Led Zeppelin 11

I was able to find pressings better than hot stampers.  The LZII is a sore spot for me as I paid big bucks for a hot stamper after Tom saying it was nearly impossible to find a RL copy in good condition which I then debunked when I bought a nice RL copy on Ebay for something like $200 that absolutely eclipsed the hot stamper version.  It was superior in every way especially in bass and dynamics.  The impact was something else.  I eventually stopped buying hot stampers and found my own for a fraction of the price.

 

$200 is a very fair price for hot stamper quality. Better Records prices are too rich for my blood.

@rlawry  how do you plan on finding your own hot stampers? Are you going to rely on descriptions of used records? You'll end up buying multiple copies.

I have a Presswell copy with narrow deadwax on side 2 that is Mint-[I have several period copies including the old Mofi]; the Monarch is supposed to be the "bomb" but I don’t know if there are any white label promos pressed by Monarch. They changed the mastering pretty fast, though by standards of the industry, they pressed a ****load before they changed the mastering.

The UK plum (by definition, early) is equally bass-y but doesn’t have the high frequencies of the RL.

As to Better Records, no comment. :)

I have a copy of Free’s Tons of Sobs from them and it is the best sounding among three copies here, though I don’t have a first. (bullseye pink).

I no longer collect records as I now listen to streamed digital files through my headphones.  There, I said it.  It is most cathartic to finally come out as I never, ever thought I would trade LPs for digital, but here we are.

I collected records for 50 years and learned through Tom Port's hot stampers and others some of the tricks in finding the best pressings, at least the ones most likely to enter into shootouts.  Things like determining who the parent record company, the country of origin, the usual best-sounding pressings for a certain label, etc.  There were prior existing rules of thumb that didn't often work like getting pressings from the country of the artist; it was more important to determine the parent record company and get pressings from the country headquartering that record company as they were more likely to manage the mastering there and used the highest generation mother stampers for pressing there.  Also, to look in the deadwax and find an imprint of the top mastering houses like Sterling Sound or The Mastering Lab.  Things like that.  

Now with digital I don't worry about that stuff.  I think I have about 150 Better Records hot stampers and 350 that I did myself.  The only question is what to do with them, maybe sell them or hang on to them.

YYAAAAAWWNNN..........

What a boring thread.  Mainly about spelling of paltry and how to write Led Zep Two - there that's clear now.  The Roman empire ended about 17 long centuries ago.

On the spelling, most people can't do it as it's not taught in schools any more.  I care about that but I don't obsess.

Led Zep are about the most over-rated band ever anyway.  I wouldn't want to spend $2.45 on their disc.  There.  Some else to fill this thread with.

Who are you, clearthinker? A former troublemaker who has returned with a new handle? 🥴

@rlawry , some good tips, thanks. I've been all digital for a few years and am returning to vinyl.