How do you clean your cartridge stylus?

[stereophile]

For my Shure carts, I use the stylus brush which is part of the kit packaged with the cartridge.

For other carts, I use Zerodust by Onzow(from Architectural Audio). It's a gel substance(bubble) packaged in a plastic case. I drop the stylus/cart on it using the tonearm lever. That way only the tracking force set for the cart provides the pressure for 'impaling' the stylus on the gel w/c removes any dirt/grime on it. I just drop it once. The clear cover of the casing has a magnifying glass w/c helps in checking if the stylus is dirty. You wont believe how much gunk this gel pulls from your stylus. A nice thing is that you can 'wash' the gel when it gets dirty. You don't have to buy a new one.

I understand that those using linear tracking tonearms cannot use this because of clearance issues.

Some, I know, use the Last Stylus cleaner which is a liquid in a bottle, and the liquid is 'brushed' onto the stylus. Clear Audio also makes a liquid stylus cleaner.

What do you use and does it really work for you?

[m_shoe_maker]

For my Lyra cart, I use Lyra's "SPT" stylus cleaner.

For my Shure and other carts, I use Clearaudio's "Elixir" stylus cleaner.

Yes, the Zerodust have clearance problems with some linear trackers. When I was still using a Clearaudio linear tracker, the Zerodust could not not be used, unless I removed the gel like material off its plastic casing.

I'm not sure if this is also the case with other linear trackers.

[jagner]

I use both the Last and zerodust stylus cleaners.

[Superman]

i use the zerodust stylus cleaner and the clearaudio elixir...

[stereophile]

I've heard some horror stories from friends who damaged their styli while cleaning it. One of them damaged his cart using the zerodust. He did not put the zerodust on the platter and lower the stylus on it(using it's VTF for the right amount of pressure). Rather, he manually touched/cleaned the stylus by lifting the gel onto the stylus/cantilever complex. You know what happened next after a couple of cleanings like that...the cantilever snapped!

The more usual cause is the act of cleaning the ttable and its immediate vicinity. Long sleeves and over-zealous cleaning ladies are not good for the health of your stylus. Better to adapt a one meter no cleaning zone around it.

Another friend had his heart stopping moment when the built-in O rings for gripping his record clamp 'snapped out' while doing it's thing. It flew and hit his tonearm, causing his cantilever to bend...

Of course, alcohol and analog don't mix. If you do, drink AFTER you set-up a cartridge, especially if its not yours...

[m_shoe_maker]

stereophile said:

Another friend had his heart stopping moment when the built-in O rings for gripping his record clamp 'snapped out' while doing it's thing. It flew and hit his tonearm, causing his cantilever to bend...

This also happened to me. The rubber O-Ring snapped, flew to the tonearm, pushing it outwards. Sreeeech, said my cart. Good thing the cantilever is still straight.

My record clamp / periphery ring originally had 2 O-Rings. After 1 O-Ring snapped, that made me decide to remove the remaining O-Ring.

Going back to cleaning the stylus, don't over do it. Never put too much liquid in the brush wherein the liquid may go up, or splatter all the way to the upper end of the cantilever. This is not good as the suspension may react on the cleaning fluid.

[stereophile]

mshoemaker said:

stereophile said:

Another friend had his heart stopping moment when the built-in O rings for gripping his record clamp 'snapped out' while doing it's thing. It flew and hit his tonearm, causing his cantilever to bend...

This also happened to me. The rubber O-Ring snapped, flew to the tonearm, pushing it outwards. Sreeeech, said my cart. Good thing the cantilever is still straight.

My record clamp / periphery ring originally had 2 O-Rings. After 1 O-Ring snapped, that made me decide to remove the remaining O-Ring.

It is the SAME record clamp we are talking about. Must be the temp here in the tropics. Those O-rings become brittle. Been wondering though why they snap and fly TOWARD the cart/tonearm and not anywhere else though...

[m_shoe_maker]

stereophile said:

It is the SAME record clamp we are talking about. Must be the temp here in the tropics. Those O-rings become brittle. Been wondering though why they snap and fly TOWARD the cart/tonearm and not anywhere else though...

I guess its just Murphy's Law.