cartridge cleaning? Not the stylus........


Got an e-mail from Soundsmith saying my cartridge was very dirty. Dirt and debris he said. I asked about compressed air and he said no way. "We use funtak"he said. Funtak is a putty you stick things to the wall with. Can't picture it and I have bugged them enough. I wash my records(spinclean) vacuum and use Mr. Clean block and Zerodust every side. What do other people do?
Thanks
sm2727
sm2727,

I use a sliver of ME on a toothpick and brush VERY DELICATELY down the cantilever and all sides of the stylus. That said, I'm myopic and have small, steady fingers. If you have trouble seeing tiny objects or are inclined to be a klutz, think twice before using this method.

Agree with using a soft brush on the whole underside. I do that after every ME cleaning to assure that any small particles are removed. ME fibers are very abrasive, you don't want them in your record grooves. A stylus dip in a Zerodust or piece of silly putty (or similar) is a good idea for the same reason.

All cartridges get dirty inside, some more than others of course depending on how open they are. Cleaning inside is for experts only, as the coil winding wires are extremely delicate. They might break if you look at them too hard. ;)

+1 to Chakster's mention of the Cardas frequency sweeps. Makes a nice sonic improvement to any cartridge with no risk.
Is a frequency sweep the same as a de-magnetizer? I have one on my power plant.
adn my zerodust is old. I wash it regularly. I guess it is just permeable moist plastic so I assumed it didn't wear out. but, dust to dust I guess...
The frequency sweep tracks (such as on the Cardas LP) are a safe method of demagnetizing.

Some cartridge manufacturers recommend against the use of any other kind of demagnetizing, and will void their warranty if one is used and damages the cartridge. Contact the cartridge manufacturer or an authorized dealer before using such a device on any phono cartridge.