Post Your LZII RL Vinyl Pictures Here

Here’s my 1841 Broadway copy. It’s a 1A/1A with no LW, just RL SS. About VG with no groove wear and I paid $3 a couple of years back.

 

Here's a barely played copy I got on eBay last year.


It also has the same deadwax as the other two copies I posted earliest in the thread.
SIDE ONE: ST - A 691671 - A LWP M AT RL
SIDE TWO: (narrow deadwax) ST- A 691672 - A LWP AT RL SS M

There's no inner groove distortion on "Thank You" so this record is living proof that the RLs can play clean. One time the guys at the local hifi shop spun this record on their big rig. The dynamics are almost classical in scope.

 

here's mine: rescued from a garbage bin.

one of the first records i ever owned.

 

Those are great pics man! Beautiful! I need to take pics of mine!

 

Hello,
I'm new to the board and stumbled on this thread in search about the RL pressings. I have a couple questions if anyone might know the answer.

1. Are the "RL" and "SS" etchings usually on both sides? I've seen it mentioned that some copies have the RL on both sides. I have two copies, but both have RL on side 1 and SS on side 2. Both are also Columbia/Terra Haute pressings, so maybe this has something to do with it?

2. I also have a non-RL 8236 pressing that is in the original shrink wrap (with original track listing sticker on the back), and this one has machine stamped numbers in the deadwax. I saw someone had posted a picture of a machine stamped copy, and wondered if there was any significance to it. In the jazz world of records, machine stamped numbers preceeded hand written ones (to my knowledge), so it made me wonder where this pressing fit in with the others.

Thanks!

 

Side two of mine has SS and LH etched near each other in very small letters.

 

Yep, mine has a tiny "LH" next to the "SS". Any ideas on the significance of the stamped deadwax?

 

LH is Lee Hulko who mastered at Sterling, Island, and others. He's been very good, IMHO.

 

Just scored one from Ebay for $40 including shipping! It's a ST-A-691671PR pressing. Seller rated vinyl as VG, but I'd rate it almost VG+. All that has been said about this pressing is true. Even through the surface noise, dynamics and punch shine through. I have the 96/24 needledrop of the RL and it does no justice to this record. Thanks to this forum for enlightening me to this gem.

 

Here my first copy of LZ II with RL/ss on both side. Just bought by Ebay for $25.
Record and cover in EX condition (the seller rated vinyl as VG, but belive me it is visually EX!!...not yet find the time to play it...).

It is a Columbia (Pitman, NJ) press, and dead wax says:
ST-A-691671 RL ss B 3 (side 1)
ST-A-691672 RL ss A 3 (side 2)
Hand etched.
There is an O, either stamped or hand written, after an asterisk (I think...very difficult to understand) on both sides, just before ST-A ... nothing else.

 

Here are mine!











Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, I did it with my handy.

What I've got is 2 RL ss on both sides in VG++, EX + quality. Both bought on eBay US for an average of $34 shipment included:


ST-A-691671-SP
Side One: ST-A-691671 RSC (logo) - B0 LW AT RL SS W (deadwax 12mm)
ST-A-691672-SP
Side Two: ST-A-691672 - A0 LW AT RL SS W (deadwax 7mm)

ST-A-691671-MO
Side One: ST-A-691671- MO - CC MR RL SS LW △13933 (2) W AT (deadwax 14mm)
ST-A-691672-MO
Side Two: ST-A-691672 - MO - CC MR LW RL SS △13933-X (2) W AT (deadwax 10mm)

AMAZING SOUND!

 

I just done a comparison with the first UK plum-red I've got.

I am disappointed by the result.
Here my conclusion, see post #98: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...-your-rl-copy-of-led-zeppelin-ii.84938/page-4

 

Giorgio, you've tickled my curiosity!
I've got to find a A2/B2 UK pressing. Two options: a first press (living wreck) or the first re-press that shares the same matrix numbers.
Problem: both are quite rare and expensive in a EX/MN- shape...

 

I agree with you, in a EX/NM shape are both quite rare and expensive.
I've got both from many years...there were not yet the Euro as European currency. Now, with the Euro, it is even harder IMO.

 

Very true unfortunatly... I missed one on eBay yesterday. At £27.00 + shipment it was OK but the seller didn't ship to continental Europe!!!

 

What a shame!!
Just for your info, here my LZ II on plum-red labels, please see post #286: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...how-us-your-prized-possessions.307266/page-12

 

Thanks Giorgio! It was the 2nd on your list that I've missed...

 

Stay tuned on ebay .... with a little 'luck (and patience) you can find some great bargains IMO.

Anyway, as soon as you will be able to have a US RL/ss (both side) copy, please make a comparison with the UK one and returns the result here.

My RL/ss copy disappointed me.
It is not true that all U.S. RL/ss sound better than the English ones. Mine Columbia (Pitman, NJ) press here above is not better than mine UK plum-red.
They sound alike....but I would love to have a feedback from someone else who has both ... and you could be

 

last year i went to a yard sale and they had one little table with a bunch of kids clothes and interrior junk. just for the heck of it i asked the young lady if she had any old records to sell, she said she had some of her moms old records laying around inside but didnt think anyone wanted them. she brought out 2 led zep II and a physical graffiti plus some others. bought em all up for a buck a piece. sure enough both zep 2,s are RL,s in vg+ to nm condition. very good luck at that sale.

 

Giorgio I would do a search for posts by sungshinla, he has posted quite detailed information on the Led Zeppelin RL II's. Unfortunately I lost many of my bookmarks when delicious.com moved to their new website (now bookmarking everything on Google Bookmarks)

Here is one post by him that I do have saved.

In my experience the various RL masterings do sound different. So far I have not come across a universal rule for what exactly to look for, because I have only compared two copies that had the exact same dead wax.

I will have to go through my notecards when I get home, but I believe the best sounding pressing amongst the 5 or 6 copies we compared had a matrix ending in 1A, 1A on both sides (not a white label promo). This was the pressing with the most dynamics, natural tone and well known RL bass.

One thing that I have noticed is that the Monarch pressings (this is a pressing plant) are not always best for II. This is pretty unusual, because in my experience the Monarchs with the lowest stampers for Allman Bros, Cream, etc do sound best. We compared two Monarch pressings and they fell short of the previously mentioned 1A/1A pressing. It was one of the Monarch pressings that actually sounded very close to a Broadway AT/GP copy. All three of these are very good. I will have to see if any of them were Pitman, NJ. Can you post the full dead wax for it?

I've only heard an early UK pressing in an isolated setting so I have no idea how it compares to early US copies.

I'll get you the full dead wax of my "keeper" copy when I get home. If I forget do send me a message!

 

Thank you for this feedback, very appreciated!
Ok, your feeling is that the "top" pressing could be with 1A 1A on both side...interesting. Now, it would be nice to find someone who has done a full comparison of this 1A 1A with a first UK press ...
You can see the full dead wax and pics of my Pitman copy here above, at post #61.

 

WOW! The condition of that is brilliant! How much did that cost you?! More importantly, how much would you want to sell it to me? lol

 

Anyone interested in selling a VG+ or better copy, please MP me. Would prefer the super narrow deadwax Side 2 version (usually "PR" or "SP" pressings)