Removing LAST vinyl preservative

Thank you both for your comments, maybe one of these days I should try it for myself

 

From 1982:

LAST Record-Preservation Treatment

 

Don't put ANYTHING on your vinyl except a stylus. IMO...

 

I don´t consider the record surface quality to be the end of it all. There certainly can be improvements made in friction; and if we can make improvemets in friction there will be a better sound.
But as I wrote previously, most of the ways to improve the surface isn´t straight forward and easy. So for the time being I leave the record as it is; but there certainly is room for a better surface.

 

Just for the fun of it I did a small test trying in reducing friction on a record. I used a very thin layer of Siloxane. Here are two samples, one is from the record before the treatment, the other with the treatment. No difference with anything else used. It´s a very good nude Shibata stylus, recorded from the phonoamp to a portable recorder, nothing is done with the files so there are some clicks, but it´s easy to listen through these I think. Listen for 'resolution' and if difference how natural it sounds.

Dropbox - 180910_0270.wav
Dropbox - 180910_0300.wav

 

I wouldn't do this if I were you... My understanding is that Silicon treatments have the potential to be destructive to carbon based plastics. So while your record may sound better today, it could be ruined two years from now.

Not sure if last is still made or not, but it is/was a great product IMO. Records which I lasted 30 years ago still play like they did when they were new.

 

This is only testing. I have tested on a few more records now. What strikes me is how more 'right' the SQ is when friction is reduced, and still I´m testing with a very good Shibata needle which should have a rather low friction to begin with.

I have tested this previously, and my opinion is the same; the reords sound more natural, a more sense of ease. The problem though is the same with this compound I have now, as previously; it is a bit tricky to get a very, very thin uniform layer.

As for the better SQ I have a theory about why, but it leads to far to go into that. It tells me we should use needles with as low friction as possible for most natural sound.

 

WHAT COMPLETE DRIVEL!

There are a number of treatments which DO what The Pinhead suggests. LAST IS NOT ONE OF THEM. No oily residue. See GEM Dandy Groove Lube for oily residue in a record preservative. No audible change in the sound. See Groove Glide for change in sound signature from a record preservative. I am not condemning either of these products which other people swear by and DO prevent wear and tear on the record.

But any suggestion that Last Record Preservative has these effects is simply scare-mongering without any basis in fact.

 

I have not heard any obvious degradation of sound from the use of LAST. Also, after treatment, records do not build up as much of a static charge as untreated records.

I have never noticed an oily residue from treatment with LAST. After the first play after treatment, and only after the first play, one might find a slight coating that appears to be like fine dust, not an oily residue, that is easily removed.

The idea of avoiding used records that have been treated is particularly counterproductive. Even if LAST did not itself preserve/protect the record, the person bothering to pay the price and go through the trouble of applying LAST is also someone who will take proper care of a record. I would consider the appearance of the sticker as a positive sign when buying a used record.

 

You can’t trust forum members.

 

There's nothing remotely oily about LAST and, as others have mentioned, it evaporates within seconds of application. The dude from Hellraiser put that bogus oily thought into your head. But there is every chance in the world that has a lot of its original gloss because all of my records treated with LAST look as glossy as when they were new, and after many, many plays they still sound 99-percent like new. LAST is fine.

 

Does LAST make records sound better or worse or the same?

If not better, I think I am good to go as I've yet to wear out a record!

 

Isopropyl has a lot more capacity to damage vinyl than LAST.

 

I used to use a product called "scratch fixer" on damaged or just noisy records. It was like LAST with some type of graphite or solid lubricant suspended in it. It would collect on your stylus the first few plays, but did quiet down bad records. It's no longer made, though.

 

It's been way too long since I "Lasted" any records (probably close to 25 years) to be sure anymore. But I don't recall hearing a significant difference immediately upon application. What did seem to occur is that records that I "Lasted" seemed more impervious to developing surface-noise after many plays than did my records which I did not apply Last to.

A chemist who was audiophile back then once told me that Last simply inserted some plasticizers into the vinyl matrix which made it less brittle, and therefore less subject to developing surface noise from wear. The stuff was expensive for a college kid, or I would have applied it to every record that I owned. So I usually saved it for use on only my favorite records which I knew that I was going to spin a lot.

Like one another posted stated, there was no oily residue at all. This stuff seemed to soak into the groves and the liquid evaporated in seconds.

 

The MSDS for Last seems somewhat suspicious:

http://thelastfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/LAST-MSDS-RP-Record-Preservative-2.pdf

Are you sure it isn’t water?

 

If there was any oily residue, you would see it collect on the stylus. LAST leaves no residue. It does not subdue high frequencies. It's the best dang stuff that ever was marketed for LP records, no minuses. The test of time has proven the validity of this product.

I've purchased a lot of used records, some of which did not play as nicely as they appeared. I've never had a record with the LAST sticker produce any noise or distortion, remarkable for not knowing what the record was previously played on. LAST is not a coating. LAST bonds to the upper molecular layers of the vinyl, renders it more slippery and less noisy, has anti-static properties (cleaner record) extends the life of the record and stylus, improves s/n ratio and very likely the resolution of the music.

 

I may have to give LAST a try, at least to some favs.

Looking up the CAS number for the non-proprietary ingredients, Fluorinert is the 60-90% component in LAST.

Interesting YouTube info on Fluorinert

 

I wish they still made LAST tape preservative. I had a bottle, and you can use it to fix squeaking R2R. But the cat knocked it off the table and broke the cap. I found another bottle on eBay, but it was hella pricey.

 

Last tape preservative still seems to be for sale on the Last website, but it is pricey: LAST Tape Preservative, 2 oz. - The Last Factory

 

Bingo!

If you have a record that looks extra shiny, it is a good chance that someone has treated it with something.

I would clean it in the manner that you have suggested. If there is something present that can be reasonable removed, then a Tergitol and Isopropyl alcohol solution in distalled water, followed by a distilled water rinse should remove it.

It it doesn't, then don't worry about it. You may do more harm than good, attempting to remove it.

Consider, that even though LAST might have been used on the record, other unknown substances might have also been used.

There are more forum members than not, who have perfect vintage vinyl collections that have never had any sort of vinyl protectant on any record that they own and have vinyl that is is perfect condition.

That, being the case, I don't think that there is a demonstrated need for this or any other similar product.

I will clean my used records, but I will not apply anything to them as a vinyl protectant.

While I am seeing a lot of praise for this product, I'm not in agreement with finding praise for a product, when it's exact formula remains a mystery and the individuals who are voicing their approval for this product appear to lacking any qualified credentials that would tend to add support and credibility to their position.

 

I never add anything to my record surface that isn't a cleaning solution removed again in minutes. While it might seem a good idea for the next few years, it's the long term effect I worry about. I have gotten record that were ruined by various treatments on records that changed over the course of 30+ years. I use an Okki Nokki with AIVS multiple step and an ultrasonic cleaner to try and get the record surface back to as pristine condition as possible.

 

I used Last on a handful of LPs in 1985. I still own them and they sound fine. I can't testify as to the positive effects of Last, but I haven't found any negative results either.

QUESTION: If your goal is to remove Last from a record, how would you know when you have successfully removed it?? Knowing this woud be impossible, IMO. Just as you wouldn't know that the LP had been treated without the sticker in place.

 

No, it is not water.

In fact, I can verify LAST and water mix as well as oil and water do. I had a friend accidentally add water to LAST and we had to throw the combination away.

 

Just enjoy your entertaining novelty lp. I was a big proponent of LAST in the 80s when it was probably at its peak. I thought it worked quite well. Especially on clean, new vinyl. Haven't used it since.