[78-L] test pressing query

[Glenn Longwell]

I have several Columbia test pressings I've picked up at tag sales since I live near the Bridgeport plant.  All the LP-xxxx records were 10" and all the XLP-xxxx were 12" (at least with my examples).  All are 33 1/3 albums.  They do look like 1950's style 78's in terms of material but aren't.  In your case they may all be one continuous track so you may not notice it but mine are 3-5 songs per side so you can clearly see the break between the songs.
 
I always just figured people that worked at the plant took these home and not distributed but don't know for sure.
 
Glenn

--- On Sun, 10/19/08, Donna Halper <dlh at donnahalper.com> wrote:

From: Donna Halper <dlh at donnahalper.com>
Subject: [78-L] test pressing query
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at 78online.com>
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2008, 3:44 PM

This is not my area of expertise, so perhaps somebody on the list can 
advise.  A friend of mine found a big album of 78s at a flea market-- 
he didn't know what they were (I mean, he knew what 78s are, but as 
you will see, this confused us both) and was curious about several things.

First, the album contains about 18 records, all of which say "TEST 
PRESSING, Columbia Recording Corporation."  Some have greenish-blue 
labels, some have white labels.  None identifies the artists, but all 
say "Budapest" on the label.  A couple of the matrix numbers:  XLP 
8021-16, and the label reads "Beethoven Q'tet, Budapest." Another

reads XLP 9774-!E, and another reads XLP 8020-16.  Some have the 
words "Op. 18" on them (I assume that's Opus).  Later in the 
collection of test pressings, it sames "Brahms" rather than Beethoven

but still says "Budapest" and "q'tet" on all of them.

When might these have been recorded and by whom?  And typically, who 
would have received this heavy album of 18 test pressings-- 
reviewers?  Concert promoters?  I doubt they would have been sold to 
the general public with no name of the group, would they have?   

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