ok I am throwing the gauntlet down on the steam cleaning. Mike and Al will be around Sunday in San Francisco and I will bring the steam cleaner and demo the before and after. At the minimum it is as good or better than expensive solutions, one bottle of cleaner costs as much as a 'perfection' steam cleaner available at walgreens $29.99.

I would estimate that groove noise it cut in half on a record that I previously cleaned with cleaning solution and vinyl zyme on a vpi 16.5.

The mapleshade steamer is the perfection model sold with an ungodly markup and some solution that I would not let enter a steam cleaner. DO NOT put anything other than water in a steam cleaner.

Looks like an overpriced audiophile version of a normal hand held steamer.

Mapleshade...over pricing... get out

You should read their print catalog, the guy sounds like a genuine nut.

Mapleshade...over pricing... get out

You should read their print catalog, the guy sounds like a genuine nut.

Haha.. *is new to vinyl*...I'll pass on the print catalog

Mapleshade...over pricing... get out

You should read their print catalog, the guy sounds like a genuine nut.

I think his Maryland mansion is near the same woods where the whole Blair Witch incident happened.

Or maybe it has something to do with our water

I do love the platforms though. Air dried FTW.

Mapleshade...over pricing... get out

You should read their print catalog, the guy sounds like a genuine nut.

Mapleshade CDs are quite reasonably priced and well recorded. The trick is to find performances that you like. I've been lucky, I've bought 5 or 6 Mapleshade CDs and only have 1 stinker. Also, as mentioned above, Mapleshade amp stands appear to be quite nice and are much cheaper than competitive products I've seen. I agree that the LP steam cleaner is overpriced. So their prices are a mixed bag.

Also, as mentioned above, Mapleshade amp stands appear to be quite nice and are much cheaper than competitive products I've seen.

nah, check out the Timbernation products. Better quality and cheaper:

http://www.timbernation.com/

nah, check out the Timbernation products. Better quality and cheaper:

http://www.timbernation.com/

Wow that is cheap. I might get him to do a turntable stand for me.

I think his Maryland mansion...

I've been meaning to visit there...

Just to mess with him, bring a bunch o keyboards if you have them, and electronic music stuff. Tell him you want to make the 1st Electronic/industrial/idm/etc Mapleshade album.

I like your thinking.

And I can do that.

EDIT: I should also bring some trash can lids and some metal folding chairs and some drills and hammers and nail guns and a compressed air gun.

Wow that is cheap. I might get him to do a turntable stand for me.

yup, I use his platforms on my wall mount racks...

many mapleshade items are overpriced but the racks are not bad as are the maple blocks. I have a timber nation flame maple block 18 by 24 that I use for my TT stand nice work but probably made of 9 pieces or wood the mapleshade are 3 large piece. Both are nice and make great stands. His cds are great sounding as well minimal miking some of the best I own and he offers an exchange if you think the music on them sucks. Put me down for the trash can sonata by Dusty.

I have a timber nation flame maple block 18 by 24 that I use for my TT stand nice work but probably made of 9 pieces or wood the mapleshade are 3 large piece.

so, there's a sonic difference in the number of pieces the platform uses?

not at all it is a call out on cost

I picked up the perfection steam cleaner at walgreens on my way home today.. Any tips for usage or just spray?

Do you have a RCM as well? If you have a RCM with a vacuum then just lay the lp on it and start the turntable then steam for about 15 seconds a side. I then vacuum off the water then repeat. You may want to experiment with record cleaning solutions as well to lossen up the grime.

Do you have a RCM as well? If you have a RCM with a vacuum then just lay the lp on it and start the turntable then steam for about 15 seconds a side. I then vacuum off the water then repeat. You may want to experiment with record cleaning solutions as well to lossen up the grime.

