Steve_Graham@ub.cc.umich.edu (11/21/90)
I have collected records since age 4; I have been an audiophile since at least high school, i.e. for a couple of decades plus, but I have no clue as to the meaning of the phrase, "London Blueback", in spite of having owned/seen London and Decca recordings of all vintages. Anyone out there have a TAS decoder ring? Give me a hint...
jdhill@BBN.COM (Jack D. Hill) (11/27/90)
In article <7800@uwm.edu> Steve_Graham@ub.cc.umich.edu writes: >I have collected records since age 4; I have been an audiophile since at >least high school, i.e. for a couple of decades plus, but I have no clue >as to the meaning of the phrase, "London Blueback", in spite of having >owned/seen London and Decca recordings of all vintages. Anyone out >there have a TAS decoder ring? >Give me a hint... London "Blueback" refers to the light blue that filled the entire back cover of all the London releases from the late '50s to early '60s. The important thing to notice is whether it's an FFSS pressing (Full Frequency Stereo Sound) or FFRR pressing (Full Frequency Range Recording). FFSS were the original pressings and are the ones most sought after. They sometimes suffer from a slightly bright sound due to the inadequacies of the disk cutters of the day. After advances were made in disk cutting technologies Decca started releasing the FFRRs. They have smoother, more extended highs but are sometimes a little looser in the bass. I prefer FFRRs because I'm after better sound not collectibility. The good news is they are much less expensive in the used record market. In Boston, FFSSs fetch prices from $15 - $40 while the FFRRs are only $5 - $10. A few people I know prefer Decca/London recordings to RCA "Living Stereos" and Mercury "Living Presence". Jack
johnb@gatech.edu (John Baldwin) (11/28/90)
In article <7897@uwm.edu> jdhill@BBN.COM (Jack D. Hill) writes: >London "Blueback" refers to the light blue that filled the entire back cover >of all the London releases from the late '50s to early '60s. [lots of stuff about FFSS and FFRR excerpted] Are these the "old" stereo (orthographic, I think)? Do these recordings require a split stylus? If so, are people really collecting this stuff? I have a reason for asking: recently my wife and I were at my mother's house, and I started shuffling through the contents of her old stereo cabinets. She's a pack rat, and never gets rid of anything. :-} Unlike me. :-) :-) ;-) :-) She has a Magnavox "hi-fi" (don't remember a model number. sorry.), circa 1960-1963; it is comprised of two cabinets approx. 3' x 3' x 4' each, made of solid cherry. No tuner or other sources, just the turntable and amp in one cabinet, room for LP's in the other, and drivers in both. The turntable is an idler-wheel design, and needs a little repair. I have enough electronic and mechanical background to do it. Is it worth anything? Mom also has a lot of old London, Decca, and "real" RCA red label LPs. Most have a warning to the effect that they MUST be played on appropriate stereophonic equipment... which reminded me of the "split stylus" stuff. I'm not old enough to remember that in detail (I'm 28)... am I remembering it correctly? More importantly, do these LPs fall into the collector's category? Can I play them on conventional equipment without damaging either the LP or my cartridge or stylus? [Grado ZF3E, if you're asking.] I need to decide whether to keep them or try to sell them. My mother the pack rat is moving soon, and is actually thinking of getting rid of stuff! -- John T. Baldwin | "Pereant qui ante nos nostra dixerunt!" Search Technology, Inc. | (A plague on those who said our good johnb%srchtec.uucp@mathcs.emory.edu | things before we did!)