What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

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phonojim
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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

Post by phonojim »

I have a copy of DD 52632 that has the same problem, so thanks for the info. I did use alcohol which diminished the spots somewhat but didn't remove them, so I will try your method. My copy is pristine except for the few spots which don't cause any noise in playback. I can't blame the dealer because I bought it at an antique store, thus was able to inspect it before purchase... and I only paid $5.00 for it anyway.

Jim

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audiophile102
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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

Post by audiophile102 »

billybob62 wrote:Did you use GOOP or GOJO?
Ya Bill, I used GoJo as depicted in the photo with soft cotton squares. I just put a small amount on the cotton and applied pressure staying with the direction of the grooves. It took more than one application, but I could see the results on the cotton right away. I followed up with the alcohol to remove any remaining Gojo. Cleaned it right up and it sounds nice and clear played on my A250. Really great record! It's hard to get good pictures of records, but I tried anyway. The white spots are dust on my camera lens. Click on the photo for a larger view.
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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

Post by Curt A »

Much better... nice record, glad it worked out well...
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phonojim
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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

Post by phonojim »

Could you hear any noise from the spots before you cleaned the record before you cleaned it?

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audiophile102
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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

Post by audiophile102 »

phonojim wrote:Could you hear any noise from the spots before you cleaned the record before you cleaned it?
The noise was like a scratching sound and it was loud. It was isolated to an early part of the song, but it continued for many revolutions. The B side was even worse. I was so disappointed with my "excellent condition record" I almost sent it back. Good thing I asked the forum for help, because the record plays without any noise. Amazing result.
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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

Post by alang »

Does anyone know if GooP or GoJo would damage a regular 78? I know that alcohol is a no no, but I think those products are based on mineral spirits. Obviously not for every record, just for some of those really nasty stains you sometimes cannot get off with the usual water + detergent...

Andreas

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audiophile102
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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

Post by audiophile102 »

alang wrote:Does anyone know if GooP or GoJo would damage a regular 78? I know that alcohol is a no no, but I think those products are based on mineral spirits. Obviously not for every record, just for some of those really nasty stains you sometimes cannot get off with the usual water + detergent...

Andreas
I tried GoJo on a really bad 78 in an attempt to make it listenable. It took off quite a bit of dirt and I followed up with Windex. It didn't seem to damage the record, but when I played it, the results were negligible. It could be that the record is just worn out, (which I suspect) but I didn't want to experiment with a decent record. I don't have any idea what the contaminant was on my Edison record, but GoJo removed it so it might be an option for you to try on a 78 if you are not having any luck with dish soap or Windex.
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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record?

Post by drh »

CarlosV wrote:
Marco Gilardetti wrote:
audiophile102 wrote:it's clear the seller misrepresented the condition as excellent.
It's not that clear, I might say. The standard ratings for records are nonsense and are shamefully in favour of the seller. Some of the standard definitions would possibly be ranked as an intentional fraud in a trial, however for some reason nobody has ever proposed a more balanced scale.

Records rated as EXCELLENT (I will quote) may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. This is exactly as your record looks in the picture you posted (although you specified that it looks better in picture than in reality).

Please also note that the definition of GOOD implies that it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably. This is obviously so far by everybody's definition of an object in "good" conditions that I really wonder why this misleading scale has ever been conceived at all.
I agree that the rating system used in the record trade is quite useless, starting from the very definitions when, like Marco says, a record rated as GOOD actually is a PIECE OF JUNK! I have restricted my purchases to reliable dealers that I buy regularly from (which are very few and don't use the standard rating), or to sales in bulk, of which I expect varying quality anyway. Some dealers actually play the records and rate their condition based on that, which is the only good way to assess a record quality (provided that the dealer is honest). Unfortunately the ones that do that are maybe half a dozen worldwide. Evidently there is the practicality of doing that, if one has to listen to hundreds of records every week, so this approach becomes restricted to dealers that sell higher value records. I could apply this reasoning to the Edison record above: it visually appears in good condition, however Edison records in particular can only be assessed when played, I have dozens of Edison records that look pristine and sound horrible. As to misleading advertisement, if the seller indicated that only a visual inspection was made, then the risk is with the buyer to get the lemon. If on the other hand the seller advertised that the rating was based on listening, then he should have identified any aural flaws including the one caused by the stains, and that to me would configure false advertisement.
I think the system may be a carry-over from numismatics. If memory serves, the standard "good" condition coin is heavily circulated and worn. (Never collected those myself, but I've read a bit in passing.)

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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

Post by HisMastersVoice »

audiophile102 wrote:I followed up with Windex.
*WARNING*

Never, ever, ever, ever...EVER use Windex on a regular 78. Alcohol is a primary ingredient. Alcohol DISSOLVES shellac.

*WARNING*

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audiophile102
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Re: What Do I Do with my Edison Record? SOLVED

Post by audiophile102 »

HisMastersVoice wrote:
audiophile102 wrote:I followed up with Windex.
*WARNING*

Never, ever, ever, ever...EVER use Windex on a regular 78. Alcohol is a primary ingredient. Alcohol DISSOLVES shellac.

*WARNING*
You are correct. I should have wrote Crystal Rain Windex which is alcohol free.
"You can't take the phonographs nor the money with you, but the contentment the phonographs bring may well make your life better, and happier lives make the world a better place."

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