Why the anti GZ (pressing plant) sentiment?

[xxmartinxx]

I've noticed on multiple occasions people expressing a dislike for GZ (aka - Pirates Press). Why is that? Is it just that people find the splattery colored vinyl played out? Is it the gritty crap on their records? Is it that Pirates Press tends to be more expensive? Is there something I'm missing?

[riddle350]

The main thing that I've heard is that people don't want to spend the money to ship the job overseas when they could get it done here in the US. The splatter reason is another thing that I've heard.

[Guest genericinsight]

People are starting to hate splatter designs it seems, and Pirates Press does a lot of that.

[cactusbot]

The main reason is because they aren't American.

I think the gritty crap and how they master are other things people don't like.

Pirates Press is on the cheaper side of things because it is not pressed in America.

[cactusbot]

People that complain about splatter need to shut up.

If you don't like it don't buy it.

That's like saying you hate black because everyone uses it.

[Guest genericinsight]

People that complain about splatter need to shut up.

If you don't like it don't buy it.

That's like saying you hate black because everyone uses it.

Amen.

[Guest kylewilliam]

i like splatter, and pirates press is nice dudes. i like united personally, and pirates press tends to be more expensive.

[sgoodcore]

It seems their records are taking a ton of extra time too.

[cactusbot]

pirates press tends to be more expensive.

No way. Pirates Press is way cheaper than most pressing plants.

[sgoodcore]

pirates press tends to be more expensive.

No way. Pirates Press is way cheaper than most pressing plants.

If they go overseas, they are for now. The weak US dollar, if it keeps getting weaker will totally change pricing for anyone going overseas. That said Rainbo Records was the cheapest I found when shopping End of the Ring Wars around. They just don't do the crazy color stuff.

[xxmartinxx]

pirates press tends to be more expensive.

No way. Pirates Press is way cheaper than most pressing plants.

Really? $2000 for 500 records seems a little high. I suppose it does include jackets and shrink and stuff. I always figured you could use Rainbo and get someone else to make your jacks and it would run cheaper.

[Guest vito]

People that complain about splatter need to shut up.

If you don't like it don't buy it.

That's like saying you hate black because everyone uses it.

I think people have a right to complain about it when every record comes out looking the same. it gets to the point where it doesn't even match the artwork. I don't mind too much, but I would be perfectly happy if i never got a rainbow splatter coloured record again. Getting a copy of the record is what matters most though.

[sgoodcore]

No way. Pirates Press is way cheaper than most pressing plants.

Really? $2000 for 500 records seems a little high. I suppose it does include jackets and shrink and stuff. I always figured you could use Rainbo and get someone else to make your jacks and it would run cheaper.

Rainbo will arrange for jackets. I used them as a one-stop shop.

[cactusbot]

No way. Pirates Press is way cheaper than most pressing plants.

Really? $2000 for 500 records seems a little high. I suppose it does include jackets and shrink and stuff. I always figured you could use Rainbo and get someone else to make your jacks and it would run cheaper.

I got confused. My bad dude.

Pirates Press is probably average price for pressing.

RecordPressing.com is the cheapest, and I am pretty sure they use GZ.

[flood]

pirates are good dudes, and ive never had problems with gz.. it just does seem to take longer.. and the weak dollar and shipping 1000lbs of crap overseas is a pain in the rear

[marxcus]

I made a comment about GZ in the "Dedicated to Babies born feet first" thread - partly because I've discussed my feelings on GZ with one of the dudes who owns Deathwish before on a couple of occasions. And in case he reads this board I thought it might make him laugh.

I am probably THE most anti GZ person in the world. I guess this is because some of my favourite labels started using GZ in the last few years, and in my opinion the records do not look as good.

Two examples that highlight this:

1. The DOWN TO NOTHING "Higher Learning" 7" on Revelation. The vinyl for that, whichever color you choose to look at, looks horrible. It looks like a really cheap plastic. Not the usual quality I associate with Revelation.

2. Isis "Oceanic" or "Celestial" - the original pressings were done in the US, the represses were done at GZ. If you compare the two, the original versions look much nicer... although maybe that's just my opinion.

My personal sentiments are simply that the GZ vinyl does not look as nice as vinyl from most US plants. As a long time record nerd, it's the subtle differences that I notice most, such as:

- I really don't like the typed matrix. I prefer the hand etched style you get from places like Erika, United or Rainbo.

- I don't like the labels on the records. They're not as glossy, more of a matt finish, and almost look like regular paper stuck on the records.

