The Nitty Gritty System - How does it work?

Everyone who owns records must know by now that records need to be maintained in a clean condition in order to sound their best and to preserve the quality of their fragile surfaces. Record cleaning devices operate on a number of different theories and principles, but they all have one thing in common: they do NOT totally clean all the pollutants from record grooves. They leave film, grease, residue, micro dust, static electricity, carbon fibre hair, and mould release compounds behind. These remaining pollutants prevent the record owner from hearing all the music on the record, regardless of the quality of the playback system! And they cause premature wear of the record and phono stylus.

Until now, no available record cleaning system was accepted by professionals and enthusiasts alike as producing the desired result: clean records. No single system was able to rid a record's surface of film, grease, residue, and dust while it eliminated static electricity and left a purified vinyl disc.

Nitty Gritty now offers such a system. Records cleaned on a Nitty Gritty system reproduce all the music stored in their grooves without the interference and masking of record pollutants. The improvement in sound that a Nitty Gritty cleaning makes is so dramatic that the benefit of upgrading one component [of a hi-fi system] is less significant by comparison. The Nitty Gritty record cleaning system has established itself as an essential component in every hi-fi system.

The first step of the Nitty Gritty record cleaning process is to scrub the record with a special fluid wash. Nitty Gritty offers two record cleaning washes. PURIFIER 2 is the stronger cleaner, capable of overpowering the most stubborn residue or grease. It contains a degreaser, a static neutralise, a mild detergent, and surfactant. PURIFIER 2 has a remarkably low 6 parts solid per million dissolved solids, making it residue free. PURIFIER 1 is recommended for 78 RPM records as it contains no alcohol. Both Purifiers are formulated from chemicals that are totally biodegradable.

The Nitty Gritty VAC-SWEEP brush has thousands of microscopic fibres that gently scrub the record's grooves. Its short bristles make the most efficient use of Nitty Gritty's special cleaning fluids, and its softness protects a record from abrasion. The second step of the Nitty Gritty record cleaning process is to vacuum the scrubbed record. This is accomplished with a Nitty Gritty vacuuming machine.

Possibly the most unique part of the Nitty Gritty system is the "hemicylindrical lip interface". Through these fibre covered lips, the vacuum motor suctions a dry path across the entire grooved surface of the record. The shape of the lips serves to minimise contact with the record as well as maximise the velocity of the air, utilising the "venturi effect". The VAC-SWEEPT [fibrous cloth liner] provides additional scrubbing while it cushions contact with the record, protecting the fragile record grooves.

The record is supported on the rotating platform which is designed to eliminate any contact with the record grooves. This removes the possibility of recontaminating the first side cleaned, while cleaning the second.

The vacuum motor is directly coupled to the lips, providing the most powerful, effective design possible. The motor is an industrial grade, flow-through type, providing the user with trouble-free cleanings.

REVIEWER'S COMMENTS

"Thanks to Nitty Gritty, there is now no reason for any music lover to deprive themselves of the best possible sound their record collection can provide."
-- Sensible Sound

"You will be amazed at the life that comes back to what appears to be a clean record when that record is cleaned with one of these machines."
-- Stereophile

"[Nitty Gritty] yielded massive improvements in noise and musical detail over the best hand brushes I have tested."
-- Audio Magazine

"I was delighted to discover that many discs with what had appeared to be obvious pressing defects sounded inestimably better after a Nitty Gritty bath - proof, for the first time, that other cleaning methods were unable to remove the grunge from my recordings."

"[Nitty Gritty] made previously dirty records sound like heaven on earth, and there is nothing at anywhere near the price that will do as much for your dirty records."
-- International Audio Review

"This is the first time I have felt that I have record care under control. My only regret is that I waited so long to buy the Nitty Gritty."
-- Audio Amateur

"The Nitty Gritty is, in conclusion, the best audio component this decade has produced."
-- SON HI FI