let's talk about our pressing of ALVEAR (Led Zep, AC / DC, CCR, Young ... and others ...)

It is. For the unsgned ones, near impossible. Time-consumimg to find. With shipping costs to US, sometimes shopping around not even a solution for me, for an economical purchase.

 

Thanks for your nice comment.

Merci !

 

Apparently 1983?
I have not made any queries for any titles after '83.
I wonder if the end of his time at Hispavox coincided with the label being swallowed up?

 

I'll take a closer look. As soon as possible, I will take several photos of the same album ... and both matrix! Matrix, stampers, other details ... etc ...

Is there a specific album that interests you?

 

I wonder if he continued to work afterwards ?!

 

I have the 'signed' ones down easy and are easy to communicate to the sellers. Thank you.

There are now some entries in discogs listed with variations of the waves as part of the matrix.

I am most interested in trying to pinpoint and confirm any unsigned ones, visually, and not by ear. For instance, ones that may have the wave on 1 side only, or other major titles from Hispavox, that do not have the wave or squiggly line sig. You think the 1 - on one side and a 2 or 2. on the other, at end of matrix, are an indicator as well?

 

I posted some samples in post # 47.

I'll try to post more samples tomorrow if you want?

If that can help you ?!

Christophe

 

Have no idea lol. Only The Shadow knows?

 

"For instance, ones that may have the wave on 1 side only, or other major titles from Hispavox, that do not have the wave or squiggly line sig. You think the 1 - on one side and a 2 or 2. on the other , at end of matrix, are an indicator as well? "

No I don't think so because I also have these inscriptions "1" or "1.2" on my first Led Zeppelin pressings ... but machine stamped.

Unless the machine-stamped pressings are also the work of this engineer!

 

Heyaheyaheya ya outdid yaself there!

Thanks A Million!

 

A LZ III. A7 signed. B Side machine stamped no sign. Another hybrid example of III. Mine is a 1970 copy, both sides stamped.

 

Obviously, according to the information on Discogs, the A2 / A6 / A7 matrix are handwritten. I'm pretty sure it was Alvear who cut the A side. Now what's weird is why he didn't cut the B side ?! As for Led Zep I, ll, IV and House of the holy !?

Having said that, my Led Zeppelin lll (A5 / B3 stamped machine) sounds fantastic! ;-)

 

Yeah the seller confirmed the sig wave for side A on her record...for III.

 

Thanks for the very informative thread!

PS: you are aware that you just hiked up the prices for Alvear pressings by creating it?

 

Yes. But this wonderful Spanish engineer deserved to be talked about. I, who have been observing the Spanish market for some time, have indeed noticed an increase in prices!

 

Are you planning to buy one of these hybrid pressings?

I think about it but other Spanish LP's on the road!

 

I'm not. I like consistency lol. The cost of prices for me are mostly shipping induced or the combination of the album+shipping.

Quite a few 7" singles by many major artists are associated with Hispavox too. With picture sleeves also. Stones, etc.

I'll be getting off the LZ mothership and CCR wagon for awhile very soon looking for more other vinyl of Alvear's work There's the Pete Townshend album Empty Glass and John Entwistle's Too Late The Hero that I put some time and effort into learning about and finding. The latter is on the way still and the former was quite enjoyable.

Answers are slow to arrive though. There are quite a few user reviews at discogs for some of the LZ titles. I may part with my III even as much as it has received good reviews. May want something else instead.

 

I have one in the mail right now.
I’ll tell you my impressions when arrives.

 

Spanish market has always had very high prices…
But yes, now there are too many people asking for “little waves”..Most sellers are now aware of this discovery.

 

I hear you. They could 'maybe' get a little more money for these, or that maybe there is just more interest in vinyl, a slight uptick, and they are really just happy to sell these records more quickly? With supply of titles limited online though, partly due to smaller pressing runs? then it may be more difficult to afford to buy some of these titles.

 

I bought 4 titles from 1 seller today. The seller was very helpful. Checking all the deadwax. 2 prices seemed average, 2 prices were buyer-friendly. But we know how that goes - we don't know how it plays until we hear it.

The vinyl quality of these pressings I have heard fwiw or put on the turntable has been 'as good as any' stock pressing I have in that the clean records play free of audible surface noise. One or two caused some needle-sway, but little to no s/n still, just like other vinyl.

One thing to take advantage of are 45's. Even if the LP is mastered and cut elsewhere, sometimes these 45's are done by alvear, and the picture sleeves are a treat. These are mostly all too expensive for me, with shipping, and another rabbit hole to go down, just like with 45's from other countries.

 

John Entwistle's Too Late The Hero arrived and it sounds (vocals especially, electric guitar too - you mean that really is Joe Walsh after all these years - and more) like it finally has some Life to it and the vocals and all are not so blah.

Fwiw, recommended as an alternative pressing

Beautiful lamimate glossy sleeve front and back and also with hype sticker and a little Spanish on it. Another NM/VG+ player. Vinly has a very small 'wave' to it as it twirls around but no effect on how pristine it sounds to me.

Some of the masterings I would like to hear more bass ot bottom end to. This one maybe too. Just a little more. But it finally sounds to me like living breathing people with energy are playing on this record. I think this Alvear liked his rock and roll music. A little more needle sway near the outer end on this side too but nothing I haven't seen before on some records.

 

Alvear or not, my spanish AC/DC all sound thunderous: HV, DDDDC and LTBR. No waves on my copies which are likely 1980 reissues. Suspect this is him given their very on your face approach. Love them.

Compared HV to my Aussie TNT LP, they sound quite close to me. A real bargain.

Christoph, spot on!

Kindly share your thoughts about LZ Houses. My 1st spanish (machine stamped, no waves) sounds powerful and aggressive. Efficient but I much prefer the RL. If Alvear cut it, trust he missed the subtelty of the record, mostly on the less hard-rocking songs.

 

I had a Spanish High voltage pressing from 1982 (stamped machine). It sounded very very good ... but my ALVEAR (A6 / B4 ~~) pressing sounds even better !!!

Your pressing has the matrix engraved by hand or are they stamped by machine?

For Led Zeppelin House of the holy (HOTH), here are my own thoughts:

I listened to my ALVEAR (A5 / B8 ~~) press last night. Sounds very, very good. As powerful as its predecessor Hispavox (A6 / B3 stamped machine) but a more tempered character. HOTH (A6 / B3) has a fuller texture. I agree with you ; this album needs some sweetness and subtlety on certain tracks. Like Led Zeppelin lll !!! More is not always better!

Also, the best mastering of this album is in a country bordering Spain, precisely ... in Portugal! Indeed, a year ago, I discovered that this country had used the UK plates of the famous mastering of George Peckham !!! A real bargain when we know that now the original UK pressing is selling very very expensive (like a Led Zep ll RL state near mint) !!! Bought my copy ... $ 35.00! After cleaning it with my Spanish gel, sounded completely mint! Great !!!

I also had a German RL pressing (mastering Robert Ludwig A1 / B1). Undoubtedly the best mid, but curiously boring listening (no dynamism!?). Curious ? I also had a late pressing which sounded good.

So to sum up, if you can't find a Portuguese pressing HOTH Porky / Pecko, its Spanish counterpart ALVEAR may be a good option!

... but I'm sure some Japanese presses sound great too!

 

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