Page 1 of Vinyl cleaning/removing scratches advice anyone

Have got some Beatles original LP`s (remember those big black things with a hole in the middle) that I want to clean. Anyone recommend something decent that won`t do any damage. I also saw something that said it could clean and remove minor scratches, anyone tried anything like this? Don`t want to be experimenting on these LP`s
Thanks.

This item was edited on Thursday, 4th December 2003, 18:08

You can`t remove scratches from a vinyl record. As long as you don`t get the label wet, isopropyl alcohol on a cotton wool pad will get rid of surface dirt (unlike CDs and DVDs wipe in the direction of the grooves), but scratches are permanent.

J Mark Oates

If these LPs are the original 1960s pressings (black and yellow Parlophone label for the pre-White Album stuff), I`d think about getting them professionally cleaned rather than risking a DIY job. A decent independent record shop or hi-fi dealer should be able to advise you.

Proper record cleaners actually suck the dirt and dust out of the grooves, leaving you with a pristine LP - apart from the scratches, which you`ll have to live with.

Mike

Where do you live? I know of a couple of places around the country where you might be able to get them cleaned - alternatively as suggested above, try a local DECENT hifi shop that still sells turntables.

Steve,

Your best bet would be to get a hold of some audio restoration software. CoolEdit would be your best bet - it has click & crackle, hiss repair etc. You can "clean" your recordings manually or automatically.

There`s also a programme which you can download from the net called DEPOPPER - which does pretty much what it says - depops! It`s a farily reasonable price if I remember correctly. Hope this helps.