- The vinyl itself feels more plastic-y. Hard to describe, but they just don't look as shiny, and feel more brittle than the vinyl from US plants.

- I don't like the square corners that the paper dust sleeves have. Stupid, I know, but I prefer the ones from US plants that have curved corners rather than right angle corners.

Generally, I think that the GZ product looks like a cheap imitation of the stuff pressed in the US.

HOWEVER, this is all coming from the perspective of someone who has collected records for about 16 years. So the US product is what I have grown up with and consider "normal". So anything new and slightly different seems to be not right. But I fully acknowledge that if I had been buying GZ vinyl for years and then everyone started using Erika, I'd probably complain that Erika's vinyl was a poor imitation of GZ for the exact same reasons.

Sorry to ramble, but you did ask.

[xxmartinxx]

Thanks for giving your opinion.

Have you noticed a difference in sound in the two Isis pressings? At the end of the day, that's my main concern. Since they talk so highly of their mastering and 100% virgin vinyl as being the best, I was curious to see if that actually held true in real life.

To restate, my only gripe would be the sandy grit on their records. No matter what they say it can't be good for a stylus.

[marxcus]

Have you noticed a difference in sound in the two Isis pressings?

No... because I haven't got or heard the reissues.

I think that technically, GZ vinyl is actually superior in terms of sound quality. However, I don't believe that this can be easily detected. I figure this theory is probably similar to the common "color vinyl doesn't sound as good as black" argument that people use. It may be better technically, but I don't think the average human ear would notice any difference.

In their defence, I hear a lot of good things about the customer service at Pirates Press / GZ. I think poor service at US plants is what drove a lot of labels to seek someone new anyway. They seem to have good service on lock down.

My gripes are only with the aesthetics. And they're not major to most people. Just those of us at the nerdier end of the spectrum.

[frank]

I figure this theory is probably similar to the common "color vinyl doesn't sound as good as black" argument that people use. It may be better technically, but I don't think the average human ear would notice any difference.

This is funny. I actually never believed in this argument that black wax does sound much better till I experienced this:

One night I listened to my (made by GZ) black and red split color copy of Godamnit Redux on my headphones, at a louder volume.

I advice everyone who has this version of the press to do this little experiment. Just listen to the record on headphones and watch the record spinning on the turntable.

You can actually really hear when the stylus hits the red part of the record, the sound gets worse. It´s way more scratchier, with more disturbance noise. Whenever it hits the black half again, the sound gets really better.

The best way to hear it, are the lead-in grooves of the record, the blank grooves before the first song starts....

Ok, I´m a nerd. I admit. But give it a try. You will be surprised.

PS: I dunno if you experience the same as me if you listen to it on a USB turntable, but if you use a regular turntable like project or rega you should experience the same

[xxmartinxx]

Have you noticed a difference in sound in the two Isis pressings?

No... because I haven't got or heard the reissues.

I think that technically, GZ vinyl is actually superior in terms of sound quality. However, I don't believe that this can be easily detected. I figure this theory is probably similar to the common "color vinyl doesn't sound as good as black" argument that people use. It may be better technically, but I don't think the average human ear would notice any difference.

In their defence, I hear a lot of good things about the customer service at Pirates Press / GZ. I think poor service at US plants is what drove a lot of labels to seek someone new anyway. They seem to have good service on lock down.

My gripes are only with the aesthetics. And they're not major to most people. Just those of us at the nerdier end of the spectrum.

After waiting a million years for the Sparta record, I'm not so sure that Pirates Press/GZ has that great of customer service, either. haha...

[cadetapplesauce]

yeah, whole "PIRATESPRESS.COM" being stamped on all the records is kinda lame..

[adamlikesmusic]

Call me a radical, but I wouldn't mind if all records were black.

I thought it was sort of funny to get that AJJ LP on black, and realize it was pressed at piratespress.

[sgoodcore]

yeah, whole "PIRATESPRESS.COM" being stamped on all the records is kinda lame..

Oh fuck that. If I pay someone for a record they don't get to advertise on my record unless they pay me or I licensed from them.

[cadetapplesauce]

yeah. normally i can't tell who made em unless the information gets out there. but pirates press.. oh there's no question in which records they press.

[thebaroness]

In my opinion, the Level Plane (GZ) repress of Oceanic sounds a lot better than the original. Then again, it was re-mastered so maybe that can explain it.

My only beef with GZ is that their color variations (splatter, haze, etc) all come out looking the same (same patterns). But that's a really really nitpick-y point and in truth it doesn't bother/influence me at all.