Record Cleaning brushes - experimentation?


I know we tend to beat the subject of record cleaning to death (but we all love it so much) - yet I don't remember seeing much of a discussion of record cleaning brushes.

I scrub my records when I clean them. I use mostly MoFi fluids and brushes, but since I recently bought my 2nd VPI machine, I've been experimenting with VPI fluid and brushes. The VPI brush seems a little hard and bristly, but after going back and forth with it versus that MoFi brushes, I'm not sure it doesn't get a little deeper into the grooves and perhaps dislodge a bit more debris. But I only use the VPI brush with the VPI fluid...so maybe it's in part the fluid I'm responding to. However, the MoFi enzyme-based fluid seems to dissolve some debris that the VPI doesn't catch (as I've noticed when I go back to VPI-cleaned Lps and do them over with MoFi). (In fact, I can go back after a MoFi cleaning and get some improvement with the VPI brush and fluid, but also go back after a VPI cleaning and get some improvement with the MoFi brushes and fluids.)

Probably the answer is to continue to mix and match, and on really problematic records, use it all. But I'm curious to hear from record-cleaning folks that have experimented with different brushes. What do you like? One, or another, or a combination?

Thanks
eweedhome

Showing 1 response by cerrot

I was using th ones you are using but recently purchased walker audios three brush set-I only use it for cleaning used records with the AI 3-step cleaners and I'm happy with it. For new records, its mofi brushes (2 seperate ones) with Needle Dr fluid and rinse with distilled water. (Trying to avoid cross contamination). I was using the VPI brush with the Needle Dr. but read it doesn't get into the grooves as well as the mo-fi. I should pick up another set of the walkers and use those all the way around as they do a great job.