What Does First Press Vinyl Mean

Reissues is a recurrent topic among vinyl junkies.

What does first press vinyl mean.

The definition of a first pressing or pressed vinyl record is a record that was pressed from the 1st original masters. Knowing how lp s are printed and distributed can make the difference between paying far too much for a second or third pressing of a recording or selling a very valuable first pressing for far too little. Though these numbers were originally intended for internal use by a record pressing plant you can use them to find out information about the particular edition of a record. They require information on how vinyl lp s are made and distributed and an exhaustive knowledge of music in general.

For instance a matrix number can identify a first pressing of an lp. This doesn t always apply of course but it is an important point because many people loose the point that at 1st pressing doesn t have to mean 1st issue. They are produced in small quantities usually under five copies to evaluate the quality of the disc before mass production begins. Such a record may be significantly more valuable than subsequent editions.