U.K. pressed Deutsche Grammophon LP's...

I have some of these, the pressing quality ist inferior to the German stuff, so is the art work/cover. Some UK DG's where done in Holland at Philips. You can see this by a 'ring ridge' on the lable, typical for Philips plant pressings. DECCA had a lot of work done there in the late 1970? The Philips pressed stuff is better (judging by what I've seen)but still NOT on par with German pressed stuff. DG also pressed in South Africa and that stuff is plain awful.

Hi Pgtaylor,

a very nice contribution, thank you for sharing it. There is on 'take' regarding your 'dead wax' question:
it was done FULLY on purpose to avoid ------- INNER GROOVE DISTORTION!

As to the general DG quality, as I have most of my vinyl second hand German DG (can't speak for French, never seen one ever). DG even had stuff pressed in in old Rodesia (South and North) Zambia and Zimbabwe. Alas not any better then the South African junk (sorry to say).

The pretty early (stereo) DG was WELL below DECCA and RCA quality. But as DECCA shipped there stuff out to Holland (Philips) it seems DG got their act together. Good example are late 1970 to early 1980 Berlin Philharmnonic (Karajan etc.) recordings, which are very detailed (too much?) with beautiful tone-colours and very impressive hall information.
Still not quite as good as most of the 2000 series SXLs and RCA Plum- Shaded- White Dog stuff - but as close as it gets and CERTAINLY better than most of the later 6000 series SXLs.
Greetings,
Axel

Hi Peter,
let’s see...
>>> How - for example - they could engage such a fine pianist as Wilhelm Kempff (for a complete Beethoven sonata cycle!) and then not bother to give him decent sound, I simply cannot understand <<<

Actually me neither! It is deeply disappointing in deed.
However, that stuff counts into 'my' EARLY period, and much of what I had said hinges around some of these.

Also, thank you very much for all your great detail. I have printed it out and will make it my study, and later on comment where applicable.

Now a bit on the DECCAs vs DG. You see, quite a few 'wide silver bands' I have, are Made in South Africa and consistently not a match to a UK pressing of same, and neither to a decent DG. So I have to make allowances and not declare some skewed opinion.

But then, one example SXL 6002 you have not mentioned it, Adam: Giselle, Karajan and Vienna Philharmonic would ABSOLUTELY support your experience with the early 6000 series, it is beautiful (alas mine just a bit noisy) --- BUT behold, those are STILL wide silver bands! You can see on the label when they started to rationalise more and more, -- and not just with the label it seems.

Peer Gynt with O. Fjeldstad SXL wide silver band is such a PRIME example. These can sell (UK pressing in good nick) for 1000$ and more! So, my SA pressing only gives me some idea why that should be.

Now look at the DG, CLEAN vinyl (some a bit soft...) pretty well finished for that period, alas the recording of these newer ones tends to be a bit 'stringy', sinuous.
But yet with a well resolving system the, Berlin Philharmonic Hall makes most always for great ambience, and Karajan not going too slow as yet, has the most delicate sound colours.

I have only very limited access to a large variety of second hand (there is very little new of all this) and so, as always, I can only comment on my personal collection. Went through 1000s of classics but most didn’t survive. What passed the filter is ~ 700 – 800 records max. I have a hard time to keep those clean and listening to as it is.

I do clean them with my Hannl MERA, which is doing a great job and plenty of them need repeat cleaning until found fit for the keeping.

You also mention Argo. Well, the ones I found this far didn’t make it. My impression is they are a bit like Angel --- some really nice but VERY variable. DG might not always be tops – BUT I think they are pretty consistent (the Made in Germany stuff).

Now, Bartok, Khachaturian, and I’m looking in vain for your mentioning Stravinsky, but never mind Schoenberg. These are pretty less distributed composers and I do hardly get any ever. In fact, just to get a good Respihgi of his Fountains and Pines of Rome is nigh impossible (I’m still looking, and not for Muench with the Bostons either)

I do get lucky once in a while and got Chabrier on that famous London pressing, and Falla SXL’s but it’s neither my main listening taste nor is their much second hand about.

That Chabrier CS 6438 with Ansermet (one of my favourite conductors) in considered by some as ‘Listening for the Gods’! I wouldn’t go that far, but it is a prime example of excellent recording craft.

Now to the vinyl:
>>> The question of where the records were (mastered and) pressed is distinctly secondary. <<<
I wish I could agree, but a CAN NOT! It does depend where you are living I guess. But ANY 3rd-word pressings from USSR, SA, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Zambia, et al are just BAD QUALITY.
I have never (repeat never) as yet found even a DG pressed in SA that is acceptable, never.
Sorry, but they are rubbish. The East-Block stuff is a bit better, funny enough some recordings are surprisingly good, the pressings are not to my standard, they were shoddy, the lot of them, and just by degree some a bit better.
In closing you mention “first pressing” yeah, well I could add some of mine, like if the template is ‘run-in’ it gets even better and such. My point, I can’t get any, other than by some major 'accident', and I’m not crazy or well healed enough to consider fishing for such, and paying big sums of money for them.

So, I will now go on an study some of your other detail, and as I find food for comment will let you know.
Thank you for sharing,
Axel

Peter,
just listening to David & Igor Oistrach doing;
A side, Max Bruch: Konzert fuer Violine & Orchter Nr.1 g-moll op. 26
B side, Ludwig van Beethoven: Romanzen fuer Violine & Orchter Nr. 1 G-dur op.40 Nr.2 F-dur op.50
Now this would be an example of what you had mentioned about the early DG, as in fact it was DGG then (Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft) the last G... got dropped some where in the very late 70s or very early 80s, you might have the detail.
This is a very beautiful rendition (I'm not a classically trained person, but I have ears..) and the two father and (I guess) son are on the cover. This record is a MUST, I say.
Number: STEREO 135039

Whilst I'm talking... I was curious about what cartridge tonearm combination you use, may I know?

In fact if you mentioned some very nice Moving Magnet Cart. I not even be surprised at all.
Greetings,
Axel