chas_kit
G45 Legend
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Location
- Hudson Valley, NY
When was styrene discontinued for 45 rpm pressings?
When was styrene discontinued?
- Thread starter chas_kit
- Start date
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- Apr 20, 2011
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- The shores of southern CT
My educated guess would be the mid 1980s - about the time record labels were either slowing down or discontinuing manufacture of 45s / LPs.
Columbia label "Hall Of Fame" collector reissue 45s were still being produced during the early to mid 1980s.
All of those are styrene.
Columbia label "Hall Of Fame" collector reissue 45s were still being produced during the early to mid 1980s.
All of those are styrene.
chas_kit
G45 Legend
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Location
- Hudson Valley, NY
A mint styrene 45 can have great sound, very quiet where it should be, and super dynamics.
Would people agree that styrene seems to have been used only by large manufacturers?
Columbia Records of course, incl. Epic and Date
On the east coast: Shelley (Golden Crest), Bestway (Bell, Amy, etc)
In Los Angeles: Allied, Monarch
I'm sure there's more - please add to the list!
Would people agree that styrene seems to have been used only by large manufacturers?
Columbia Records of course, incl. Epic and Date
On the east coast: Shelley (Golden Crest), Bestway (Bell, Amy, etc)
In Los Angeles: Allied, Monarch
I'm sure there's more - please add to the list!
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Location
- The shores of southern CT
Styrene pressings were considered to be garbage / sub-standard to vinyl. RCA had the opportunity and stayed with vinyl. I forget why Columbia went with styrene, it was cheaper to manufacture, but I believe it had something to do with a deal for the injection moulding machines.
There are vinyl Columbia pressings, the company used these for DJ copies so the 45s would last longer. They knew styrene wouldn't hold up to cue-ing and numerous plays, so they forced styrene on the consumer. You can find '60s stock copies of Columbia, Epic and Date label 45s on vinyl, those were contracted out in Nashville.
While a perfect unplayed styrene 45 can sound great, I always prefer a vinyl pressing if a disc was produced in both vinyl and styrene. Styrene records cut at or over peak / overmodulated play horrendously (Paul Bearer & The Hearsemen). Sonics and Wailers 45s too.
Monarch only pressed styrene 45s. Alco Research had the vinyl presses.
There are vinyl Columbia pressings, the company used these for DJ copies so the 45s would last longer. They knew styrene wouldn't hold up to cue-ing and numerous plays, so they forced styrene on the consumer. You can find '60s stock copies of Columbia, Epic and Date label 45s on vinyl, those were contracted out in Nashville.
While a perfect unplayed styrene 45 can sound great, I always prefer a vinyl pressing if a disc was produced in both vinyl and styrene. Styrene records cut at or over peak / overmodulated play horrendously (Paul Bearer & The Hearsemen). Sonics and Wailers 45s too.
Monarch only pressed styrene 45s. Alco Research had the vinyl presses.
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Location
- The shores of southern CT
It's interesting to note that styrene was only used on the east and west coast in the 50s and 60s. All other plants in the USA had vinyl pancake presses!
chas_kit
G45 Legend
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Location
- Hudson Valley, NY
I've seen styrene Chess & Checker LPs, also some budget labels.
chas_kit
G45 Legend
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- Apr 25, 2011
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- Hudson Valley, NY
Were any boot / counterfeit garage 45s done in styrene? How about in rockabilly, soul, etc?
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- Apr 20, 2011
- Location
- The shores of southern CT
Can't think of any garage 45 boots that are styrene. Most would agree the first ever garage boot 45 was the 1975 pressing of the Spades, that was vinyl, of course.
The Mariano repro 45s from the early - mid 1970s are all vinyl (rockabilly). Unless Ned can think of some that aren't? The ones i have are all vinyl.
The doo-wop boots are also vinyl; I've never seen a styrene. Most of those were done at the Brooklyn pressing plant, or at the New Jersey operation, can't think of the name. Don F. and Wayne S. were among the first to do the research and buy up old 1950s masters for repressings of group harmony 45s. None of their efforts are on styrene.
