Static electricity on vinyl

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by bcbassboy, Sep 7, 2010.

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  1. bcbassboy

    bcbassboy Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Even though I live in Vancouver (the wet coast) I often have a real problem with static electricity on my vinyl. Some records are fine but sometimes the vinyl actually 'sticks' to the platter and I can feel the pull when I pick them up. I use the Zerostat but it doesn't seem to do much (I know it works but it is old). I keep a wet sponge next to the turntable as the water on my fingers is the only way to disperse the static. Any suggestions?:help:
     
  2. Mike in OR

    Mike in OR Through Middle-earth...onto Heart of The Sunrise

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Kind of pricey, but the Furutech deStat has completely eliminated any issues I have had with static electricity. Unlike the Zerostat, which I have had three copies over the years and never found it effective, this device delivers the goods.
     
  3. bcbassboy

    bcbassboy Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    OUCH!:yikes:
    just a little out of my price range but thanks for the info Mike, appreciate it. Maybe when I win the lottery...
     
  4. visprashyana

    visprashyana New Member

    Location:
    Chicago
    Gruvglide works really well and isn't expensive. It's been around for decades and very reliable.
     
  5. progmog

    progmog Senior Member

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    I had a lot of problems with static electricity on my vinyl when I was living in Japan. I bought a Talisman by Walker Audio, which worked wonderfully. Still a little pricey at $275.00, but nowhere near as expensive as the Furutech deStat.

    http://www.musicdirect.com/product/74583
     
  6. florette69

    florette69 Forum Resident

    Location:
    N France
    How do you clean your records before playing? A tried and tested method of static dispersal is to use a basic carbon brush while earthing via your other hand against suitable furniture (metal leg of hi-fi rack is ideal).
     
  7. bcbassboy

    bcbassboy Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Carbon brush...never thought of grounding myself before:sigh:will give it a try.

    thanks for all the ideas, appreciated.

    jeff
     
  8. florette69

    florette69 Forum Resident

    Location:
    N France
    It works, trust me. The other thing worth considering is the mat. If your B&O is stock (i.e. with the ribbed platter), it may be worth investing in a Rega-type cheap thin felt mat.
     
  9. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    I actually bought a Philips Carbon Brush that has a connection for a piece of wire, always worked for me!

    JG
     
  10. Baz P

    Baz P Active Member

    I read in a British Hi-Fi magazine many years ago that a cheap (free) solution, if your turntable platter has any metal on it, is to put a piece of aluminium foil from the metal part to where the vinyl sits i.e. wrapped around the outside of the mat. Never tried it as I've never suffered from static but some claimed it worked.
     
  11. chiagerald

    chiagerald Forum Resident

    Location:
    Singapore
    Sounds interesting but i got a hard time visualizing it
     
  12. Baz P

    Baz P Active Member

    Well I'm not any good at drawing but let me try to illustrate in words:

    get a piece of aluminium foil say six inches long and perhaps an inch wide; lift the turntable mat and place a couple of inches underneath it; replace turntable mat; lay the other four inches across the top of the mat so that you've effectively earthed (grounded) the vinyl (providing that the platter is earthed).

    Obviously this would have no effect if the platter under the mat isn't metal or earthed.

    Another thing you could try is getting a glass turntable mat. To avoid wasting your money on a professional version go to your local glaziers and ask that it's made to your dimensions. Just bear in mind that you'll probably have to adjust your suspension and definitely have to adjust the height of your arm.
     
  13. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    Here's a pic of same!

    JG
     

    Attached Files:

  14. 3db

    3db New Member

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    Very nice. That should solve any static build up. :righton:
     
  15. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    I have the stock Rega felt mat and use a dry carbon fiber brush before each play. Static is rarely an issue, but every now & then I'll have an LP cling to the mat a little bit.
     
  16. BigManAndy

    BigManAndy Active Member

    The one thing that made the biggest difference for me was going from paper inner sleeves to poly. That pretty much wiped the static away, I rarely come across a record clinging to the mat anymore.
     
  17. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Static is caused by the properties of the vinyl blend and the environment. I have never noticed any difference between sleeves and static charge - in fact - its the poly lined or audiophile sleeves that sometimes 'cling' to the LP surface (via vacuum and static charge) thus, micro dust that's on the LP surface might be 'rolled' between the liner & the vinyl during retrieval. Its the one drawback of lined sleeves. Paper sleeves on the other hand rarely do this.

    Incidentally, I thoroughly clean the insides of all my sleeves - whether poly or audiophile lined or paper. If the LP has a white paper generic sleeve that's tattered, I replace it with a better condition exact type, an original period one. Neither type of sleeve should scuff or harm an LP surface if the record is pulled out and put back in with care.
     
  18. Spirit Crusher

    Spirit Crusher Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mad Town, WI
    Call me stupid but where does the wire go?
     
  19. Leigh

    Leigh https://orf.media

  20. ducatirider

    ducatirider Member

    if vinyl conducted then there wouldn't be any static. sort of the other way around. that's why you ground by touching metal so the electrons can flow.
     
  21. bcbassboy

    bcbassboy Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    wouldn't the weight affect the speed?

    attach to said metal leg?

    I've tried grounding myself and it seems to work fine!

    thanks all.
     
  22. Leigh

    Leigh https://orf.media

    You are right of course.

    What I am thinking is, a grounded ring around the outside might only remove some of the static charge, not from the entire record.
     
  23. Baz P

    Baz P Active Member

    No, only the amount of time it takes to get up to speed. It's quite possible the speed will be more stable because of the extra inertia.
     
  24. Since I've started to clean my records with vinyl cleaning fluid and I've switched to anti-static inner sleeves I don't have any static problems anymore. Nowadays it only occurs with records that haven't been cleaned yet.
     
  25. bcbassboy

    bcbassboy Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I have noticed that records that I have cleaned have much less static.
     
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