Date:         Tue, 3 Jul 2007 06:23:54 -1000
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         Mal Rockwell <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: LP pressing question
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Then there's the other end of the stick - vinyl pressings that wear out
after 2 dozen, or fewer, plays. I'm referring to records I bought back
in the late 60s/early 70s of unissued Bob Dylan pulled from the Columbia
files. Untitled, and in a plain white sleeve, one of these bootlegs
appeared on the Har-Kub label. I have never seen lousier quality vinyl.
Ever. Still have the record because it is pretty rare, and the material
was the first release of the material thereon. Later, of course, it was
all "officially" released on various "bootleg" compilations produced
by... Columbia, naturally!
Mal Rockwell

*******

phillip holmes wrote:

> I collect "white label promos" and I agree with Bob that the Columbia 
> WLP or DJ copies are superior.  The vinyl seems to be the same 
> thickness, but more durable (IE, same number of grams, but different 
> vinyl formulation).  I think that's the thing, not that they had a 
> different stamper, or that the stamper was brand new, though that 
> helps.  People discount what a different formulation of vinyl can do.  
> I've only laid my hands on a few test pressings, not to be confused 
> with promo copies, and they were stunning.  One is a test pressing of 
> "Shotgun Willie" and it blows away the regular copy (pun intended, but 
> it did indeed blow away the regular pressing).  The only labels that I 
> think had consistently good pressings were the guys who had their 
> stuff pressed in Japan, like Mobile Fidelity, and the audiophile 
> classical labels, like Telarc (sent to Teldec, IIRC).  The JVC vinyl 
> is my favorite vinyl formulation.  They tore down the pressing plant 
> and converted to CD.  Supposedly, and this may be audiophile nonsense, 
> nobody outside of JVC knows what that vinyl formula was, other than it 
> was translucent virgin vinyl (it's translucent because it has less 
> "carbon black" than normal vinyl, I think).  But that JVC vinyl wore 
> longer, took more abuse and started off quieter than anything else 
> I've seen.
> Phillip
>
> Bob Olhsson wrote:
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Tom Fine "...Bob, do you think the same "for demonstration 
>> only" pressings sent to DJ's were also what was sold at a
>> discount to NARAS members?..."
>>
>> Not at all, they were just first run "street" copies.
>>
>> I only knew about the white-label DJ copies from RCA and Columbia 
>> because I
>> was the music director of a college station for a few months. They were
>> amazing, better than any "audiophile" pressings I've ever 
>> encountered. I'm
>> sure the idea was that they wouldn't get chewed up and need to be 
>> replaced
>> as often.
>>
>>
>> Bob Olhsson Audio Mastery, Nashville TN
>> Mastering, Audio for Picture, Mix Evaluation and Quality Control
>> Over 40 years making people sound better than they ever imagined!
>> 615.385.8051 http://www.hyperback.com
>>
>>   
>
>