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Mono vs Stereo LP's

I recently purchased a 1958 mono issue of Art Farmer's "Farmer's Market" on the New Jazz purple label (New Jazz was a Prestige specialty label) The record looks to be in near mint condition and was carefully cleaned by me with a record vac. The recording, however, plays with a constant background noise or hiss. The dealer who sold me the record has a reputable history and is telling me the noise is because I need to play the record with a mono cartridge rather than my stereo Shelter 501. I have read the threads on Audiogon regarding mono cartridges which say they can sound better, but don't suggest there would be the type on noise I am hearing with stereo. I have many other mono records of similar vintage and have never encountered this before. Anyone have a similar experience to this?
jyprez

Showing 5 responses by 4yanx

4yanx
1,576 posts
 
I have the same record and the same "problem", though I don't consider it that problematic. Your dealer is correct, the hiss will be probably be markedly reduced through use of a mono setup. I agree with Eldartford, though, there are a lot of records of that vintage with hiss and they are still enjoyable. I think the key word in your post is "constant" hiss. No record cleaner will remove that, it is part of the recording.
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
Ooops, I was under the impression that the LP I have was issued in 1956, so maybe we have different pressings. Anyway, it has the same hiss. Does your pressing have the release issue NJLP 8203 (which I am assuming) or PR 24032?

I THINK that this title was released in the OJC series. Wonder how it sounds. I ask because I have a Horace Silver LP which has similar, very mild hiss on the original recording but it is gone on the OJC re-release, though the re-release is far less "earthy" and less enjoyable.
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
Well, if you're going to argue semantics! :-) ha!
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
Glad you got some resolution, there, J.
Fair enough on the pressings. Mine is a yellow and was originally my father's who bought it new. Farmer was born in Iowa as was my dad and I. They shared some mutual friends, and Farmer was one of his favorites. He swears the LP came out in 1956, and it won't be me that argues the point with him! Ha!
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
That stuff with Gigi is good stuff, man. Wish I could find more of that stuff (along with a few thousand others). As I have chronicled before, my dad lost what was then a small, and what is now a princely fortune when our house burned in the late 60's along with nearly all of his 1,000-odd Jazz LP's - and I'm talking those that everyone (mostly the rich) clamors for now. The Farmer is one of a scant few saved and I would not sell it for any price. I have spent the better part of the past 5 years finding some of them and, when he visits, playing them for him like he's never heard them before. He's cried in the process and that's something for an old B-25 pilot who's seen it all.
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