How hard is it to find first pressings of LP's?

I'm assuming they are usually the best sounding versions. I'm interested in looking for some 60's and 70's titles that are in at least good condition if it isn't too hard to find them.

 

What -I- find hard is...Paying the price for that 1st pressing ( In my older vinyl day's) there was (is) always someone out there waiting to sell you one for a -price-, more than one can afford.. Check around thrift shops and good will...many a bargain can be found!

 

That's what happened in the record store today. The store didn't want most of the LP's a middle aged man brought to sell. One of them was an original pressing of S&G's Bookends and another sounds like a first pressing of Surealistic pillow. They aren't in mint condition, but hey, they were FREE

 

Bookends is actually very common, even a 1st. Surrealistic Pillow isn't but most every pressing I find is wrecked. JA fans must have been slobs back in the 60s?

 

It all depends on the title. Some are harder to find than others. Some titles are more popular than others among those who still play or collect LPs and the supply of better copies thus begins to dry up...folks don't wanna let 'em go! Fewer copies were pressed of certain titles depending on sales or the population of a country (i.e. England). Still, for the 1960s and 1970s period in which you're interested, many nice copies can still be had pretty easily. Don't limit yourself too much...M- original pressings of many titles are still relatively cheap. Sometimes reissues are actually better. For instance, Steve's DCC pressing of "Surrealistic Pillow" is better than the original RCA stereo pressing. Remember though, as nice as many LPs sound, there's plenty of CDs that are better for certain titles. I wouldn't trade my Stax/Volt Complete Singles box set for anything! If you're finnicky about sound, CDs and LPs have to coexist! If you want to get an idea of the value of LPs you'd like to pick up, get a copy of Goldmine's price guide for American LPs. It's very thorough and will give you an idea of what to expect. It also contains a label guide which will help you learn to identify American first pressings. I believe I gave about $25 for my latest copy at Barnes & Noble...not bad for the wealth of information it contains. Pick one up and start doing some bargain hunting!

 

I've found that it isn't so much finding the LPs. It's the condition that kills you. Records, like most collectables, were always considered a disposable medium. That said, you can find some real gems, but you'vegot to dig through a lot of junk first.

 

People in the 60s that liked the SF groups were very communal. And, of course, when everyone owns something...no one owns it and it gets wrecked.

I wasn't communal (I worked) so mine is in excellent shape.



Mud-

 

Exactly right.

 

Steve, This subject has come up several times before here. The real problem in many cases is determining which pressings are the earliest or first ones. I wish someone would publish a book with this information.

 

The book would have to be fairly large, because you also can't ignore the fact that 1st pressings aren't "best" either. First pressings aren't always "it". However, for the most part, the sequential numbers after product number can start with 1A or A, 1. The forum is invalueable that way, such as the Internet. Opinion reins too, and suddenly the book becomes second to real experience. There are books I've seen with inforation on labels, and Goldmine has many concerning rare blues and R&B 45s too...

 

It gets even more complicated than that. On many first releases they had to make multiple mothers to meet anticipated demand so the 1A 2A 3A etc were all in reality first pressings and yet they were often cut by different people so you have no idea how far the initial pressing went into numerical sequence and which were better mother masters. Another thing you have to watch for is the multiple use of mother masters to create stampers. At first glance you may think you have an original stamper because of the martix number but if you look closer you may see a running tally very lightly scratched in the the dead wax somewhere. That I believe is the running tally on multiple uses of the mother master. this not only affects the sound but also tells you something about how original or not your particular pressing is.

 

Kinda mysterious, eh? You can always do what Tom Port does...just keep picking up copies until you find the best sounding one, and keep going until you find one better than your current best. Problem is, none of us has time for that. However, Tom does...and he's the expert. Deciphering all the matrix information for each label is a huge reasearch project...and mistakes or conflicting information will undoubtedly creep in. Like Scott says, it gets complicated...and each label will present its own unique complications. My advice is this: go by the first pressing labels, and if you like the sound of what you find, keep it and be happy. If there's a title you must have a "magic stamper" copy of, contact Tom and let him know what you're after. I think he'll be able to hook you up eventually. Just don't expect him to share his secrets of the trade...he's spent years acquiring the knowledge he has and that's a valuable and unique service to offer to folks like us.