GZ Vinyl "Quality Control" (or lack of) see pics!!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by The Snodger, Feb 18, 2013.

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  1. The Snodger

    The Snodger Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    I just had to share this with you guys, I'm sure I'm not the only one to have opened to pretty sub-par piece of vinyl before, but this takes the biscuit.

    2 albums both pressed by GZ Vinyl. The Lana Del Rey one (red label) was the 2nd try (I returned the first as it was so filthy), but then my copy of Ben Howard's 'Every Kingdom' arrived today and I couldn't believe my eyes.Bear in mind that I took the pics AFTER I'd cleaned them, they were originally covered in some gritty crap.

    I'm speechless...
     

    Attached Files:

  2. bibijeebies

    bibijeebies vinyl hairline spotter

    Location:
    Amstelveen (NL)
    what kind of inner sleeves did these come with?
     
  3. bibijeebies

    bibijeebies vinyl hairline spotter

    Location:
    Amstelveen (NL)
  4. I don't think I've ever seen anything that bad. No, I'm sure....I've NEVER seen anything that bad before.
     
    MattF_19, DavidD and SoundDoctor like this.
  5. phil1db

    phil1db Senior Member

  6. The Snodger

    The Snodger Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    Way ahead of you.... I already sent them a strongly worded email with more pics than this before posting here. I was just so gobsmacked at the state of it I just had to share it...
     
    bluemooze likes this.
  7. The Snodger

    The Snodger Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    Both had paper printed inners with no die cut.
     
  8. The Snodger

    The Snodger Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    I wish I'd taken pictures of both of these records as they were when I first opened them. Its basically this PLUS a layer of dust/grit. I would just LOVE to see how they manage to get a piece of vinyl so dirty. They have to be trying really hard!

    Attached more pics of the Lana Del Rey album. I thought this was shocking until the Ben Howard LP arrived today!
     

    Attached Files:

  9. Captain Pete

    Captain Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Łódź, Poland
    Looks like flour to me. Perhaps they have opened a bakery in addition to their vinyl business.
     
    Tankbass73, cporcp, DavidD and 26 others like this.
  10. ProfBoz

    ProfBoz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis, TN, USA
    I bought a copy of The Jam's "In The City" that they pressed and it was MISSING A SONG. From side one. I wrote them directly, and they averred that they had no control over an error like that, since they received the plates or whatever from the record company. I wrote Universal and they never responded. So I traded it in.
     
  11. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Is this a grind off? I don’t know the term, but are some records recycled, basically pressing a new record over a previously trashed record? I see records like this and I assume that is what has happened. They are often very noisy records.
     
  12. eyeCalypso

    eyeCalypso Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado, USA
    Yowza!!! Do they sound as bad as they look?
     
  13. drbryant

    drbryant Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I think things have gotten worse. GZ pressings from a few years ago weren't this bad. This really creates a problem for me - I have this Black Sabbath vinyl box that cost me $200, and I want to open it up and listen to it, but I'm afraid of GZ. Maybe I'll sell it.
     
    Vinyl Addict likes this.
  14. bibijeebies

    bibijeebies vinyl hairline spotter

    Location:
    Amstelveen (NL)
    Please also let us know their reply!
     
  15. The Snodger

    The Snodger Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    Pretty much. Lots of surface noise, pops and crackles.
     
    Talisman954 likes this.
  16. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    If you can return it for a refund do it, I returned mine to Amazon, the LP's a were basically unplayable (tons of surface noise/pops/clicks) and they also looked like some of the pics the OP posted. I had to peel off some paper from the inner sleeves on a couple of them.
     
  17. Marko K

    Marko K Forum Resident

    Location:
    EU, Estonia
    Which Lana Del Rey album is that and which pressing (EU vs US)?

    I have the EU pressing of Born To Die 2LP and Paradise (the one in the slipcase) and they both have similar problems like you have. Since I bought both of these from conservative music stores (one of which is already closed down), I cannot return mine.

    edit: sorry for asking a dumb question but I just dont have my copies right here at the moment.

    edit nr 2: I also have two copies of the US pressing of Paradise and they are both warped but at least not scuffed or with scratches and at least these were not that expensive - the EU pressing of Paradise (GZ) cost me a lot more.
     
  18. bibijeebies

    bibijeebies vinyl hairline spotter

    Location:
    Amstelveen (NL)
    Marko, GZ is based in Loděnice, Czech Republic, al their pressings are thus EU pressings.
     
