They do only charge upon shipment. I think it is really a huge increase, and especially when they raised it $60 just a couple of days prior. It doesn't make much sense to me, unless they sold a bunch at $660 and decided to get as much as they can for the last few. And even more odd that they still haven't actually announced a repress, even if its been in the tealeaves for a while. I totally get the "$900 is too much, I'm out" stance, I would be too at that price, but I cannot get too upset at AP for doing it. Several labels have done this for a while with the last copies. MoFi, MMJ, AP, and more have been doing this. It's part of what drove me a year or two ago to go around and backorder pretty much anything from AP or MoFi that I wanted. Not everything will get repressed, but those that do certainly run the risk of coming back at a higher price. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see some of these albums get a 33rpm reissue in the next few years. And most were available on OJC in the 80s. They sound great and are usually affordable. The current OJC of Moonbeams uses the vintage OJC stampers and is pressed at RTI. It sounds really good. I'm still lusting over the Village Vanguard MoFi one step, but it's almost hit $900 itself. So, as much as I love the album, the only way I will be getting that is if I hit the lotto or catch a great deal somewhere. I still remember having several chances to buy a copy at $250 or so and scoffing at the price. I'd pay that in a heartbeat now.
I think it's a safe bet that some of these will be seeing a 33rpm AAA release. The master tape for Waltz for Debby is allegedly shot, however, so I'm not sure about that one. Maybe they will have a nice copy tape to use. And like I mentioned in my post just above, you can get an AAA cut of Moonbeams pressed at RTI for $23 or so right now.
So now ten double 45rpm albums for $90 each buying this box set. WOW even the last MMJs were $90 each and were single LP 33s. Unbelievable.
Ahh ok yea. So about $82 per double album plus a slip case and booklet. I always keep my LPs from box sets in the slip cases but this is the one time I'm keeping the records out separately as they are packed in way too tight.
Our perspectives change quickly as far as value, worth and affordability. Someone could still justify the box price if they use the MMJ calculator. I'm wondering if One Steps are going to creep up to $135-$150. I don't buy many but I hope not. A lot of the vinyl prices are getting a bit high, especially when you factor in sale exclusions and tax. Good ol' days of 15-20% and no tax are gone. There are still some exceptional values out there as we know: Tone Poets, AS-Series, OJC, Craft, BNC, etc. I'd love to see these cut as individual 33 RPM AAA (sans Waltz). I didn't know that about Moonbeams. I guess I can add that to the list of OJC using analog plates (most likely): Eastern Sounds, Tenor Madness, Moonbeams and Saxophone Colossus...others? Even the digital cut OJCs sound pretty good. Thanks for the heads up there.
At $82 each on the average, I’m sure some would happily pay that for VV, WFD, Explorations, and some others, but maybe not as happily for New Jazz Conceptions and Interplay. But considering it’s 2 x 45rpm and one steps go for $125 (albeit better vinyl and fewer steps), it’s still not a terrible value if you’re a huge Evans fan. Or maybe split the set with 2-3 friends if you can agree on price points for each album. For anyone that wants them and can live with some imperfections, after the new editions start shipping, keep a look out for people selling imperfect copies where they’ve received replacements. While you may not want to pay $80+ for a clean copy, a copy with some minor flaws for $20-30 and no cover will still give you a great listen for >95% of the disc. If they get issued at 33rpm, it may be a different mastering as the originals were SH/KPG@ATM for the most part, so 33’s could end up being KPG@CA, which I’m sure will also sound great, but not necessarily the same.
I also have the 2017 set pressed at QRP. I had 4 of the 22 discs replaced due to significant pressing defects. The booklet was also of poor quality - spidering and loss of printing color on the spine and cover. In the end, they sent perfect replacement discs and a booklet printed during the 2010 run, which was noticably better quality. The answer I got re: 2017 booklet was was they would not reprint it since every 2017 booklet replacement would have the same issues. They did number the 2010 replacement cover to match my 2017 set number. I'm pleased in the end. The upside of the backorder in 2017 was AS applied the going discount (IIRC 10%) to the backorder. They have since changed that policy.
Good that you got a better booklet. Mine seems fine - just some edge wear on the spine when viewed on edge, but fine viewed head on. My number is 745 by the way. That’s another good point on the coupon/discount - when I ordered mine, they must have had a brief pocket of time where they either allowed coupons or there was a system hole. I remember there was verbiage saying no further discounts on the set and it rejected coupon attempts whenever I tried, but for whatever reason there was a brief period where the 15% coupon (maybe a Black Friday coupon since my order was end-Nov) was accepted and this is what led me to finally place the order. So if a coupon does come out and that’s the difference between the set price being barely tolerable and unacceptable, it’s worth a shot at trying to apply it even if it says the set is excluded from discounts.
Based on my personal experience the “better vinyl” used for the recent Kind of Blue actually is inferior to the records pressed in this Evans box set. At least the version of the Evans set already issued.
One Steps (that I was referring to in my comment) use a different vinyl formulation (Neotech SuperVinyl) than the Clarity vinyl AP uses for UHQR.
Well, perfunctory at best. I'm wondering if that was AS's actual response. But as both the manufacturer as well as retailer, it would be a lazy one. It's like saying, "Because we can."
$240 is a shocking jump after an initial (and expected) jump of $60 which was communicated by them, no ifs and buts about it. And I preordered at the $600 price point back in January. This price increase will no doubt lock in any preorders made before then (who's going to cancel a boxset now priced at $900 for everyone else?), and like someone else mentioned earlier in the thread, if they renege on the price, then it kills any chance of me ordering from them again.
A friend of mine who had pre ordered called yesterday and they will honor that $600 price for her whenever it comes out again.
Ridiculous. I think Bill Evans himself would be very upset that his works have become objects for the pleasure of the elite.
I feel quite elated that I back ordered this but do feel bad for those that were simply holding out, this price jump is a bit out of the blue and fairly extortionate considering they don’t have a date for repress. I’ve no doubt they will still sell however, buy for $900 here or for $1300 or so on the aftermarket.
"Unfortunately, we are not able to make changes to pricing. Supply and demand is the cause of the increase. We do not have a scheduled date of when this will be in stock, but have been informed that it will be produced in limited quantity."
I'm not sure whether to read it as 'supply and demand' for them, or as a result of what they're seeing out there for the set?
I havent been playing guitar for a long time but Im looking some gear again after a decade and 900 USD will buy me a pretty sweet valve amp (one of the best actually) that will sound better than any vinyl or a even a master tape. These kind of vinyl demand/supply models are an indication that this vinyl repress thing is getting out of hand fast.
I’m trying to remember what I paid for the Pallas first press box - I have it in my mind that it was $400, maybe $450. It's certainly worth that! If I didn't have it would I pay twice as much? Well having owned it for 11 years and played the whole thing countless times I just might. If the Led Zep roadcase which I didnt buy at the time came out at twice the price ($750 originally) I would be on it. Depends how much the music means to you I guess.
For people looking for some of the more sought out titles in this set in audiophile quality for a reasonable price, the 80's OJCs are still hard to beat and are very close in quality to AP.
Which OJCs have you compared to the AP45s? I’ve only compared two (Everybody Digs and Sunday at the Village Vanguard). While the OJCs sound very good for what I paid for them, they aren’t on the same level as the APs to my ears.
