If a record has no scratches/dust...

[311thrice]

but skips, what is the problem. Is it the needle?

[momentumlost]

i have a test pressing of an explosion record that does this, i just figured it was a rejected test...

[subscript]

could just be the record. some have skips

[xjustinxschwierx]

yeah, my NoFx 'HoFx' LP skips during one of the songs...there is nothing wrong with it as far as i can see...shit just happens.

[hickey]

The dust you can see isn't the problem, the dust you can't see because it's in the grooves so deep is usually what causes otherwise unexplainable skips.

[ohnotherobot]

Having said that, what do people use to clean their records (if anything)?

[chubbler108]

I have a God Forbid (Gone Forever) record that is brand new, played once, and its like there is a loop on one of the songs where there shouldn't be. every rotation it goes into the groove before and keeps playing the same thing. Could this be dust?

[troymess]

To clean my records, I use a fluid called "Phoenix" record cleaning and use a microfiber cloth with it. Seems to do the trick. It's removed skips cause by dust for me. I get mine here: sleevetown.com

[skumbucket]

The dust you can see isn't the problem, the dust you can't see because it's in the grooves so deep is usually what causes otherwise unexplainable skips.

but if its a brand new record? like "deja entendu"?

that's a joke, but not -- the new pressings of the album that i got skipped severely throughout a whole side right out of the shrink wrap.

[monstercody]

I have a VPI HW-16.5 record cleaning machine and they recommend cleaning brand new records as much as old dirty ones. Apparently the pressing process can leave quite a bit of debris/microscopic bits of plastic in the grooves that can lead to pops/skips/fuzz.

Unfortunately, really good quality vacuum cleaning machines are pretty expensive. Mine was over $500. They do work really well though.

[aviolentworld]

i just bought joey cape/tony sly split and on the last song on tonys side the background singing sounds like they are gargeling(sp). could this be a dust issue?

[vinyljunkie]

it may be your players arm. could be that its not weighted right, and isnt putting enough pressure on the record which can cause it to jump around.

you might want to try adjusting the arm (if you dont knwo how, or arent comfortable doing it, just place a penny on the arm). see if that works. you may want to check and see if your actual tray is warped/bent at all causing the needle to jump.

if a record wasnt done right or they tried to squeeze too much music onto one side, the grooves may not be cut very deep, which could explain why it only skips on one record, and not every record you play.