Roots Archives Forum

can anyone please define original press vinyl for me

also why is is so sought after as opposed to reissue

thank you

Original pressings are better in sound quality. In most cases, reissues are recorded from old worn out stampers or from the original pressing of the record that is being pressed.

Think of it this way, an original picasso is more valuable and in higher demand than a replica of the same work.

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highpowersound
http://www.geocities.com/highpowersound

Original press means the first time the vinyl was pressed, usually around the time of recording. So with most of the stuff on here that's before 1984.

It's valued just for the same reasons as collecting postage stamps (no, I don't collect stamps!). Rarity, demand, beauty, content, history, art, and with vinyl the extra bonus that you can actually listen to the stuff.

I agree with MichaelV, one of the reasons I steer clear of repressings is the marked reduction in quality that is usual, but not always, for represses.

Re-issues are different, they are newly mastered onto a new stamper usually from old master tapes.
So re-issues like those from HotPot (Leggo Dub) are excellent. Unfortunately sometimes the old tape is not available so re-issues are sometimes done from taping original vinyl. This can be ok, if the effort is put into remastering, like with Dr Alimantado's House of Singles, but other times you buy yourself a recording of a record that's nothing more than a straight take - cracks pos and even jumps still there! Recent JetStar reissues on CDs are like this.

Ites Leggo,
I agree with your "postage stamp" description of orginial record pressing collecting. I've often used the same description myself (although I don't collect record stamps either!). I too believe that the original mixes can be a lot better... and it is the closest source to the producers/engineers mixing board as the general public can get (unless you get a copy of an unscathed master tape). I question myself sometimes when I buy the vinyl repress of albums that are missing bonus tracks contained on the CD! But.. As I prefer the vinyl sound... I can buy those bonus tracks seperately or look for them elsewhere.

Roots,
Jah Chicken

original pressed records from jamaica [besides blanks] have not only a better louder sound [depends on the vinyl used] but you can tell by the touch sense the jamaican pressed labels have a more rougher surface to some degree than compared to the nowadays labels.

...and I LOVE that 'roughness' that typifies JA originals. I could easy paper my wall with label art from these wonderful items!

I would love to know if somewhere, there is a big unused stock of these original labels, Joe Gibbs, Top Ranking, Cash and Carry, etc etc...