Safe to play record with gunk?


I have put a 12" vinyl album through a ultrasonic cleaner and then cleaned it with a VPI 16.5 RCM. There was a piece of gunk that I had to use my fingernail to scratch off as much as I could before cleaning with the VPI. Some of the gunk may still be in the grooves. Will it hurt my needle and/or cartridge to play this record? Thanks for your help
tjones20

Showing 1 response by douger

If it were me, I would use a magnifying glass to inspect those grooves. If there was any trace I would consider using a
small drop of Goo Gone and a toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly and inspect again. If anything is still visible it may not dislodge at all. Do you have an older cartridge or stylus?
Otherwise I would probably skip that track. Good luck!