Should I Brush My Cartridge After Each Use?

I use stylast and the little brush that comes with it. I use it when I can see grunge (or "gradois" pronounced Grah-Doo -- it's a New Orleans word) on the stylus. I also sometimes hear a dirty stylus -- but I can only tell the difference on records I'm very familiar with.

I'd say this happens about every ten records.

As for the parts of this thread about vinyl being work/worth the work -- it's fine to be all anal about each dust speck if that floats your boat, and there are times when I do the whole wet-dry-vacuum-sweep-blowdry-fluff-and-fold, and then there are times when the prospect pushes me toward cd's. When that latter event happens, I recall my blissful teen years of loving music and not caring about every snap, crackle and pop (and also taking dust gobs off my old Dual with my fingers) and I play the record all dirty and nasty. Embrace your inner schizophrenic and do what feels right at the moment. If you have to scrub up like a surgeon every time you want to hear a record, and it takes longer to prepare to listen that to listen, my guess is that you will spend an awful lot of your listening time alone and listening only to a record vacuum.

The author of this thread notes regularly seeing dust on the cartridge brush. Records seem to attract dirt. Heck, on a dry winter day, a record will pull a cat hair from three rooms away.

A 20X loupe mounted on a small stand sits next to my tonearm. When the arm is at rest the loupe is at stylus level. It takes just a quick peek to check the stylus *after every side*. I'll see some dollop of gunk on the cantilever or stylus about half the time. (And yes I use an RCM.)

If the gunk is not removed its gonna be stylus baggage through the next groove and either attract more gunk or drop off on the record somewhere. Plus, crud on your cartridge is more likely to make worse sound not better. If I see stuff on the stylus with the loupe, I remove it before play.

If not brushing, dipping, scraping or lathering, at least try *checking* your stylus after every side.

Tim

One unattentive customer called me in for a house call regarding a turtable that wasn't tracking at all only to find that there was a massive dustball lodged on the cartridge. I had given him a brush which he hadn't bothered to use, being your basic slob.

Brushing after each side is the least you can do. Beyond that, Last stylus cleaner, which, incidentally, is different from Stylast (Last's stylus preservative to be used after the cleaner) is one traditional next step. I tend to think that each technique/product has its benefits and limitations.

I don't know if this was mentioned,but it is a better idea to brush each side of an lp after it plays out.This way it can go back in the jacket/sleeve,clean.The inner sleeves of album "jackets",are a source of contamination for many sloppy hobbyists.So each time we play an lp,it starts out clean.Keep platter immaculate.I "ripped off" my daughter's make up brush for platter care.
Best!

I second the Zerodust gob as the quickest and most importantly SAFE way to clean the stylus tip. I for one do not have the eyesight or manual dexterity to precisely vector in on that diamond nugget. Sittiing in the goo for approximately five seconds once a week (make sure your best friend or wife) doesn't witness this anolog / human bonding moment ---- keeps my grooves happy.

Before this thread is ended I think we should play a little game of truth or dare to determine how many accidents have occured during these lovely intimate cleaning moments. Kiss and tell anyone?