Vinyl damaged by worn styli (formerly the whine... and cheese thread)

[Grbluen]

Just shelled out some major cash for some of the best looking vinyl I've seen. The covers immaculate. The sides shiny and unblemished. The estate palatial. I'm good right? Nope, first side with a hot section, obliterated! Who does this? I'm sorry for whining, but I don't think I've ever wrecked an album with a stylus.
I'm just asking is there a point during stylus wear, where it becomes evident that something is wrong? How much time does it take to go from say, "hey, that sounds a little off" to "I bet I'm damaging some pretty rare vinyl"? Thanks for letting me vent! If anyone knows the answer, please chime in!

 

[Pio1980]

If you are getting white fluff around the tip at the end of the cant' on a clean record, you may be shaving vinyl with a worn tip.

 

[eb2jim]

Usually I can see groove "burn" from a bum needle. But that's the downer of visual grading. I've been at record shows where dealers spin old wax on 70's battery portables that sound like sh!t and I wouldn't trust over a Kenner Close n Play. But even a Kenner grays out the vinyl. Is this from a dealer?

 

[Balifly]

If you are getting white fluff around the tip at the end of the cant on a clean record, you may be shaving vinyl with a worn tip.

In rare occurrence, diamond tip can fracture and break off small piece.

 

[E.Man]

Brilliant thread title !!!!!!!!!

Totally gives an indication of the content.

Now I get to complain about you, ( like you have about someone else you didn't like the practise of).

 

[Grbluen]

Brilliant thread title !!!!!!!!!

Totally gives an indication of the content.

Now I get to complain about you, ( like you have about someone else you didn't like the practise of).

I'm sorry if I've offended you.

 

[Grbluen]

Usually I can see groove "burn" from a bum needle. But that's the downer of visual grading. I've been at record shows where dealers spin old wax on 70's battery portables that sound like sh!t and I wouldn't trust over a Kenner Close n Play. But even a Kenner grays out the vinyl. Is this from a dealer?

No, this was an estate sale.

 

[bolero]

yes, brutal thread title


WHERE IS THE DAMN CHEESE??


I came in here expecting some cheese....



disappointed

 

[E.Man]

I'm sorry if I've offended you.

Besides being nothing to do with the content it makes using the Search function pointless if thread titles are just random.

 

[eb2jim]

No, this was an estate sale.

Then you took a chance. They're not to blame and you can't do anything ( you could try but they are selling as is for full price 1st day so I doubt you'd get anywhere). I've run across a few estate sales where they're charging more than the standard $1-3 each, and I don't buy because I don't want to encourage them. Sell them to half price books - they take anything. They pay crap, but donating puts bad vinyl in circulation. Rare titles? The jackets might be flipped on eBay.

 

[marcmorin]

Brilliant thread title !!!!!!!!!

Totally gives an indication of the content.

common in the US to use the phrase.........."would you like some cheese with that whine"?
self depreciating humor.....would guess most from this country got it from the thread title.

 

[4-2-7]

ham....and cheese

 

[4-2-7]

mac.....and cheese

 

[4-2-7]

crackers.....and cheese

 

[4-2-7]

whine.....and cheese

 

[phantomrebel]

???

 

[hi*ball]

Could be the culprit...

 

[tubewade]

Sorry for your bad experience. Most of us that search garage and estate sales for records have encountered that before. What era are these records and what genre of music? In the 1950s, and even into the '60s, some people were still using sapphire styli, which wore out quickly, tracking at 7 or 8 grams. Even with diamond styli most people had no clue that a stylus needs maintenance or could ever wear out. If later records it could also be that someone set the tracking force at the lightest possible setting that didn't skate across the record.

My wife bought me a huge box of 1950s/'60s Lps from an estate. Same outcome. Every record was damaged on the loud passages and inner grooves.

This experience probably answers for why record and stylus companies admonish people that the stylus should be replaced at 800 to 1000 hours instead of waiting to hear distortion or other problems before replacing.

If you are a stylus swapper, try a couple different profiles. As you know, it may help.

 

[Pio1980]

ham....and cheese

Ham, and cheese, on wry.
Good morning, Dan!

 

[ripblade]

yes, brutal thread title


WHERE IS THE DAMN CHEESE??


I came in here expecting some cheese....



disappointed

Forget the cheese, I was hoping for some fermented grape juice.

I was given a box of classical music that looked mint but had serious (I mean unlistenable) IGD issues. I'm clueless as to how these things can get this way. Only thing I can imagine is the original owner wasn't listening as they played. Sad, too....there were some real gems in the box.