Which labels to look out for?

One thing that must be remembered is that, apart from direct cut discs (relatively few), there is essentially only one way to make a record - stampers are made from a master disc and these are used to make records. So, one of the determining factors of quality is how many records are made from any given stamper. Another reason why the Telefunken stuff is so good (apart from the DMM technique) is that it apparently had a policy of making only 100 records from a stamper before scrapping it. The other major labels were not so fussy, but I don't think any of them made more than 400 records per stamper. In contrast, they stamped rubbish, er, pop/rock until the ridges wore off the stampers.

So, if you got a record made at the beginning of a 400 run, it was every bit as good as anyone else's. Record 400, on the other hand, might not be so good.

By the way, for lovers of thick vinyl, the old Czech Supraphons came with their own mobile crane!

 

Slightly off topic, but a current label that I'm getting a buzz out of is the French company "Alpha": they've got some really good stuff!