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The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers MFSL Vs 2010 Remaster Vs London Years SACD versions of Brown Sugar

Ron13a

Ron13a

Revolver of Vinyl
Okay, I just received in the mail a near mint MFSL of Sticky Fingers. I know that there are MANY out there unhappy with this pressing, but I am sometimes guilty of not believing **** stinks until having deeply buried my nose in it. :( Anyway, I looked it over under a bright light and it was indeed in great condition. I placed the stylus on track 1 side 1, Brown Sugar and was immediately stunned by distortion in the right channel tweeter. The guitar intro had a distortion in the highs which generally suggests a damaged tweeter. I FREAKED for a second thinking that the tweeter in my right JBL L112 Century II was blown. Standing centered in the sweet spot it's not very noticeable, but with my ear a foot from the right tweeter, it is clearly there, the distortion I mean. I took the record to my #2 system and heard the same distortion again in the right channel. I got my SACD of the London Years disc 3 out, it had Brown Sugar on it and played it. No distortion in the intro. Hmmm. I then got out my 2010 remastered Sticky Fingers from the 1971-2005 box set and once again, no distortion. So, my question is this, what is going on here? Is this a defect on this one particular record that is not common to this pressing? Is it common on all pressings of MFSL Sticky Fingers? Is the record damaged in such a way that I can't see the damage? The record looks near mint. It's slightly bass heavy, which is consistent with the typical complaints regarding this pressing, but I have yet to hear anyone gripe about the distortion on the beginning of Brown Sugar that I am hearing. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

If any of you have an MFSL copy of Sticky Fingers, please play the first few seconds of Brown Sugar with an ear near the right tweeter then do the same with a different pressing. Do you hear a difference?
ARRGGG!
I'm losing it here!
Oh Lord, make the pain stop!!!!!
WHY?!? Why does this pain plague me so?
Your humble servant needs to know.
Was this a dirty trick played by a mischievous employee at Mobile Fidelity?
Do I simply have a defective copy?
These questions torment me!!!!

Umm, okay, I'm going to take a pill and relax now.

Any information would be appreciated.
 
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This track starts with the guitar in one channel and an 'echo' of it in the other.

The distortion is on the 'echo' side channel/speaker and is not just a vinyl thing.

I hear it on the SHM-SACD that I have as well.
 
Oh no, I'm not talking about the echo, I'm taking that into account. This is a grating distortion that sounds like a bad tweeter and ONLY on the MFSL, not on the 2010 vinyl or the SACD. It is pronounced on the MFSL I have.

*Earlier I stated left channel, I meant right channel. Sorry.
 
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It's almost like static or as if the speaker were laying on it's back and there was a little bit of sand sitting on the dome of the tweeter rattling with the vibration.
 
Ron13a said:
Oh no, I'm not talking about the echo, I'm taking that into account. This is a grating distortion that sounds like a bad tweeter and ONLY on the MFSL, not on the 2010 vinyl or the SACD. It is pronounced on the MFSL I have.

*Earlier I stated left channel, I meant right channel. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Yes, like I said the distortion I hear on my SHM-SACD is on the channel w the 'echo' guitar - crackly as if the tweeter is bad, but not the main channel with the guitar.

Welcome to the gritty, grungy sound the Stones wanted...kinda like the note on the label of The Who's Live at Leeds:
"Crackling noises ok. Do NOT correct." :p
 
Thanks Erik. The distortion is coming from the right channel with the main guitar, not the left with the echo. I think that on the SACD and 2010 remaster that this "effect" was diminished.
I appreciate knowing that there was a sticker explaining the distortion. That said, I am getting it in the channel with the main guitar line, not the one with the echo. Thanks for the pics exhippy!!!!
 
SF was recored "hot." "Brown Sugar" is notoriously smeared and distorted. But the guitar in the left channel should not sound like a blown tweeter. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the sound you are hearing is the occasional sizzle that I've heard on a few other Mofi LPs from that era. Aja, for example. Mofi LPs from the 70s were EQ'd just a bit (gentle smiley face). But, generally, they are fun listens. I love DSotM and Some Girls.

Currently for SF, I have the SHM-SACD, CBS CD, UK Virgin CD, Universal "Deluxe" remaster (w/ the Leeds show), Original UK LP, early UK LP (best version), US "MO" west coast LP (also the best, depending on the day), and two later COC versions of the LP, including my older sister's copy with her name written on the cover. I've had the original WG LP (great), original Japanese LP (missing the Mojo, but "Morphine" sound great), and the Mofi, but traded those away.

If someone who currently has the Mofi SF gives it a listen, I bet the sizzle is there. I'm not going to sleep until we get a definitive answer.:smoke:
 
image.jpeg I just gave mine a listen using my new AKG K712 phones, and I also heard a crackle in the left channel during guitar intro.
 
i just tried digital versions - 1. 320kb mp3 through Chord mojo dac to Grado sr80e and then a flac at 768 to the dac and same phones. No right channel distortion in either but both versions you get the scratchy echo on left side as mentioned above. How do the acoustic guitar chords and marimba sound on your pressings out of the right channel?
 
KeninDC, SIZZLE!!!!! That's the word I was searching for, SIZZLE! It's in the right channel in the main guitar part, not the left with the echo. It's a freakin sizzle!!!! The sizzle is NOT on the SACD or the 2010 remaster!
 
Okay, on some versions the main guitar is on the right with the echo and acoustic on the left. In others it the main guitar on the left and the echo and main on the right. This is confusing.
However, I will state again the sizzle for me is on the main guitar, not the other side with the echo. I am not talking about that sound on the side with the echo. It's on the side with the main guitar.
 
This is a comedy of errors on my part. I was in stereo reverse on my pre. No wonder I heard the main guitar on the right when everyone else heard it on the left.
 
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