Soul 45 boots vary. When Simon S. quickly discovered he could make a living and maintain his high falutin' lifestyle selling northern soul scene 45s (he made lots of cash just by being a bulls***ter), in some instances he would press 45s via Monarch; most of the time the master was created from the original pressing. Without the internet in those days (early 1970s) soul fans eagerly gobbled up 45s on Simon's mail order paper lists, and had no idea that they were buying bootleg 45s.
Other soul record pimps would do the same thing, until the more honest record dealer guys came along and began to license old masters for re-release (John A's Grapevine label).
The Mariano repro 45s from the early - mid 1970s are all vinyl (rockabilly). Unless Ned can think of some that aren't? The ones i have are all vinyl.
The doo-wop boots are also vinyl; I've never seen a styrene. Most of those were done at the Brooklyn pressing plant, or at the New Jersey operation, can't think of the name. Don F. and Wayne S. were among the first to do the research and buy up old 1950s masters for repressings of group harmony 45s. None of their efforts are on styrene.
Soul 45 boots vary. When Simon S. quickly discovered he could make a living and maintain his high falutin' lifestyle selling northern soul scene 45s (he made lots of cash just by being a bulls***ter), in some instances he would press 45s via Monarch; most of the time the master was created from the original pressing. Without the internet in those days (early 1970s) soul fans eagerly gobbled up 45s on Simon's mail order paper lists, and had no idea that they were buying bootleg 45s.
Other soul record pimps would do the same thing, until the more honest record dealer guys came along and began to license old masters for re-release (John A's Grapevine label).
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Location
- The shores of southern CT
I'm sure they were contract pressings done at Monarch (some Chess and Checker sellers were farmed out to various pressing plants to meet demand. Nothing was produced on styrene in Chicago.
Stanco rules
Mark VII Class
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2011
Mike, I've seen both styrene and vinyl pressings from Monarch. Are you referring to the final years they were in business ?
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Location
- The shores of southern CT
In the '60s and '70s Monarch produced only styrene pressings. They had injection moulding machines in-house.
Alco Research manufactured vinyl pressings. i have no idea from the '80s onward, i would guess that the same process was in operation.
The common held notion is that delta number coded matrix numbers found on 45s produced at both plants came from solely Monarch is incorrect. The master numbers were assigned sequentially and delegated accordingly from both operations. If you think a vinyl pressing is from Monarch and it has a delta number matrix in the deadwax, it is an Alco Research pressing.
chas_kit
G45 Legend
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Location
- Hudson Valley, NY
How did these companies share the delta numbering system? If they both did mastering & metalwork, and maybe other companies did too, how did they coordinate these numbers without repitetions or other problems with sequence?
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Monarch did the plating for the stampers. Not sure if Alco had the space. Whoever did the plating scribed matrix codes
chas_kit
G45 Legend
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Location
- Hudson Valley, NY
That makes sense, hard to imagine two companies sharing one numbering system. What about this quote though:
https://www.anorakscorner.com/deadwax-matrix: "ALCO did their mastering from West Coast studio lacquers (e.g. Gold Star, Capitol, Western Recorders & Radio Recorders) and produced the metalwork for the pressing houses"
https://www.anorakscorner.com/deadwax-matrix: "ALCO did their mastering from West Coast studio lacquers (e.g. Gold Star, Capitol, Western Recorders & Radio Recorders) and produced the metalwork for the pressing houses"
chas_kit
G45 Legend
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Location
- Hudson Valley, NY
This seems to be a vinyl pressing from Monarch. Has the Δ number and what looks to be a MR stamp in a circle, but wow it is faint, and I can't get a good photo of it.
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Location
- The shores of southern CT
That is from Alco. I have a vinyl press as well.
chas_kit
G45 Legend
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Location
- Hudson Valley, NY
Shouldn't there be an Alco stamp? This one looks like MR to me, and I don't see another stamp in dead wax or under label.
Also the quality of the vinyl pressing is good, and Alco pressings were supposed to be inferior vinyl pressings?
Also the quality of the vinyl pressing is good, and Alco pressings were supposed to be inferior vinyl pressings?
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Location
- The shores of southern CT
Mine has a lightly stamped circle with an A and a symbol that looks like a wavy letter s. Alco used this inscription.
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