First press, second press, third press, GO!
johmbolaya
4,472 Posts
Just joined a new forum, and found some interesting information about an actual first pressing of an album vs. subsequent pressings. It's always a hot topic here, and while label variations and pressing plants are an important factor, sometimes there's always a bit more, one reason I always ask about matrix #'s if I know enough about a certain release. Anyway, this is what I discovered:In the old days (in the 1980's and back) a plant might pull 20 mothers from a master and 20 stampers or more from a mother. Not good! You can see where YOUR pressing stands by looking carefully at the lead out groove.This would of course apply to major label albums and indie albums that sold well. It's safe to say a lot of labels cut corners, which may have resulted in a pressing that wasn't good, or when they switched labels, they basically pressed from what was readily available, one reason why a lot of collectors want "first pressings" only. For a lot of indie and custom made records, there was only one or two pressings.
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some day the rest of the world will catch up with this. until then, I will be doing my best to take advantage.