A viable anti-static solution

Yes generally I have bigger issues in winter but the humidifiers help. Although, this summer has been quite crazy. We normally experience high humidity in the summer but this year, humidity went down to below 40% in my house quite a few times and the static issues were nuts. Going back to high humidity now though.

 

Try below 20%, Sweden is not kind to Vinyl playback.

 

Expensive but effective.

ION-001 Vinyl Ionizer【NEW】

A budget version would be nice...

 

That's brutal. The worst I ever had it in my place was 28% once (my humidifiers were off) and it felt like the air was sucking the moisture out of my body.

 

I use one of the CF dustbugs that sweeps the record as it plays. It does not always eliminate static but it doesn't cause any, either. I consider the main benefit to be that the inner grooves are free of dust as the stylus ploughs through. In fact, the stylus is usually clean after play. In cases where I detect a little static on the record as I remove it, I use a Zerostat to kill any remaining. It's a pretty good system that is easy, inexpensive and checks a lot of boxes with regard to record-stylus preservation.

 

Does anyone know if one can buy just Carbon Fiber thread?

Also, will a copper wire do as a grounding wire?

 

I wonder how well this works because the carbon fiber brush they (Hudson HiFi) make does nothing for static.

https://www.amazon.com/Hudson-Hi-Fi...=1&keywords=hudson+hifi&qid=1594381006&sr=8-5

 

What is the forum's opinion on using an anti-static gun before playback, and once again at the end, before lifting the LP off the platter?

 

Before is enough.

 

Can't speak to the Hudson product. I will say grounding to the preamp is not the same as grounding to earth, and goat hair is not conductive carbon fiber.

 

My record cleaning process pretty much takes static out of the picture. I mist an old Discwasher brush (D4) with a mist of 3 parts water, 1 part white vinegar and put the damp brush on the spinning record a couple of revolutions. Then I use my Audioquest anti-static carbon brush (the one with the metal inserts in the handle) for a couple of revolutions. A quick couple of swipes to the stylus with my AT stylus brush and off we go. My records are noise free and in many cases remind me of how a master reel to reel tape might have sounded.

 

What about bench top ionizers that are used in industrial computer assembly? Used, there are some under 100 US. I think @blakep was the first to recommend these as an alternative to the pricey audiophile versions.

 

I visited Helsinki some years ago on business during the Winter. It was -40 (C or F, same degrees), and the humidity was so low I ended up with nosebleeds. Shudder to think what the static on records was like!

Here in the UK humidity is very rarely low enough humidity to cause a static problem. What passes for winter here just sits around the triple point of water.

 

Once an analog front end is properly grounded, you should have no static except for when the humidity level drops (winter time). Using an affordable humidifier during these months solves the problem once again.

 

Static will build up over time from playback and handling. I agree a wet wash clears static, but the brush *maintains* a static free disc play after play.

 

Do you refer to running an additional ground wire from the preamp to earth? That will help keep the tonearm and cartridge from building static and attracting dust, but not the records.

If not, what do you mean specifically by "properly grounded"? Thanks

 

Yes you do. Get a piece of paper. Place vinyl atop. (works better if you tape one side of the paper to the surface) Lift and record how high it got before the paper fell off.

Now you can see that antistatic brushes don't do anything, a wet wash does a little bit, but drying undoes most of it. The Milty Zerostat gun is really the only thing that does much for heavy static in static-filled climates. If you have static issues in your house, it's well worth the sub-100$ price tag. It will last so long. 10,000 uses according to the manufacturer, which for most people is longer than their interest in playing lasts.

That said, a lot of what you probably think is static is actually groove damage from records being played dirty or with a damaged stylus.

 

I tried one out of curiosity, sent it back to Amazon. Glad I got it Prime so it was easy to return. It probably helps keep dust at bay, but didn't do anything for static. Playing through with the brush and checking static against a sheet of paper before and after showed no change.

If you use a Milty Zerostat on the record upside-down before using it, all the dust falls off anyway, so no reason to get it for dusting either.

 

I can't compare with a store bought version because I don't have a store bought version.

And no, static and groove damage are not things I confuse with each other.

Nothing against Milty here. Enjoy yours! What I have works for me.

 

Yeah, I ordered one too from Amazon but ended up keeping it. Did nothing for static but for clean records with slight dust it helps when I don't feel like messing with the Spin Clean for only one record. Static isn't too much of an issue in my home thankfully. Normally if I buy new records that come in a paper sleeve that have a lot of static I just put them in a Diskeeper from Sleeve City and those seem to do the trick after a few days.

 

Why do so many people need to make this so complicated? Any used unscented dryer sheet works great and is a lot less expensive than a Zerostat or any other contraption. I haven't used my Zerostat in years. I just let the sheet lightly skim over the record surface for a couple of revolutions as it spins before cueing down the stylus then pull the sheet slowly away. Takes seconds, no static. Use it until you think it needs replacing and replace it.

Dave Mac

 

This seemed to work for me with a copy of Boston's Third Stage. Had a ton of cling to it so I put in in a Diskeeper sleeve for a few days. Still had a ton of cling so I got an unscented dryer sheet from the laundry room and put it in the sleeve with the record. I checked it a couple of days later and the static was gone and the record played fine.