[78-L] Newly-pressed Bix Beiderbecke 78

[Bryan Wright]

To quote Mr. Peavey, "Well now, I wouldn't say that, Mr. Gildersleeve."

In pressing the records, I found that *almost* anything is possible --  
for a price! Pressing any kind of records these days doesn't come  
cheap, especially such a customized job as a 10-inch 78 rpm two-record  
set! I regret that the per unit price is as high as it is (US $29 per  
set, postpaid in the US), but that's scarcely above production costs.  
Cost-wise, it really doesn't make sense to make a 78 these days. In my  
case, I decided that I didn't care if I never made a dime on the  
records; I put in a lot of time and effort recording the pieces and I  
wanted the satisfaction of seeing them as a pair of newly-pressed 78s.  
Of course, I do hope to sell enough to offset most of the costs of  
making them.

To answer your second question, the records are stereo and use a  
microgroove (LP) stylus. I said *almost* anything is possible, and  
after asking around, I found that no one offers master cutting with an  
old-style standard 78 groove at a professional-quality level. In  
addition, since no one offers shellac pressing and even a standard- 
groove vinyl pressing would have to be played with a lightweight  
pickup, I figured there was no real need to insist on old-fashioned  
standard grooving.

Bryan W.

--- On Fri, 9/17/10, David Breneman  wrote:

 >> I negotiated with one of the world's top audiophile vinyl
 >> pressing plants (in the Netherlands) to handle the actual
 >> manufacture of the records, which themselves are meant to
 >> replicate the look and feel of a 1920s-era 78 as closely as
 >> possible, with no lead-in groove and using somewhat heavier
 >> vinyl than usual.

 > Wow, that's great to know that it's possible to do such a
 > project at a cost that doesn't break the bank.  What size
 > stylus is used to play these?