Congratulations for your new Monarch pressing! It sure sound great but no narrow deadwax side 2 on monarch pressing. Only PR and SP if I remember well. I joint a summary (pdf file) of all the matrix numbers sent by our good friends.
The CP is'nt as good as the PR/MO/CTH/SP pressings. Just looking at the deadwax, its very wide. The RL blows away the UK A2/B2 in my opinion, its the midrange. The UK just sounds muddy in comparison.
Hey screw, nice work with this file, congrat Anyway, checking the pics sent to me by the seller, my next RL MO press has a side 2 very narrowed if I compared it with its side 1 or with my CP press. As soon as I can, I will provide the matrices for update your file!
In my case, the comparison will be done with an UK plum A2 1 1 3/B2 1 1 "wreck" copy ...is it also your case? Yes, here the RL CP doesn't blow away my UK...I can't wait for a comparison with the RL MO cut!
Yellow are the narrow deadwax (PR&SP), Green the regular deadwax (MO), no color for the wide deadwax. This is for side Two.
Thanks! With reference to your file, why not all the PR side 2 are yellow? At least all the ones with "-A" and "RL ss" should be narrowed, so in yellow... Also, I thought that even the MO RL ss side 2 cuts were narrowed as well as PR&SP, but perhaps the reason why you say that only the side 2 from PR&SP are narrowed is because there are not examples from forum members of "-AA"... Is my understanding correct?
Giorgio, you are right! My excel file is a first shot and I have to update it... I only put yellow color when the owner told that it was a narrow deawax. I've mesured my dead wax as this: SP => side one ± 12mm, side two ± 7mm (Yellow) Mo => side one ± 14mm, side two ± 10mm (Green)
Ok, we will wait the updating of the file...thanks a lot for your effort! Good idea to take a measure...but how is the measure down to that we can say "it is narrow" (??) I have not yet the RL MO copy in my hands, so I can take a measurement.... anyway if I look at the photos sent by the seller, the dead wax on side 2 is more or less an half compared to the one on side 1, perhaps less than the half...(here below the pics). As soon as possible I will take the measurement and I will provide you a feedback....IMO also the MO copies could have a narrowed dead wax... What is your opinion?
Just by a quick look I can say that your MO is not the same pressing than mine. And side Two looks like a narrow deadwax. Edit: By the way the UK A2/B2 has a kind of narrow deawax on side two either. 9mm
I just received my LZ II RL, MO pressing, and I am very surprised about the good condition of the vinyl! It needs a wash but there are no heavy scratches, there are only a few light marks that do not feel to the touch. I think you can judge VG+, if not better! And 'much more than a starter copy IMO .... seen how difficult it is to find this record, might even be my final copy! I measured the dead wax: Side 1 is 14 mm; Side 2 is 7 mm. I think we could define narrowed this ... When I have time (I'm very busy these days) I will clean it and I'll do a comparison with the UK plum A2/B2 "wreck" copy...I can't wait! As soon as I can, I will post here the full matrix code for your info. And yes, close the RL it has also the little "ss" on both sides. For 29$ only, I am happy!
Here the dead wax from my MO copy: Side 1: ST - A - 691671-MO - CC RL ss LW(sideways) △13933 (2) W AT Side 2: ST - A - 691672 - MO AA LW(sideways) AT RL ss △13933-X W Hand etched. Round imprint with MR inside on both sides.
Comparison done. Also the RL ss MO press (narrowed side 2) doesn't kill the UK plum A2/B2 "wreck" copy. They are very similar... IMO, If you have a nice copy of this UK plum, you don't need to have the RL ss...if not for a collector purpose.
As a owner of two RL's, I am astonished that the UK's hold up. The RL's, I feel are at the edge of what is possible on vinyl and I have not personally heard anything that matches the dynamic range of these pressings. do you know who mastered the UK's. Peckham is the only one that comes to mind that approaches Ludwig when he is turned loose. I will search out the UK's as I want the best when it comes to Led.
I think that if you already have two RL should not "stress yourself" to have an UK. As I said (by my system and by my ears) these two cuts sound very similar. The UK press is no better or worse than the RL. They sound fantastic both in the same way, IMO of course! I don't know who mastered the UK's, no info from the deadwax/label or from the cover...
I just bought a mint version, still in the shrink. Haven't seen these matrix numbers yet: SIDE ONE: ST-A-691671 RL SS B 3 0 1. SIDE TWO: ST-A-691672 RL SS A 4. The B 3 0 1 and A 4 markings are faintly stamped, the rest is hand written. Wider dead wax. I wonder if the minimum info indicates a first cut.
Your copy has a matrix like mine, and should be a Columbia, Pitman, NJ press. Check the labels, at the bottom, you should have the letters "CP" after the code numbers. Here below a detail from my label, side 1. Dead wax from my copy: Side 1: ST-A-691671 RL ss B 3 Side 2: ST-A-691672 RL ss A 3 All is hand etched. There is an O (or zero?), either stamped or hand written, after an asterisk on both sides, just before ST-A…
Never done the comparison. The CP copy is close to NM while the MO is VG+... it should be done with two copy at the same condition IMO.
How much did you pay for this!? Is it a MO/PR/SP/CTH pressed copy? How much would you sell it for? if you were willing that is lol
I'm definitely not selling it! It has no noise; it sounds like a new record with the occasional tick you would hear if it'd never been played. Looks mint. No clicks, pops, or crackle. It's a CP press. Both sides have the skinny RL. I paid a lot for it! I won't say how much though, but considering how quiet it is I think I got a fair deal.
I've been in the market for one of these for awhile, who wants to sell a young 18 year old chap a copy??
I know Giorgio has a "CP" RL pressing, from what he says, he was'nt that impressed by it compared to a standard non-RL press if i remember correctly. The best sounding RL's are the MO and PR copies with the narrower deadwax area. Im guessing these are cut hotter/louder than "CP" copies with larger deadwax.
