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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
128x128blueranger
rshak
416 posts
 
bdp24 - When I used Last, I first cleaned the records on a Nitty Gritty 2.5i.  If I recall correctly, I also used a fluid named "First" which was a "pre-cleaner" and, I think, was made by the folks who made Last.

On Last-treated records, the surface noise I heard developed only some months later.  

Who know the reason(s)? Maybe I got a bad batch?  I own several thousand LPs and haven't run into this problem before or since.  In any case, I now steer clear of Last.
blueranger's avatar
blueranger OP
719 posts
 
Thanks has2be. I surely overlooked that

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,411 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 ;-) .

french_fries
815 posts
 
I used it as directed and it left a residue on my stylus (which caused audible distortion!) so I washed the record and the stylus and never used it again. Needles are way too fragile for messing with except for normal dusting- IMHO. My hands are just not steady enough unless I remove the arm and take the whole thing over to my desk with a strong light source. So I have an entire pint of this stuff if anyone wants it (with the applicators, too.)  It did not harm the record, but my needle, if it's anything like yours, is almost invisible to the naked eye. Back in the good old days I could clean it off (gently) with my finger...
harrylavo's avatar
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harrylavo
341 posts
 
I swear by it.  Have used it on many of my records since 1967 or so when it first came to my attention.  First I clean the record using LAST cleaner, then apply the LAST solution.  The results, particularly on new records, is to completely eliminate high-frequency grunge on dynamic passages, if any exists.  I have records, including some used frequently as test records over the year, that still sound as new.  FWIW, I also used LAST stylus preservative and my AC-2 is still going strong.  Same principle as the record preservative.  I'm not sure it is still sold.

I have noted that the LAST record preservative I bought most recently seems to evaporate more rapidly than back in the old days.  May have been a formula change along the way.
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