Given your obsession with steam, I have a new avatar for your use. Enjoy:

Nice one I may have to use it. BTW the GEM Dandy cleans the shit out of a record but is incredibly messy water goes everywhere but the record is very clean and free of any leftover record cleaning fluids. For me this is outdoor only and I'd have to clean 10 or more at a time to make the mess and hassle worth it. Steam OTOH is easy to use and can be ready in minutes and makes no mess. I have listened to records that have been previously cleaned with disc doctor fluid on a vpi 16.5 then steam cleaned them and to my ears they had more top end detail and greater soundstage. I am open to the fact that it may be placebo or some other mind fuck but I'd be willing to have a local check it out with me to see if they hear it.

I am open to the fact that it may be placebo or some other mind fuck but I'd be willing to have a local check it out with me to see if they hear it.

Yes, but that would most likely involve large amounts of beer. Has anyone done a study on the effects of different brews and how it affects hearing? You could even apply for a government grant, I'm sure.

Nice one I may have to use it. BTW the GEM Dandy cleans the shit out of a record but is incredibly messy water goes everywhere but the record is very clean and free of any leftover record cleaning fluids. For me this is outdoor only and I'd have to clean 10 or more at a time to make the mess and hassle worth it. Steam OTOH is easy to use and can be ready in minutes and makes no mess. I have listened to records that have been previously cleaned with disc doctor fluid on a vpi 16.5 then steam cleaned them and to my ears they had more top end detail and greater soundstage. I am open to the fact that it may be placebo or some other mind fuck but I'd be willing to have a local check it out with me to see if they hear it.

What are you doing tonight? I may have some free time to come over for the Big Test.

Yes, but that would most likely involve large amounts of beer. Has anyone done a study on the effects of different brews and how it affects hearing? You could even apply for a government grant, I'm sure.

True. True. Beer goggles for the ears are a very likely contributing factor.

Nice one I may have to use it. BTW the GEM Dandy cleans the shit out of a record but is incredibly messy water goes everywhere but the record is very clean and free of any leftover record cleaning fluids. For me this is outdoor only and I'd have to clean 10 or more at a time to make the mess and hassle worth it. Steam OTOH is easy to use and can be ready in minutes and makes no mess. I have listened to records that have been previously cleaned with disc doctor fluid on a vpi 16.5 then steam cleaned them and to my ears they had more top end detail and greater soundstage. I am open to the fact that it may be placebo or some other mind fuck but I'd be willing to have a local check it out with me to see if they hear it.

Do you need a record cleaner (ala VPI, Nitty Gritty, etc.) in addition to steam cleaning your records, or could you scrub the records by hand and then steam clean and get similar results?

You could even apply for a government grant, I'm sure.

approves.

Do you need a record cleaner (ala VPI, Nitty Gritty, etc.) in addition to steam cleaning your records, or could you scrub the records by hand and then steam clean and get similar results?

Steve, I read this post on Audiogon and thought about your query.

I just bought the Perfection steam cleaner at Walgreens. Since I was impatient, I tried it with filtered water on some records I didn't care about. Just blasted them with the steam and wiped with a nice thick microfiber auto detailing cloth from Target. Quick, simple, and more effective than my Nitty Gritty. Highly recommended.

One thing that bothered me was the nasty burning plastic chemical smell from the steam. We are all so worried about having the purest water, but in the end contamination from the plastic leaching nasty stuff into the steam is probably a bigger problem. The records sounded great, however.

Steve, I read this post on Audiogon and thought about your query.

I just bought the Perfection steam cleaner at Walgreens. Since I was impatient, I tried it with filtered water on some records I didn't care about. Just blasted them with the steam and wiped with a nice thick microfiber auto detailing cloth from Target. Quick, simple, and more effective than my Nitty Gritty. Highly recommended.

One thing that bothered me was the nasty burning plastic chemical smell from the steam. We are all so worried about having the purest water, but in the end contamination from the plastic leaching nasty stuff into the steam is probably a bigger problem. The records sounded great, however.

I will have to stop by Walgreen and get the perfection steamer and try this. I'll give it a try with some vinyl that I don't care about.

Hopefully the chemical smell will go away with some use.

Thanks David

Yeah... I need to grab some microfiber cloth apparently.