Warped Records

Last weekend i purchased Action Action Action by Jackie McClean a Blue Note re-issue and it was warped. I will return it. Side two was very quite but side one had surface noise and i even cleaned the record. I'm beginning to think that there is no quality control out there. It seems it might be a situation that they are trying to maximize their profit margin. I wonder if the place we are buying them from can even return them to the manufacture. If they can't then it is pure profit because what goes out the door is sold and can't be returned. Toward the end of mass producing records venders had to eat the record if it was returned to them. You don't need quality control if it can't be returned. But in the end they will stop making them because WE will stop buying them thus pushing the cost of primo mint used vinyl even higher.

I received a copy of David Crosby's "If I Could Only Remember My Name" from Classic the other day. If I plugged up the spindle hole, I could eat soup off of side 2. Severely dished.

I have no idea what this would do to an LP, but I use get some of those large 12" video laser-discs that would skip because the disc was too warped.

I would warm them ever so very slightly in the oven and then place them between two flat surfaces until they cooled.

Worked like a charm whether a wavy warp or dish-like.

You could experiment with a warped LP you don't care about to see if it will straighten the LP without ruining the grooves. I don't remember what temperature I used, but you must not melt the plastic even slightly. I'd guess 100 degrees Farenheit. Use a thermometer; don't trust the oven knob setting. Laser-discs were easier because it was just the clear plastic covering the metal disc inside with the digital information.

My luck has been better the 180G and 200G records (Led Zeppelin, CS&N, Jimi Hendrix, Doors, CCR, Pink Floyd, YardBirds, etc.) that I purchased at Elusive Disc, Music Direct and Acoustic Sounds have all been warp free, I have had some surface noise, I always clean my albums before playing to clean off the mold release, that helps, but I think some of the surface noise is bits of vinyl left in the grooves and after the first playing most of the pops and clicks go away.

Now the lighter records (standard?) I have had some problems with warps, but they seem to play OK, not any wow or flutter that I can hear and no skips.

Jeff