[78-L] quality control problems - Poor Vinyl

[Thomas Stern]

IIRC, poor LP pressings seemed to go through cycles - Angel usually was excellent, but they had some periods
when pressings were off-center, pimply, or warped.  Ditto for all the major labels.  Decca was on some very hard
substance more like some of the 99c labels.
Reversed labels were not too common, I remember this being a problem with some Period, Counterpoint discs.
Also have had the same side pressed on both sides of an album (an Esoteric Henry Purcell album), and
an RCA France double set, perhaps Paul Whiteman or one of the Jazz issues, where the fourth side
was Kurt Weill (the album number was the same or similar, so I suppose someone pulled the wrong stamper
by not looking at the prefix ???).
The frustrating aspect of the oc, pimply and warped defects was that it was nearly impossible to get a "good" pressing since the
same defect was on all discs from that run.  The strategy was to return the defective, then wait a year
to get the next pressing.  Of course, some problems did effect only a single or few discs, so it was possible to exchange for a
good copy.
  CD's seem to have a much higher quality.  I can think of only a few times I've had to exchange a disc.  CD-r is
another story, and they easily become unplayable it not kept in a favourable environment.
  Best wishes, Thomas.

-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com]On Behalf Of Gene Baron
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 7:55 PM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: Re: [78-L] quality control problems - Poor Vinyl


I have some LPs (mostly bluegrass/old time country) from the early-mid
seventies and yes the vinyl on them, especially from the smaller labels, was
(and still is) extra noisy, and I also remember it being connected to the
oil shortages of the time.  Don't remember any of the classical LP having
the same problems, but it's certainly possible.

Gene
gene.baron at gmail.com


On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 8:03 AM, Mark Bardenwerper <citrogsa at charter.net>wrote:

> On 9/21/2011 6:39, neechevoneeznayou at gmail.com wrote:
> > I know 45s were made with hot levels to help hide the quality of the
> > vinyl. They wore faster but were intended for a market that would listen
> > to a song for a few months and then move on to something new. It's the
> > nature of the pop music industry overall I suppose.
> >
> > Of course off center records and crummy surfaces are not unique to any
> > format, 78s included. I suspect the out of round issue is the result of
> > a warped record being flattened out. At least, that has been my
> > experience with 78s. Could it be a matter of a lacquer master shrinking
> > and slipping on the substrate? Usually that kind of flaw is seen on old
> > lacquers and has developed over time, not on a freshly cut record going
> > to the bath to be plated for immediate pressing. Off-center center holes
> > is more an issue of degree than right or wrong.
> >
> > I have rarely seen a pressed 78 record with reversed labels, and I don't
> > recall that I have ever seen one with the wrong label, but I know it has
> > happened, and we have discussed it on the list some time ago.
> >
> > joe salerno
> >
> >
> My now elderly father is an avid classical music collector. I recall him
> noting that during a certain era, that getting records with poor vinyl
> was common due to a shortage. Does anyone have information or facts on
> that?
>
> --
> Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr. #:?)
> Technology, thoughtfully, responsibly.
> Visit me at http://citroen.cappyfabrics.com
>
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