Gruv Glide vs TechPlay Anti Static Carbon Fiber

I have both and was wondering what people here thought of which one was better for removing left over static and left over dirt. I use it after I wash my records with spin clean or new records right out of the sleeve. What are your thoughts?

 

I don't clean new records, other than with the carbon brush. But I will use GroovGlide on them if they're warped and need to be straightened out by VinylFlat press/pouch, as the instructions prescribe to clean before. Otherwise, I may use GroovGlide in place of Last treatment, after wet/vac cleaning of a record. Seems to do the same thing, plus remove static.

 

Gruv Glide is a record conditioner with quaternary ammonium compounds IIRC derived from tallow as anti-static and lubricating agents, Unless they've changed the formula -- I haven't used it in years, but back in the day I found it pretty effective both as an anti-static agent and as a stylus-groove friction reducing lubricant, and I thought in contrast to some other record lube products, it was pretty easy to apply in the kind of very small but even quantities you'd want it applied in. I suppose it's also a cleaner in that it has alcohol in it and a pad sprayed with the stuff will certainly pickup dust and loose dirt, but mostly it's a lube and anti-static additive.

I have no idea what's in the spray that comes with that carbon fiber brush, but the brush itself is just a brush, completely different from Gruv Glide, and in my experience carbon fiber brushes, while if used carefully can pick up surface dirt, do nothing to dissipate a static charge and obviously isn't a lube (though like I said, I see that they sell that with some kind of fluid, I have no idea about the fluid).

 

I use Gruv Glide after cleaning both new and used records. On occasion, I will still have some static pops when putting on or taking off a treated record from my turntable platter. I've noticed that when using Gruv Glide background rumble takes on a more quiet tape hiss sound.

 

Gruv Glide is a good record lube and reducing stylus-groove friction is a good thing. If you want to discharge static, I think a Zerostat is the way to go (unless you have a benchtop ionizer or something) -- but it's imperative you use it correctly: hold the record in free air, not laying on the turntable or some other surface, squeeze and release extremely slowly (no clicks), and do it multiple times at different locations. YOu can also take the platter mat, and platter itself off the table sometimes and hit it with the ion bombardment to discharge any static.

 

What the heck did I just buy?! I got the Techplay Carbon Fiber Brush with Stylus Brush from Amazon. It doesn't have bristles, it just a block with a (carbon fiber?) cloth around it. @Isamet, does yours have bristles or not? Seems that some do and some don't, even with the same model number.

The instructions on the back were stickered on over the packaging's original instructions. They make reference to turning through the handle, like other brushes work, but you can't do that on this one. I reluctantly tried it out, but it sounded like sandpaper on the record, so I stopped. I tried out the stylus brush, which might also be junk.

 

I bought that too. A few drops on the brush and just let the brush go around the record two or three times at most. I have a spinclean too.