wjm (04/13/83)
In re how to remove record warps,
There are several techniques that can be used to remove warps (Most of this
information comes from a recent (early '83) issue of "High Fidelity".)
If they're not too severe, standing the record (in its jacket) perfectly
vertical or perfectly horizontal might do the trick.
More severe warps can be removed in the following manner - but care is needed
to avoid changing your prize recording into a blob of vinyl - consult the "HF"
article for more details on the procedure.
Obtain 2 pieces of clean window glass which are larger than the record.
The need for clean glass cannot be emphasized too highly since any dirt
on the glass will be transferred to the record by the dewarping process.
Put the record between the two panes of glass and put the sandwich in the oven
Heat at a low temperature about 100-120 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.
Let the sandwich cool and hopefully you should have a playable recording.
An alternative approach is to use weights on your turntable. Start with
a center hole weight (about $30.00) and if that doesn't work you can add
a circular donut shaped weight (about $150.00) around the edge of the
record. If you've got considerable $$ there are several vacuum mats
which hold the record to the turntable quite well but they cost several
10**2 dollars.
Of course, if its a brand new recording, the best technique is to return it
to the store. This will ultimately get you a decent copy (but considerable
patience helps since you may have to go through the loop several times) and
will let the manufacturer know that you are displeased with the quality
of the product - I agree with Ira Idelson that some US record companies
(CBS and Angel in particular) release poor quality products - CBS's releases
are among the noisiest records I own, and Angel's quality control leaves
much to be desired - I recently had to return several scratched "Swan Lake"
sets until I got one which met reasonable quality specs. If the Europeans
(especially Philips) can produce consistently good LP's why can't we??
Bill Mitchell
(whuxk!wjm)