Re: Do They Make Vinyl Like They Used To?

Dan Howells (dan1@dircon.co.uk)
Thu, 8 Aug 1996 11:56:08 +0100


I think you are right: I got a copy of "Ill Communication" on vinyl from my
local wax store and my SL1200 almost ripped it up because it was so bad
quality. Same goes for all my "Jamiroquai" and "US3" stuff. All my older
LPs are fine - most don't even have a scratch on them. I reckon this has
happened because all the companies a putting big bucks into the CD
processing industry instead of vinyl 'cause only a few buy wax now. That
sucks.

However, if you do get a decent quality record, I think the quality is
better than the older stuff, but still I totally agree with you.

Dan Howells

dan1@dircon.co.uk

----------
> From: grandblk@grove.ufl.edu
> To: acid-jazz@UCSD.EDU
> Subject: Do They Make Vinyl Like They Used To?
> Date: 08 August 1996 10:18 am
>
>
> I've been having this debate with friends for about the last week or so
> over the quality of new records vs. old records. It seems that vinyl
> today sounds worse and is less durable than wax pressed back in the day
> (up to, say, 1985). Maybe I'm just having bad luck, but I feel like I can

> hardly touch new vinyl without it scratching up; I have played my copy
> of _Headz_ maybe 4 times and always taken good care of it (kept it in the

> covers, no fingerprints, etc.), but when we tried to mix with it, it kept

> skipping. I know people who have bought 12-inches that were skipping as
> soon as they took it out of the wrapper! By comparison, I can pull out
> records that weere in thrift store condition when I got them (no cover,
> visible wear-and-tear, etc) and still play them without any problems.
> When my friends and I were making mix tapes recently, they had to keep
> stopping beause their (hip-hop) records would skip while I was able to
> make a tape of old funk using the oldest records in the house without one

> problem. It's not a needle problem either, because I'vve played the same
> records on everything from those old-school
> stereo-systems-with-a-turntable to some 1200s and gotten the same result:

> new vinyl skips, old wax doesn't. I've gotten to the point where I would
> rather have new releases on cd rather than wax, because (among other
> factors) I feel I have to be extra-sensitive with new wax to keep it
> playing. [I don't want to start another wax-vs-cd thread]
>
> Has anyone else encountered this? Are today's records made more shoddily
> (cheaper quality vinyl, bad preessing plants) than in the past?
>
> Anthony