How 2 take care of vinyls?

[CyberRabbit]

 

[dothefroghop]

new turntable. those all-in-one crosleys and the like have no counterbalance for tracking and will grind your records into dust. I still have a couple records that are permanently damaged (some to the point of being unplayable) from when I first got into the hobby and was rocking one of those vinyl grinders.

I recommend an Audio Technica or similar if you're just getting into the hobby. It's a bit more expensive than those ones, but it protects your investment. Good luck, have fun!

 

[cutthroatcody]

I worked at a Record Store for a bit, everything dothefroghop said is on point. Also, steer clear from Victrola. Those things are the worst.

 

[CyberRabbit]

new turntable. those all-in-one crosleys and the like have no counterbalance for tracking and will grind your records into dust. I still have a couple records that are permanently damaged (some to the point of being unplayable) from when I first got into the hobby and was rocking one of those vinyl grinders.

I recommend an Audio Technica or similar if you're just getting into the hobby. It's a bit more expensive than those ones, but it protects your investment. Good luck, have fun!

Thank you for telling me, ms Millennium 2.0 and Queens greatest hits do skip a little, I now hate my self

 

[NotReallyHere]

I'll actually defend the budget brands (Crosley and Victrola) a little bit, in that both companies make slightly higher-grade turntables that use better components. While I do agree with the above posters that you are better off getting a baseline, budget Audio-Technica turntable, even budget brands will sometimes manufacture turntables with genuine Audio-Technica components.

In general, make sure your turntable at least has one of these:

That is the Audio-Technica AT-3600 stylus, which has pretty much been an industry-standard component of baseline turntables for the past 40 or 50 years. The red-colored stylus on your turntable - and many low-end budget brands - are ceramic and of poor quality. They will wear out faster, wear your records out faster, and do not fit into the grooves of the record as well, making the sound come off as distorted.

Outside of that, one of the best ProTips is to keep your records clean and free of static. You can make your own record cleaning solution at home. Get a spray bottle, and fill it with a 50-50 solution of high-grade rubbing alcohol (99%) and distilled water. Add 3-4 drops of dish soap (Dawn, or another quality brand) put the sprayer back on, and give it a good shake to mix everything up.

When it comes time to clean your records, start spinning one on your turntable, but don't drop the needle just yet. Give it a few sprays with that cleaner while it is spinning, then GENTLY touch a folded-up microfiber cloth to the surface of the record as it spins, letting the cleaning solution spread out evenly over the record surface.

When it's nice and evenly soaked, play it! Your stylus will pull any stubborn dust and dirt out of the grooves. When the record is done playing, you can clean the gunk off of your stylus by GENTLY dropping it onto the surface of a Mister Clean Magic Eraser. Drop it on, then lift it off. Apply no pressure - just let the Magic Eraser do all the work.

You will have a clean stylus, and a clean record! Repeat the process for the opposite side. You DO NOT have to do this every time you play a record, but it is nice to do when buying used, or even with new records that have a lot of static on playback.

I love records and turntables, and I genuinely feel that it doesn't have to be an expensive hobby. Don't overspend, and don't overthink. Just be careful, have fun, and enjoy the music