1st pressing?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Ted Bell, May 28, 2002.

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  1. Ted Bell

    Ted Bell Forum Dentist Thread Starter

    How can you tell which pressing an LP is? Do you need to look it up in a guide or is there something on the LP that tells you?
     
  2. JPartyka

    JPartyka I Got a Home on High

    Location:
    USA
    There are guides, but they mostly refer to label variations -- which can be a good general clue. Each record label has its own history of label design changes that you might want to become familiar with. But numbers and messages in the dead wax can be more of a pointer.

    For example, Columbia LPs are commonly referred to as "six-eyes" and "two-eyes," which refer to label designs (six-eyes are earlier, and both of these are earlier than the red label with the orange "COLUMBIA" ring around the perimeter of the label). But to see just how early a Columbia pressing is, the more accurate indication is the stamper numbers, which end with number/letter combinations like "1A," "2D," "1AD," etc. "1A," as you might expect, is earlier than "1G" and "2A" and "3D." I confess I'm not sure where the double-letter variations ("1AD") fall, but in general these give me a rough indication of what I'm looking at when I'm shopping.

    It can get a lot more complicated with other labels, particularly Parlophone in the UK (which makes Beatles shopping LOTS of fun). It'd be nice if someone wrote a comphenesive guidebook on this topic ... To my knowledge no one has yet produced the definitive work, though if I'm wrong I'd love to be steered in its direction.
     
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