Comments on: Kind of Blues & The Abstract Truth

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 14:06:03 +0000

don-lucky: I laughed out loud at your comments … funny and relevant. Yes, I would crack open that seal also, enjoying the waft of vinyl vapor and the crispness of the sleeve. A beautiful thing …

By: Joe L

Joe L — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 14:57:05 +0000

On my 6-eye DGs there is range of stamper numbers – including WLPs with “high” pressing numbers – and they all sound the same to me. I think the only thing that identification of “1A / 1A” is good for is increasing eBay sales prices.

By: don-lucky

don-lucky — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 14:28:19 +0000

…Not 100% on this one either Rich, but I suspect you are correct that the difference between these early stamper / lacquer configurations is probably quite negligible. I remember a time when I was just happy to have a Columbia 6-eye DG copy ! 😉

By: Rich (DG Mono)

Rich (DG Mono) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 04:37:05 +0000

Thanks for pointing us to the LJC site, Don. I just read through Andy’s great discourse on the Columbia matrix numbers, though it still doesn’t seem crystal clear to me if each different matrix number configuration represents a different lacquer or a different stamper. I will say however, that if each stamper only pressed about 2,000 copies, the numbers are more likely to represent lacquers because it seems like Columbia sold a lot of records back in those days. In either case though, if the Columbia mastering engineers cranked out a bunch of lacquers all at once, I imagine one would be hard pressed to hear a difference between them all, especially if they were created at the same time (like for the initial release).

By: Rich (DG Mono)

Rich (DG Mono) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 03:57:04 +0000

I’ll bet that Kind of Blue sounds breathtaking…I’d say that record’s definitely worth 500 bucks. And I agree, Stereo Jack’s is legit.

By: Rich (DG Mono)

Rich (DG Mono) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 03:55:43 +0000

Don, are you sure you don’t mean stampers instead of lacquers? From each original master lacquer disk, a negative metal master is made, from which several positive mothers are made, from which then numerous stampers are made from each mother. For an album like Kind of Blue, I can only guess that the first nine stampers all would have come from the first mother disk, which in turn would have all come from the original master lacquer disk.
.
I’ve also learned that in theory there should be no audible difference between the first and last stampers made from the same mother, since most stampers in those days would have broke before they wore out, and either way they’d usually get pulled before they’d create audible defects in a pressing. My personal opinion is that vinyl is a finicky medium, and though it seems that a lot of different factors contribute to two copies of the same pressing of an album sounding different (perhaps mostly each record’s playback history), stampers do not seem in theory to be one of the major differentiators.

By: don-lucky

don-lucky — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 22:47:41 +0000

Thanks Aaron…The irony in selling records to upgrade stereo components is that I now have less records to enjoy on the new equipment, which I am buying to increase enjoyment of the records which I no longer have !!! It’s a vicious cycle… but like a well aged scotch, it is worth every dram. Cheers !!!

By: Joe L

Joe L — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 21:19:50 +0000

I think we would all play, but someone who pays that kind of coin for a sealed pressing is probably doing so as an investment, no? I play everything – why the hell else have the records?!? What’s the point of having a beautiful copy of a rare record if you don’t enjoy it? Do you buy rare scotch to put it on the shelf and never drink it? No way.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 20:39:56 +0000

Nice choice on the MC275! As difficult as it was to part with those three consider how their sacrifice made your entire remaining music collection sound better!

By: don-lucky

don-lucky — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 19:05:30 +0000

…Damn straight Smitty ! (Honestly, they guy who bought that copy of Kind of Blue could seriously charge admission to the first-listen party. (I have a bottle of single-malt from ’75 I’ve been saving for just such an occasion myself.)