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Options for ridding records of static electricity

I am getting back into vinyl, listening to “garage sale” finds and also new albums that I have been picking up. I have a nice old Linn Sondek LP12 with the felt mat. Every time I go to remove a record from the spindle or flip the record, static electricity grabs the felt mat and it sticks like a magnet. I have to very carefully flip the felt mat at the corner with my finger but one of these times I’m going to slip and smudge or scratch a record. 

I’ve seen the “Milty Zerostat” and seem to remember this product from back in the day. I see that it is still made and there is one eBay vendor that has them for $77. Is this my best bet? I thought Michael Fremor talked about these in one of his videos. 

Are there other products I should look at to reduce static electricity on my records? Thanks for any help you can give.
masi61
slaw's avatar
slaw
20,408 posts
 
Hi

The MyMat wasn’t developed as an anti-static mat. It was developed for superior SQ. Having said that, I haven’t had anyone request a return for any issue but one, that was a listener bias issue.

A felt mat is a no no for any TT. I personally use a Furutech DeStat as well. I believe their is a similar product made by ORB.

I’m not a proponent of the Milty.

Look for a forth coming review by a third party soon.
teo_audio
2,197 posts
 
I have a double thick stiffer backed felt mat for my LP12. with a label indentation area. I pulled it off an old trashed lenco, IIRC. It was glued on, from the factory. Best felt mat ever, so far...

The LP12 needs a felt mat, overall. I've tried many a mat on an LP12, but keep returning to some form of high grade semi compresed felt.
slaw's avatar
slaw
20,408 posts
 
There is a product called Tigercloth out there that is said to be very good. Haven't tried myself yet. On my list.

Wipe the clean lp before play.
slaw's avatar
slaw
20,408 posts
 
@teo_audio,

Why is felt the best?

Would you be interested in trying a MyMat or two?
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,590 posts
 
Felt is terrible for a mat. The only reason it gets used is for DJ stuff where it can act like a clutch- you can stop the LP but the platter continues to spin.

The function of the platter pad is to damp both the LP so it does not talk back to the cartridge as the groove is traced, and to also damp the platter itself. Felt simply can't do that; if high end audio reproduction is your goal, your investment dollar in the turntable as a whole will not be served by felt in any form.
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