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Help: How to remove the funk from a record.

Pete MarriottPete Marriott 3 Posts
edited March 2012 in Strut Central
Hey guys,

I've been going kinda hard on Discogs lately seeking to recover my favorite records I left behind in my native Brooklyn years ago before moving to Honolulu and then to California and then to Seattle where my wife and I are pondering the notion of buying a new house and raising children. Anyway I've been buying records everyday on Discogs and some of them have arrived rather on the funky side and I don't mean the musical content. I mean they smell kinda moldy and not too long ago one record smelled like death. Does anyone here have solution to killing the funk dead in it's tracks? My wife hates the smell and I'm certainly not enjoying it myself especially since these records are in my studio where I work everyday.

  Comments

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Welcome.....


    Off The Wall vs Thriller?
  • Pete MarriottPete Marriott 3 Posts
    batmon said:
    Welcome.....


    Off The Wall vs Thriller?

    More like Lonnie Liston Smith, Quincy Jones and Kool & The Gang.
  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    To remove the funk, give the offending record to Simon Soussan and let him toss it out of the car for you.
    Job done.
  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    To remove the funk, place the record in a Kenny G. record sleeve for two weeks.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Pete Marriott said:
    batmon said:
    Welcome.....


    Off The Wall vs Thriller?

    More like Quincy Jones

    :eyeball:
  • DawhudDawhud 213 Posts
    Pete Marriott in the building.
  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    If you REALLY want to remove the funk from a record, have someone from SoulStrut remix or re-edit it for you.
    Thats a guaranteed funk-killer.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    mrmatthew said:
    If you REALLY want to remove the funk from a record, have someone from SoulStrut remix or re-edit it for you.
    Thats a guaranteed funk-killer.

    "Hey check out my beat i found from the early 90's!!!!"

    "Tell me what you think of it!"
  • vintageinfantsvintageinfants 4,538 Posts
    take that shit to waxidermy




    SHOTS FIRED! SHOTS FIRED!
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    LMHO - Coming on SoulStrut must be like walking into a room full of jackal puppies and those surly monkeys that steal people's drinks at resorts. I love it here.
  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,914 Posts
    Put them outside and let them air out some. The closer to the curb the better ;)
  • SpacechoSpacecho 176 Posts
    mrmatthew said:
    If you REALLY want to remove the funk from a record, have someone from SoulStrut remix or re-edit it for you.
    Thats a guaranteed funk-killer.

    hahahaha
  • bobtheorangebobtheorange 432 Posts
    Here are two sure ways of getting rid of nasty shit like mold off your records:
    Wood Glue
    or
  • oripsorips 238 Posts
    Pete Marriott said:
    Does anyone here have solution to killing the funk dead in it's tracks?

  • DawhudDawhud 213 Posts
    Word on the wood glue, but I don't know if it'll get the moldy smell out. Maybe one of those UV wands would be able to zap the ish out of the mold spores.
  • TheKindCromangTheKindCromang 1,463 Posts
    I'd never seen or heard of that wood glue method. Anyone here ever tried it? Seems like you'd end up using a lot of wood glue. Maybe one bottle per record? Also, I don't know if you watched the link where he cleans with a toothbrush but that does NOT seem like a good idea to me. Just the sound of the brush on the record alone. Sounds like the record is screaming inside.
  • AlmondAlmond 1,427 Posts
    TheKindCromang said:
    I'd never seen or heard of that wood glue method. Anyone here ever tried it? Seems like you'd end up using a lot of wood glue. Maybe one bottle per record? Also, I don't know if you watched the link where he cleans with a toothbrush but that does NOT seem like a good idea to me. Just the sound of the brush on the record alone. Sounds like the record is screaming inside.

    A soft cosmetic brush (like for powder makeup) or a soft paintbrush would be way gentler than a toothbrush.

    If it's a dusty funk, a gentle soapy mixture and some patience. If it's a very greasy funk, something oil based to break down the grime, followed by gentle soapiness. Not all funks are the same. Moldy smells often originiate from record cover rot. Try a hair dryer to dry out any moisture in the paper.
  • TheKindCromangTheKindCromang 1,463 Posts
    What is recommended for a very gentle funk?
    I'm trying to keep things mellow in my old age
  • dj_cityboydj_cityboy 1,484 Posts


    http://discdoc.com/

    this does the trick on my rekkids
  • bobtheorangebobtheorange 432 Posts
    TheKindCromang said:
    I'd never seen or heard of that wood glue method. Anyone here ever tried it? Seems like you'd end up using a lot of wood glue. Maybe one bottle per record? Also, I don't know if you watched the link where he cleans with a toothbrush but that does NOT seem like a good idea to me. Just the sound of the brush on the record alone. Sounds like the record is screaming inside.
    The wood glue method works great on really grimey records but takes a bit of time if not done right. I never use a toothbrush but instead an old credit card to spread the glue(and I make sure to never touch the surface of the record), like in this video:

    Also, it shouldn't take very much glue, maybe 1/12 a bottle per record(dude in the vid is using too much glue)?
  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    If it's funkiness on the record, I don't see how a good alcohol cleaning wouldn't take care of it. If it's jacket funkiness, you could air them out outside for a few days, or wipe them down with dryer sheets if it's the funk of 40,000 years.
  • leonleon 883 Posts
    Bought a semi raer once only to find out at home a cat peed on it. Hence the price, should have known...
    Any suggestions? Sleeve and record are more funky than the music now.
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    bobtheorange said:
    TheKindCromang said:
    I'd never seen or heard of that wood glue method. Anyone here ever tried it? Seems like you'd end up using a lot of wood glue. Maybe one bottle per record? Also, I don't know if you watched the link where he cleans with a toothbrush but that does NOT seem like a good idea to me. Just the sound of the brush on the record alone. Sounds like the record is screaming inside.
    The wood glue method works great on really grimey records but takes a bit of time if not done right. I never use a toothbrush but instead an old credit card to spread the glue(and I make sure to never touch the surface of the record), like in this video:

    Also, it shouldn't take very much glue, maybe 1/12 a bottle per record(dude in the vid is using too much glue)?

    Glue's the answer but much better to go with water soluble craft PVA (Elmer's glue - the stuff preschool kids use) for top results with zero risk. Wood glue often has bonding agents which harden it. And, yeah, the guy is using way too much glue in that vid B/W you really don't want to be doing that stuff anywhere near a turntable.
  • SoundOutLoudSoundOutLoud 171 Posts
    That glue trick is interesting. I have a few records that I'm thinking of trying that on.
    However... If you are going to use alcohol, I like to mix it with distilled water (NOT tap because there are too many impurities). The reasoning behind this [WARNING, SCIENCE] is that is water dissolves polar molecules while alcohol dissolves non-polar (which your funk probably has a little of both). As far as using soap, that might be good for heavy jobs but because oils are non-polar organic solutes the alcohol should take care of them.
  • DJBombjackDJBombjack Miami 1,665 Posts
    co-sign on the Elmer's - used it many times. I usually leave it to dry overnight.
    If you peel it off really carefully, you can also play the negative-grooved (hardened) glue on the turntable
  • YemskyYemsky 711 Posts
    Huh? How can you play the anti-groove? Explain, please.

    As for the funk of records: I have been buying new (!) CDs from a guy in Japan for years. He buys them, rips them and sells them within a few weeks. You know how expensive space is in Tokyo. ALL the CDs smell mouldy. It's amazing how this smells has penetrated the plastic and the booklets within only a few weeks. I always wonder in what conditions he must be living.
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