Options for ridding records of static electricity

ebm not at all. The Desat 2 and Zerostat do not solve the problem they just delude you into thinking they do. The static is generated by the stylus rubbing the groove. It is regenerated after only a minute of play time. The static attracts dust and pollution and pulls it deep into the groove where you stylus runs over it at 30,000 PSI per contact patch (we just did the math above) grinding it into the vinyl. All this is worsened by not using a dust cover during play. Unless you want to stand over the record and use these devices during play they are worthless. I'm sorry you guys wasted your money on them. I can't do anything about that. But I can keep others from making the same mistake. Don't feel bad. I bought a Zerostat when they first came out. I stopped using it after a week. Live and learn.
You have to discharge the record during play and the only way I know to do that is with a conductive sweep arm providing a path to ground.
Lewm you are right but it has to be done in a nitrogen or argon atmosphere. X ray irradiation will work in air I believe. I'm pretty sure the conductive sweep arm would be more cost effective and less carcinogenic. 

Aaaarrrgghhhh, Mijostyn.  Now you not only persist in your unsupported claim that the stylus causes electrostatic charge, you have also added a time frame, one minute!  What is your evidence for THAT?  If you observe that charge develops in one minute or less, that could be due to any one of the other three causes we've discussed: friction with ambient air as the LP spins, contact with the body part of a person who is charged up, or friction with the record sleeve as one removes the LP from it.  For me, at the moment, the diamond stylus tip is 4th on my list of possible causes and least likely.  But I am waiting for you to support your claim.
jro1903, What you do is likely to be futile, because it seems at least to me that static charge builds up during the acts of removing the LP from the sleeve, spinning the LP in room air, and/or touching the LP when you yourself are charged up, as occurs after you walk across a wool carpet to the equipment stand, etc.  Also, and I get this from the internet, so take it with a grain of salt at least, the Zerostat trigger is supposed to be squeezed very gently so as not to produce that clicking sound, in both directions, but with the trigger depressed at the end of the process, you move the gun slowly away from the LP surface as you release the pressure on the trigger.  Most also say this is best done when the LP is already on the platter.  Some say it can be spinning, some say not.  But, as Mijo says, that ritual may even be in vain because static charge can come back after you have performed it properly.  Shure Corporation demonstrated that if you discharge an LP while it sits on the platter, there is still charge on the other side, between the LP and the platter surface.  When you then lift the LP to turn it over or return it to storage, the charge on the untreated side redistributes itself evenly onto both the untreated and the treated side. 


I own a Zerostat and used it for decades, but in recent months I use only the new Audioquest carbon fiber brush that has its fibers grounded via the handle of the brush, supposedly allowing charge to drain off to ground via your body.  I can't say that deleting the Zerostat from my ritual has had any effect one way or the other on any problem with static charge.

Mijo, I think I saw this video on Youtube or on a science site, where UV light is shown to deplete static charge, and it was definitely done in open air, not in an inert gas environment.  If I can find the video, I will post the URL.

Lewm, it is very easy to measure with a high voltage probe. Building ESLs I just happen to have one. You are not arguing with me Lewm you are arguing with scientific facts of life. All you have to do is get up off your back side and do a little research instead of trying to convince me I am wrong.
The bristles on your brush are conductive and they will lead static away from the record if there is a path to ground. Even if you were holding your house's ground cable in your left had it will not work well because the electrical resistance of you is very high. With me from one index finger to the other is 23.765 mega ohms. (I just measured it) You would have to hold the brush on the record for an hour. Besides, as soon as you put that stylus down the charge is back and the dust is flying into your grooves. If you want to shock someone just rub your feet on a carpet for just 5 seconds. As you go to touch your unsuspecting target you can actually see the spark jump. Just 5 seconds. 
Do post that video. I just read that it required a special atmosphere, UV that is. X rays do not require anything. (except everybody hiding.)

Dear Mijo, You wrote above, "Lewm, it is very easy to measure with a high voltage probe. Building ESLs I just happen to have one. You are not arguing with me Lewm you are arguing with scientific facts of life. All you have to do is get up off your back side and do a little research instead of trying to convince me I am wrong."

Do you mean to say that you are measuring static electric charge with a typical multimeter using a high voltage probe?  Can't be done, but maybe you have a probe of a type I don't know about.  If so, I'd like to buy such a probe. I use a 6kV probe on my Fluke meter when I am working on my Beveridge amplifiers, which drive the panel directly and develop +/-3200VDC.  That probe is not suitable to measure a static charge.


I have owned nothing but ESLs since about 1971, including KLH9s, Quad 57s, Quad 63s, and various Martin-Logans. I currently own a pair of Sound Lab 845PXs.  I wouldn't think of "building" an ESL panel, but I have done some repair and upgrades to my 845s.  I also own a pair of Beveridge 2SWs, which incorporate a novel type of ESL panel.  So, I know about ESLs.

Finally, as to your central statement, "You are not arguing with me Lewm you are arguing with scientific facts of life.", what are you talking about?  I'd like to know what science I am denying, in your mind.  I didn't know we had a conflict of that sort.  All I know is that I have asked you to cite some evidence that a diamond stylus moving on vinyl is the base cause of static charge on LPs.  I am open to the idea if you show me evidence, but I like the other 3 mechanisms I've described, and which others have described, better.


Here is the video that shows clearly that one does not need an inert gas atmosphere in order to observe that UV light of the proper intensity and wave length can discharge a static charge.  It works quite well in room air.  It's the photo-electric effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubkNGwu_66s

@mijostyn,

Audio Magazine 1978-May, starting ~page 44 of 124 has a discussion with measured data for static charge on records.  The article does say -  "Incidentally, measurements with these instruments have shown that electrification from the direct friction between the diamond and vinyl is, oddly enough, negligible."  You can download a copy of this magazine here:   https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-Audio/70s/Audio-1978-05.pdf.  However, this does not diminish the success of using a conductive (as defined by ESD practices) brush to remove static charge from a record that can develop during play - this is a very common method used for ESD control as is continuous ionizing devices (harm to Buna-N rubber notwithstanding).

Also, for info, the pressure the stylus develops on a record is actually pretty complicated - RCA  Engineer magazine 1966 Aug-Sept has an article DISC PHONOGRAPH RECORDS written by Dr. Max that shows the calculation.  You can download a copy of this magazine here:   https://worldradiohistory.com/ARCHIVE-RCA/RCA-Engineer/1966-08-09.pdf.