    Vinyl Addict likes this.
  19. The Snodger

    The Snodger Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    Yeah, mine are the same as yours. The first copy of 'Born to Die' I bought was unplayable - just too much noise, so I took it back and got a second copy. The second copy was still average, but it was bearable after a good clean. I had similar problems with 'Paradise' (in the slip case like yours). The pressing still had a few fingerprints on it, but there was way less surface noise than BTD.

    I've NEVER opened a brand new record though and found it to be in a state like the Ben Howard one. They've crossed the line from plain old carelessness to simply taking the p!$$.
     
  20. The Snodger

    The Snodger Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    I got a reply the other day from GZ:

    "Dear Jon,

    My apologies for late reply but we are now very busy with workload comming before Record Store Day.

    I am very sorry to hear that you do not like the quality of records you bought.

    This issue which is visible on the picture is know as horns issue. Horns appear on records when supplied lacquer cut is not top quality. This issue is very well know in vinyl pressing industry and you can read more details about this in attached document which was created by third party, so this is independet opinion.

    For both titles we were supplied lacquer cut in studios in UK and thesrefore we do not have so many options how to affect this unpleasant visiul effect. The only way would be to polish mothers before processing for stanpers but we do this only on special request from Universal Music, we do not polish uatomatically all mothers processed out of lacquers supllied.

    This is issue is only visible issue, this does not affect the music negatively. We are not able to identify this issues in-house because when we press the records they look absolutelly perfect, these marks appear after futher handling (vibrations during transport, pulling out the records from inner sleeve, handling etc.) therefore there is no way for our quality control how to identify this issue.

    This horn issue is in relation to lacquer only, so when we cut music by DMM there is no problem like this. We are in daily communiation with Universal Music to use studios where the cuts into lacquers come out perfectly and not to use studies where these issues appear often.

    I would like to help you and change the records for you but these were ordered by UMGI at GZ and therefore you have to claim this and ask for change at the place where you bought these records.

    I strongly believe you understood my explanation above and you will keep trust in GZ Vinyl production.

    If you have futher questions pls let me know.

    Kind regards,

    Jaroslav Jungman
    Customer service manager - Vinyl Department"

    Smell like BS much? Talk about passing the buck....


     
  21. bibijeebies

    bibijeebies vinyl hairline spotter

    Location:
    Amstelveen (NL)
    So, isn't it time for GZ to print a disclaimer for their Universal Music contract pressings with the UK cut lacquers stating:
    We cut records from substandard lacquers because the record company pays us for it. Please consumer keep faith in our wonderful GZ vinyl!
    This is issue is only visible issue, please play our vinyl with eyes closed and, in addition, also take the record out of the sleeve while looking the other way.
     
    DavidD, goodiesguy, melo85 and 4 others like this.
  22. stonedhenge

    stonedhenge Forum Resident

    They are not usually this bad, but major defects with new vinyl are very common and I'm sick to death of it. I have far more frisbees than I could possibly use. It didn't use to be like this. I think they need to bring all the old guys out of retirement to teach the new kids how to press a decent record and how to treat it with respect. They need to learn that clicks pops and crackles are NOT a cool feature of vinyl, but can and should be minimised.
     
  23. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    I think those complaining need to seperate the 2 problems. Firstly noisy pressings (marked or not) should be returned and are obviously unacceptable. Those with marks that don't affect the sound such as GZ describe as 'Horns Issue' reluctantly should be deamed as acceptable. This is nothing new and I have seen it on quite a few older pressings usually of US origin. It even occurs on some RTI pressed 180 gram vinyl. If a record plays without significant pops or noise and is flat I accept it. You can live with the appearance of most of these if you don't obsess over it.

    As far as the Lana Del Ray titles are concerned I didn't have any visual problems but sent a copy of 'Born To Die' back due to a skip caused by an edge warp. Second copy almost perfect but a few light clicks at start of 'Video Games'. the Paradise Edition LP was flawless. 90% of GZ product I have purchased had no serious issues though they are certainly not up to Optimal or Pallas standards.
     
    Sprague Dawley likes this.
  24. troyvod

    troyvod Forum Resident

    Location:
    hunter valley
    i've used G/Z for pressing a few times twice the records came out excellent, the other time they were still very good, but did look kind of dirty. Didn't affect playabilty though. About to press an Ep through them in about 6 weeks, hopefully it goes fine.
     
  25. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    I've never had a problem with GZ pressings.
     
    minimal minimal likes this.
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