best way to clean Grado Sonata

I have one of those Signet gizmos Scott mentions too but I just cue the stylus down onto the pad while the unit rests on the platter and let it sit while the thing does it's stuff, I find you don't have to move it for it to work. I think it is safer that way, less chance of damaging anything. It is almost ultrasonic and does a great job, which I have witnessed under the microscope many times. I always use a drop of fluid on mine though and can't say how well it works without it. I like the idea of the Zerodust blob too, and that is available. It's worth a try.

Fro years, I have been using a Discwasher brand stylus cleaner before playing each record. It is similar to SDCampbell's Signet, but without the vibrating action. The flat, 1/2" round brush has short,very compacted, fine bristles that one draws over the stylus to remove dirt.
The flip side has a 1/2" round mirror to inspect the stylus, but the mirror isn't much good.

I haven't tried any of the solutions that are supposed to clean caked-on crud, but several brands claim to do that. Maybe SDC can weigh in with any experience he has had?

Regards
Jim

Hi, Jim. I have avoided using cleaning solutions with my cartridges, because it is possible for liquids to migrate up the cantilever and possibly cause degradation of the cantilever suspension. The dry approach to cleaning seems to have worked well in my experience, although I am tempted to try the Zerodust Stylus Cleaner (just wish it were about half the price...).

THanks, SDC, I had forgotten that there was the problem with migration of the fluid, which is why I never used it when getting started years ago. (I knew there was a reason, but couldn't remember- y'know, for us old guys, the mind is the second thing to go.....)

Anyway, for Philjolet's information, I've found that cleaning with a stylus brush before playing EVERY record doesn't allow gunk to build up, making a fluid cleaning unnecessary.

Regards,
Jim

The pressure on the tip even tracking at one gram is, in terms of PSI unthinkable, which generates some heat at the stylus, and even if you try to keep your records clean and are cleaning the diamond each side I would think you may still get some sort of baked on "crud" build up possible. I have worried myself about some of the solvent based fluids screwing up the suspension or even loosening the adhesive that holds the tip on. You really need a quality microscope to know if you have no gunk on that tiny diamond surface. I looked at "needles" under an expensive Swiss scope for years that people brought in from their "record players" and some of them looked like the villan in a sci-fi space movie under that thing, with all the crap you can imagine glued to it.Hard to imagine that they played at all! It seems like distilled water would be harmless and help get rid of some small amounts of build up, but I may be wrong. If you don't have a wet vac record cleaner or some good method of removing the mold release agents from your records before you play them, that alone can leave a film of schmooze on the tip. Their IS stuff on your diamond you can't see by just looking at it I assure you. This is a good discussion and good a good cleaning "ritual" will go along way to keeping everything working well and sounding good.