Spin Clean Vinyl Record Washer: Demo & Review

I'm often asked, "How do you clean your records?" In this video, I'm demonstrating the fabulous vinyl record cleaner / washing system known as the Spin Clean.

Produced by an American company that has been around for 40 years, the Spin Clean is an inexpensive, non-electrical option for getting all of the dirt and debris out of the precious grooves of your records. Check out my video review - along with a demonstration of how to use the Spin Clean.

P.S. We do earn a commission if you purchase through the links in this blog.

Spin Clean is available thru Amazon

(click pic below or check out more options under video)

Also available thru Amazon
(click pics for more info)

The Starter Kit:

The 'Complete' Package:

Limited edition, clear version:

Vinyl Flat Record Flattener: A Review

For those of you that collect vinyl records, you can share in the frustration when you take home a used -  or even sometimes new - piece of wax, only to lay it on the platter and it moves up and down like the Tilt-A-Whirl! I reached my boiling point when I was gifted two brand-new, sealed LPs for my birthday last year - and what do you know, one of them was so warped that it wouldn't even play. Lucky for me, the store was able to exchange it for another copy.

As Christmas rolled around, little did I know that the heavy package waiting patiently under the tree contained the Vinyl Flat device inside. It's comprised of two, heavy felt-lined circular platters that sandwich a warped record. After tightening up the bolt, the whole unit gets placed in either the oven, or in the Groovy Pouch - I was lucky to receive the Pouch, otherwise you have to have an oven that can regulate temperature under 150 degrees. With the Pouch, all you have to do is velcro it shut, plug it in and off you go. Depending on the severity of the warp, I've found that flattening can be achieved between 4 - 12 hours.

Here it is with the Groovy Pouch:

The felt rings that protect your record from getting scratched by the platters:

Since receiving the Vinyl Flat, I've saved approximately 20 unplayable records that I am now able to enjoy... and as a side bonus, I can score warped records at the shops for cheap, and take them home to flatten! Yay.

This past weekend, I intentionally picked up a badly-warped copy of Neil Young's 'Harvest' at a thrift store. I filmed a before-and-after video sequence so that you can see the results for yourself.

Before

Before / Different Angle

After

Order one for yourself here - and be sure to let them know you saw it on the Life On This Planet Blog! Thanks. - Bret

If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)

Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

Snark Clip-On Chromatic Guitar and Bass Tuner: Product Review

I've been wanting to get a clip-on tuner for a while, so I don't have to always plug my instruments into my stage pedal tuner. I was looking around Amazon the other day and came across the Snark Tuner. It's blue color jumped out at me and the price - less than $12!

So, I've had it for a few days and I have to say that I am really liking it. The needle doesn't jump around like some of the other handheld tuners I've tried in the past. It turns on and off immediately with the convenient button located right under the colorful, digital screen.

The great thing about these clip-on tuners is that they work off of vibrations, so for electric guitar, you don't even have to be plugged in! I've tried it on electric and acoustic guitars, as well as electric bass and it did a great job on all of them. Some versions also have a metronome and a button to transpose for capo use!

The Snark also comes in black and red. Buy it here on Amazon

Here it is in action:

If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)

Follow us on Facebook

Audioquest Anti-Static Vinyl Record Cleaner Brush: Product Review and Demo

Over the years, I've bought several different kinds of brushes and cloths to try and remove dust off of my records.  None of them did the trick - until I came across the Audioquest Anti-Static Brush.   I've found that it is the best way to remove unwanted dust off of your vinyl records.  I've had this thing for about 8 months and it's the best $20 I've spent.

No matter how often you clean your records, dust will accumulate into the grooves, causing crackles and pops.  The key is to clean your records when you bring them home - I use the Spin Clean Record Washer - and then do a quick brush with the Audioquest before playing them.

Always use this brush on a clean record.  So if you're about to spin that Boston record you just picked up for 50 cents at Goodwill, and it's covered in fingerprints - clean it first, then use the Audioquest brush to get off the extra dust.  I even recommend cleaning new records that are fresh out of the shrink wrap. I've found that many times there are paper fragments and vinyl shavings stuck to the surface, that can even cause a brand new record to skip or pop.

Watch the Audioquest Brush in action on the Social Distortion LP - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes.

If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)

Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube