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Vintage Mono Pressings

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Posted on March 25, 2017 at 12:21:59
Ross
Audiophile

Posts: 1814
Joined: January 24, 2000
When did Blue Note change the groove width for their mono pressings from 1mil to .7mil ? For that matter, what about Prestige, Riverside, Impulse etc ?

Thanks,

Ross

 

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Vintage Mono Pressings...1 mil or .7 mil..., posted on March 26, 2017 at 19:36:46
Interstage Tranny
Audiophile

Posts: 3063
Location: Eastern
Joined: October 4, 2006
I wish the answer could be easy and universal. Stereo LPs become "standardized" in 1958. Stereo 45s do not become standardized until mid-1960s or later, depending on label ! Consider the record labels you are concerned with and any others. Financially, another or more record cutter machine(s) would be quite an investment. They already had the 1 mil microgroove mono cutters, tweaked and updated, ready to use.

Many record labels were guilty of "joining in later" due to a number of reasons. Competition, One-upmanship, speculation, market gains or losses were considerable factors. Each company used unique marketing and the soon to evolve A&R departments. Some managements were very cost concerned.

If you have the ability to "recognize" the wider 1 mil grooves, having the various stylus sized pickup cartridges available is our best "arsenal."

1960s Mono LPs, well into the mid '60s were still 1 mil microgroove size. If the label offered stereo and mono pressings during the early stereo era, they wanted their loyal mono record collectors to still be able to thoroughly enjoy all their discs. Many record labels did not offer .7 mil mono grooves until the very late 1960s.

Remember, a .7 or .8 mil wide stylus can play stereo and mono discs. However, the non-vertical responding, very vintage 1 mil stylus equipped mono pickups should not be used to playback stereo discs. If your record collection contains very good or better condition mono discs, keep in mind that there were many "width oversized"(slightly wider than .7 mil) elliptical stylus stereo cartridges available which can be beneficial sounding, compared with a 1 mil conical mono size stylus.

I will now try and add the link to a cool outlook about stereo 45 rpm evolution...very informative reading...: http://www.bsnpubs.com/stereoproject/stereo1968.html

There are four parts to this essay, which you should be able to link from any part...ENJOY !

 

Thanks. What a comprehensive study on a relatively small area of music production. nt, posted on March 27, 2017 at 13:10:37
alaskahiatt
Audiophile

Posts: 7484
Joined: December 9, 2000
Contributor
  Since:
November 1, 2005
nt

 

Thank you- my interest is, posted on March 27, 2017 at 18:49:25
Ross
Audiophile

Posts: 1814
Joined: January 24, 2000
To determine which mono records in my collection are compatible with a 1mil stylus.

Thank you for providing additional information.

 

Comprehensive study on a large area of music production. nt, posted on March 29, 2017 at 15:18:20
Interstage Tranny
Audiophile

Posts: 3063
Location: Eastern
Joined: October 4, 2006
The '50s and '60s, even the early'70s, were the eras of the 45. For rock, pop and R&B, 45s were the media which made, or broke the bands. When we heard a potential "hit" on the radio, we visited the record store to buy that 45 "single." After listening at home, if we still liked it after a short while, we probably went back to the record store to buy that band's most recent LP.

I believe the number of Rock and R&B 45s sold from 1955 to 1965 outsold the number of LPs from the same genres during that era. For the classical and jazz market, Lps ruled...

Since stereo Lps were "standardized" since 1958, it is surprising that commercial, publicly offered stereo 45s lagged behind so long. Concerning mono LP offerings from the same era, '58 to '65 or even later, the record companies had their tweaked 1 mil microgroove record cutter systems readily working for their 45 rpm market on hand. Hence, the delay to offer .7 mil, stereo size grooves for their mono LP discs, plus their resistance to obsolete their loyal mono disc buyers, caused the "wide-groove" 1 mil microgroove to persist well into the swingin' sixties...

 

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