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Record skipping around a track without visible scratches


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So I recently bought a used record and it appears to be in great condition (except a little bit of dust) but when I played it, after about 5 seconds into the first track it started skipping all around the song to later points in the song.

The person I bought it from said he tested it before he sent it and it played fine for him.

Is there a way to fix this?

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So I recently bought a used record and it appears to be in great condition (except a little bit of dust) but when I played it, after about 5 seconds into the first track it started skipping all around the song to later points in the song.

The person I bought it from said he tested it before he sent it and it played fine for him.

Is there a way to fix this?

What turntable are you using?

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Correct anti-skate, check the recommended needle weight (best to do it is a digital pocket scale). If those are okay it might me just the record itself. If the mastering is done poorly shit like this can happen. There are some phisical limits of the vinyl record and the move of needle. Not everyone understands this.

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Yeah, it doesn't have a way to change weight automatically (I bought that one in particular because I'm new to buying records and wanted a player that wouldn't cost me too much but something that was at least decent)

However I played another record that was covered in dust, released by the same label about a year difference and after cleaning it it sounded pretty good and played all the way through without any major problems except a little bit of fuzzyness at points

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I've heard that some people use water on them when they buy old used records but I feel like that would mess them up, am I wrong?

 

Water on a record will not hurt it one bit. Water plus a little surfactant like Triton is even better.  That helps break the surface tension and allows the water to get into the groove better.  I usually wash old records I buy first with water, a VERY small amount of surfactant and a microfiber pad like the ones used for auto detailing.  Get the record and pad wet and scrub along the groove.  Getting the label a little wet won't hurt it.  Just don't scrub the label.  Dry with a microfiber towel and let it air dry for maybe an hour.  Then put it on the turntable and start it spinning.  Then use a carbon fiber brush to get any newly settled dust.  You should use a carbon fiber brush before each play.

 

Carbon fiber brushes are really only good for surface particulates.  They don't do a deep groove clean.  Carbon fiber brushes are meant for dry cleaning a record.  Do not use one in conjunction with water.

 

If you want to clean a record without breaking the bank, buy a Spin Clean.  That uses a cleaning solution dissolved in water and 2 brushes that clean both sides of the record as you rotate it.  It's a hell of a lot better than nothing.

 

If you really want to get serious, buy a vacuum record cleaning machine.

 

Wood glue works somewhat but a) it doesn't pull everything out of the groove and B) can leave quite a bit of static on the record.  If you go the wood glue route, buy Tite Bond II.  The "II" is very important.

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