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
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.  
Thanks, Antinn.  I have been unable to find anything on the internet, up or down, that would incriminate or absolve the stylus, until this.
I use a felt mat.....and have practically zero issues with static.  But I'm always barefoot around the house.  So I'm always grounded......seems to work for me.