benefit in the sound of treated LP's, but rather, as the name more than implies, the prevention of deterioration in their sound with multiple plays. At that I consider it very successful.

It takes only a minute or two to do both sides on an LP, far less time than a thorough cleaning. I've used Last since it was introduced in 1983.

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