Record-playing Rituals?

Frap. Yes, the effect of the Last solution has already benefited the vinyl a few moments after application. The final wash with the Record Research fluid is a minor miracle in retaining Last's benefits, while removing the (solvent?) obscuring tonal balance.

I also understand that the Last Record Preservative is effective at getting "under" microscopic particles that are typically not dislodged with normal cleaning procedures. Once they are released, the final wash with Record Research fluid gets the LP clean to a microscopic level.

On the comments concerning a final wash. I know that the RR fluid is manufactured with lab grade water. This is typically hundreds of times more pure than the distilled water from the grocery store. Water is a powerful solvent at lab grade purity level, and combined with the cleaning agent in the RR solution, makes for a perfect final wash. I believe that an application of distilled water afterwards actually leaves behind more contamination that stopping after the RR fluid.

In either case, the sound is best when the Last treatment is followed by a short additional cleaning. Let me know if any of you try my Novus cleaning trick on the covers. Best to you all!

Albert, could you please give me a source for the RR fluid. That would be very kind. Frap, thanks for your suggestion, but its not the drying process, its the bad quality of triple destilled water, which caused the trouble. Albert is quite right there. Besides, I don't think we are compulsion neurotics, rather we are acting in a perfectly rational fashion, because our procedures, different as they may be in detail, do indeed serve succesfully to improve the sound of LP-playback. (Worrysome thought: Don't they say, that the truly crazy always think themselves perfectly sane?)Last thought: So what, main thing it serves the music. Cheers to all in this great thread!

Detlof, If you will e-mail me, we can exchange addresses. I have a sample bottle from the CES that normally retails for $25.00 that I will send you for free.

Great thread! I'm particularly grateful to Albert for the RR Image Restorer final wash recommendation, as I've liked the Last preservative but noticed the same treble rolloff as Frap and had accepted it as either my imagination or else a necessary evil. Albert's steered me right in the past on the RR LP No. 9. Gonna have to get some.

By the way, Albert, a very nice gesture on the RR fluid. I guess that was going to be one of the party favors at the BBQ that was to be held at your place till the fickle Khan moved it to the place with the more expensive system???