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Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: George Merrill Analog G.E.M. Dandy Hydraulic LP Cleaning Aparatus Accessory by thegage

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REVIEW: George Merrill Analog G.E.M. Dandy Hydraulic LP Cleaning Aparatus Accessory

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Model: G.E.M. Dandy Hydraulic LP Cleaning Aparatus
Category: Accessory
Suggested Retail Price: $149
Description: LP Cleaning System
Manufacturer URL: George Merrill Analog
Model Picture: View

Review by thegage on May 28, 2008 at 05:45:44
IP Address: 216.204.11.230
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for the G.E.M. Dandy Hydraulic LP Cleaning Aparatus


Intrigued by a 6Moons review, and frankly always suspicious that my trusty Nitty Gritty 1.0 wasn't getting my LPs as clean as they could be, I decided to try out the G.E.M. system.

First, appearance. It looks like something cobbled up in your basement. The sink connector and hose are things you can buy at your local Ace hardware store. Yup, when you take it out of the box your first thought is that you could pretty much build one like it yourself for a lot less money. But: you could say the same about a VPI machine, or your house for that matter. What is your time worth and where do you want to spend it?

Second, the bad news. It feels cheap in operation. After only cleaning a few records I had to get out my wrenches and tighten the spindle nuts which came loose almost immediately. The fluid mist is irritating to your nose, so you'll need good ventilation. The stickers they apply to the pipes are cheap and not waterproof and so they slowly deteriorate and gum up your hands and the sink. The pucks that cover the labels aren't that water-repellant at all, and no matter how tight the wingnut or how careful I am about spraying water, the outer edge of the labels are always wet. It does create a lot of "collateral damage" with regard to overspray of water mist, so be prepared. I hate cloth wiping as it seems you're just pushing around the water and driving contaminants back into the grooves you've just cleaned.

Third, the good news. To my ears all of the downsides are worth it. I can't put my finger on it, but I always felt that my Nitty Gritty left a little something behind. Whether it's because of the Merrill fluid or the water-pressure wash, the G.E.M. has improved LPs I've cleaned multiple times beforehand, with everything from RRL to DD to Buggtussell. The surface is quieter and things just sound better.

Fourth, other points. I cheat and don't cloth wipe, instead using my NG to get the water off. Since one of the main points of the G.E.M. system is not to dry the record prior to removing the wash fluid, I figure I'm ahead there, and getting more of the non-distilled water off vs. cloth wiping is a positive. This does partially negate one of the system's aims, which is not to apply vacuum pressure to the LP lands, but my NG doesn't suck that hard so I'm not worrying about it. The G.E.M. system is fantastic for really dirty or moldy records, as you just spray the fluid on and wash off with water; nothing touches the dirty record so you don't have to worry about having to clean or replace your NG pads--or VPI wands or whatever--after a session of really dirty yard-sale LPs.

Fifth, summary. Overall I have had a very positive experience with the G.E.M. Dandy. It is a bit fussy in operation and does take more time per LP than simply using the NG with the RRL, but I think my LPs are cleaner than they ever have been.


Product Weakness: Cheap feeling in appearance and operation. Cloth drying (some may not find this a weakness).
Product Strengths: Amazingly clean LPs. Improved detail and coherence to the sound.


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Check my user profile for current system
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): NA
Sources (CDP/Turntable): NA
Speakers: NA
Cables/Interconnects: NA
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Rock, Jazz, Classical, Folk
Time Period/Length of Audition: One month
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: George Merrill Analog G.E.M. Dandy Hydraulic LP Cleaning Aparatus Accessory - thegage 05:45:44 05/28/08 ( 2)