Does Last Record Preservative protect against badly aligned or worn stylus? I’d like to loan out my records to friends who are otherwise quite trustworthy. -M.B.
Dear M. B,
LAST Record Preservative can protect against many things, but not a poorly aligned cartridge/stylus assembly. Any stylus assembly which is worn to the point of having sharp, angular faces where the stylus contacts the groove walls could cause rather extreme damage by plowing through and eroding away high frequency information.
Take a look at some records owned by your friends. If the records show whitish/gray streaks embedded in the grooves of their records, there is either significant stylus wear, bad alignment, or badly adjusted tracking force (usually too light). Signs of poor record hygiene might also be a cause to hesitate.
Regards,
Walter Davies
