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April 14, 2009 - 3:45pm
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Review of the GEM DANDY record cleaning kit.
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Cute. Looks like a gadget I built for that purpose way back when my lab had an ultrasonic sink. That really sped the process!
Kal
Awesome. Thanks for the report.
Cool device, nc. Which reminds me... do you have one of those hand nozzles on the rhs of the sink? If you tape the handle down and point the sprayer to the front it will hose the next person that turns on the water! Never fails to amuse...
Update..I am really, really glad I purchased this device. After several iterations of wash cycles with the Nitty Gritty and the GEM Device, I can say with the utmost confidence that the GEM Device does a more thorough job. As a matter of fact, I had to use the GEM device on records that had been previously cleaned with the Nitty Gritty for a more thorough job. The nitty gritty records still had some clicks/pops/dust/grime, whereas the GEM cycled ones are spot free and dead silent.
my nitty gritty will be up for sale soon. Gem is easier to use, does a much better job, and , other than on aesthetic value, is better all-round.
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Kinky! LP bondage-a-go-go.
Wow! Look at the bottom of the sink.
All the black stuff washed off the record!
Actually, that was about 5 records worth, but yes, it is nasty. the interesting part was that some of that sludge was still on there after having been already run through the Nitty Gritty! the 5 that were dirtiest(including the Roy Acuff thing in the picture) came from someone's estate sale, got 100 or so albums for 20 bucks.(Mostly classic country, which I love, and Classical) boy, do they sound amazing now...
Oh..right. I thought that was from cooking meth.
Nope. I bust drug dealers, not join em..
"Oh..right. I thought that was from cooking meth."
well, he is in north carolina, that's the states' second biggest income producer after churches. (just kidding, sort of)
Great write up. It's always nice to see an affordable product that performs well.
Well, it was Tobacco and Jesus, but the Tobacco wasn't doing so well after all the public bans. we had to do something. Jesus is still our Ace in the hole.
I love NC.
Thanks man. I appreciate it.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiance and results!
I've had a VPI 16.5 for a few months now, and have learned firsthand how critical cleaning is with regards to noise on vinyl.
The thing I have a hard time coming to terms with is using tap water. Lots of stuff besides HO2 in tap water.
Yeah, I do worry about particulates and minerals in the tap water. I rinse with a spray bottle of distilled water before drying, but I'm not sure it really makes much of a difference. GEM does recommend using a filter if you have problems with hard water.
I've had a Nitty Gritty 1.5 for 15 years or so, but it's gathering dust now.
not an issue here, either.
you convinced me, i ordered mine on friday. it sounds like such a practical idea and it sure beats 540 plus solution for the vpi. i have been making homebrew and using sponges and tap water to rinse and microfiber towels to dry, but they don't seem to be quieter when i am done. i hope to get that from this purchase.
I am sure you will enjoy it, Tom.
Mr. Merill reccomends using the gerber cloth baby diapers to dry with, so I bought a pack of them, work great.
got it yesterday. cleaned a few records. easy to use. each record was quieter riding the grooves with less pops and clicks. used the groove lube too, but noticed that the diamond was picking up a lot of crud now. have you found this too or do you have any theories, am i not spraying long enough? only a minor issue, but would be interested in any ideas.
that aside, this has to be the best hundred and a half anyone could possibly spend on their records.
Yes..i noticed that too. The solution Mr. Merrill developed seems to do a really great job of releasing years of caked on grime, (much more than my nitty gritty fluid)I feel that this is why the stylus picks up more crud.. I basically spray the solution , wait about 5 minutes, use the spray attachment, wet brush and then spray again, dry and use the dry brush(I use the MoFI velvet brush)... takes all of 10 minutes or so. the "crud" issue got better after several spins, (now non-existant) so I am pretty sure that it is just residual gunk that has been loosened by the fluid. btw, that bottle of fluid lasts forever.
I love my GD.. works so much better than my "fancy" machine, it is incredible. dont even use the Nitty Gritty anymore..
oh yeah.. the onzow zerodust is fantastic for cleaning the stylus... the gunk issue will get better, I promise.
make sure to let the Groove Lube dry really well!
I have a lot of different types of fluid , too...but really, the Merill stuff is perfect. I will be refilling with the same stuff.
glad you are enjoying yours. mine was really one of the best purchases I have made for my system.
oh yeah... the diapers Mr. Merill suggested are perfect, too...they don't "shed" like some microfiber products, and are pretty darn cheap.. I paid like 6 bucks for 10 of them..ive only used one, will probably go through one a year or something.
ive cleaned probably 80 or so records, got over half the bottle left...
I've never been a fan of Microfibre, which is polyester based ... all synthetic fibres can't absorb water, only natural fibres can (cotton, etc).
Since Cotton is soft and will not damage surfaces, it's preferred, although you do have to watch that whatever is picked up by your cleaning does not embed in your cotton cloth and then scratch the surface you're cleaning.
I'm sure the Gerber diapers work well (100% cotton, what more do you want?) but most cities have Diaper services. That is a service whereby the company supplies diapers, a container, and comes by picking up the used diapers and dropping of new, washed ones.
After a while the diapers are unsuitable for re-use (holes, fraying, etc) and then are sold by the service. These are super soft pure cotton, and are better than new diapers for any cleaning duty on any surface. Check and see if you can pick some up where you live.