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Zeppelin II pressings.

spaceman

spaceman

Registered Lunatic
OK, I'm aware that "the" pressing we all want to find is the RL (Robert Ludwig) with an SS, which this isn't, but I believe I have something that must be at least approaching that, in terms of sound. This is I believe a 1969 pressing, going by the 1841 Broadway address on the label, and the "washed-out" looking colors, compared to 2 newer re-issues I have. There's very little mention of the CTH on the web, but I see that means it was pressed by Columbia, in Terre Haute (Indiana). There's actually quite a bit of popping & crackling on this one, but the sound is so good, you're willing to try to ignore the noise (which isn't always obvious). :smoke: Everything I read about the RL copies applies to this one, as far as much better bass & highs, and better imaging, and I played it once, then each of the others for comparison, then I played this one again, just to enjoy it again. :music: Thoughts, input, & such are welcome.
 

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I don't remember which pressing mine is, only know it's not RL. It does sound great, you've inspired me to dig it out and take a look.
 
spaceman said:
OK, I'm aware that "the" pressing we all want to find is the RL (Robert Ludwig) with an SS, which this isn't, but I believe I have something that must be at least approaching that, in terms of sound. This is I believe a 1969 pressing, going by the 1841 Broadway address on the label, and the "washed-out" looking colors, compared to 2 newer re-issues I have. There's very little mention of the CTH on the web, but I see that means it was pressed by Columbia, in Terre Haute (Indiana). There's actually quite a bit of popping & crackling on this one, but the sound is so good, you're willing to try to ignore the noise (which isn't always obvious). :smoke: Everything I read about the RL copies applies to this one, as far as much better bass & highs, and better imaging, and I played it once, then each of the others for comparison, then I played this one again, just to enjoy it again. :music: Thoughts, input, & such are welcome.
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ALL copies of Led Zeppelin 11 are mastered by Robert Ludwig, ALL of them......Robert Ludwig Mastered Led Zeppelin 11.....you get the idea....except the CD's and remastered 200gram copies floating around for huge amounts of money....
I have one of those 200gram pressings of Coda, and its actually extremely good....

The only pressings which have his initials on them are the ones which were first pressings, Sterling Sound is where Led Zeppelin 11 was mastered by Robert Ludwig when he was a staff mastering engineer for Sterling Sound back then, he also did Houses of the Holy, and my copy has RL on it, and it doesnt sound any better than the locally pressed copy I bought when I was 15, great sounding album Houses of the Holy.....

For some reason people think these initialled ones are special, and now when you see one they seem to be worth more money, its ludicrous.....
However Sterling was a very good pressing plant, most albums I have which have been pressed there are very good quality......
The Rolling Stones Black and Blue is one that springs to mind.....

With regards to Led Zeppelin 11, I have an RCA Music Service edition, and I also have one pressed at Columbia NY.
They are both extremely good pressings and sound great, if anything the Columbia one might be a bit more linear in the top end.....I think the RCA pressing has been played more....

You can read an interview with Robert Ludwig here, I found it interesting.....
http://www.musictap.net/Interviews/LudwigBobInterview.html
 
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The thing I found interesting reading that thread is that no one was talking about the different sound of the variations, and I suspect that is because there really isnt any......

None the less it is interesting all the same....and of course with human nature the way it is, I WANT ONE WITH RL TOO!!!....:D
 
I started reading that article, but I'll have to come back to it tomorrow, the eyes are gettin' kinda tired. But thanks for posting it, there's some great stuff there. :thmbsp: After reading your first post, & part of that article, I looked at my Houses Of The Holy, & it's a RL Sterling!!! :banana: ;) I'm pretty lucky too, the vinyl AND cover are in excellent condition, among my best, especially for being close to 40 years old. :smoke:
 
Here's mine. Made in the UK, bought in The Netherlands.
It's in a very use shape but it still sounds fine some clicks but ok.
led%252520zep%252520ll.jpg
 
R-Know said:
Here's mine. Made in the UK, bought in The Netherlands.
It's in a very use shape but it still sounds fine some clicks but ok.
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Nice, that looks like a first UK pressing..............You dont often see the Atlantic labels that color........
 
R-Know said:
Here's mine. Made in the UK, bought in The Netherlands.
It's in a very use shape but it still sounds fine some clicks but ok.
led%252520zep%252520ll.jpg
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Yep, that's the one I have. Mine is not NM either, but quite nice.
I picked up a UK pressing of Beck-Ola along with it, and like Beck-Ola much better. Sorry Zep fans.
 
I believe the Classic Records 200g pressing was mastered by Bernie Grundman. IMO it's one of the best sounding Zeppelin II pressings out there.
 
LeeVing said:
I thought I had a good pressing until i found my RL copy. Nothing compares to it.
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It's just luck of the draw, there is no actual reason why a RL version would sound so much better then a non RL later pressing....

I have both, I have one copy of RL Led Zeppelin 2 and one non, the non RL actually sounds better.....could be condition, or simply luck of the draw....
There is not some magic possessed by the RL pressings which makes them more outstanding than other pressings......My Columbia pressing is extremely good....non RL....go figure, and as I said in an earlier post my non RL Houses of the Holy doesnt sound any better or worse the the RL pressing....

I personally think some people are a little miss-informed and think that the only albums mastered by Robert Ludwig are the ones with his initials on them, or there is something special and personal about these pressings.....This is simply not the case.....this sort of thing I find annoying to be honest, it ruins things for people that simply like to collect first pressings......

If you want to get into it, the best pressings would most likely be first pressings made at Sterling, because that is actually where it was mastered, and possibly, this is only speculation, the disc master would have been made from the original 1/4inch master tape, rather than a copy at a different pressing plant, so I guess you could say a second generation....That may give you a chance at something a little more sonically better than one from another plant....
But I think it is possible to get an excellent pressing from any reputable plant, especially in those days, and I have evidence of this, I have at least three copies of each Led Zeppelin album, and no two are identical.......

Anyway just some food for thought.....
 
kevzep said:
It's just luck of the draw, there is no actual reason why a RL version would sound so much better then a non RL later pressing....
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Supposedly his mastering on the original version was too "hot," and the later versions without his initials were toned down.
 
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Sam Cogley said:
Supposedly his mastering on the original version too "hot," and the later versions without his initials were toned down.
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Interesting, maybe thats why I like the non RL version..........I guess its all speculation anyway.......We will probably never really know....All the vinyl pressings I have and even on the CD's remastered or not sound like they were "in the red" on the mix buss out of the console on some of the tracks......
Maybe with the later ones they were trying to clean up the sound a bit.....

I just go with what I hear, I just finished listening to my Columbia pressing, and I've gotta say, it would have to be extremely exceptional to be better than what I have just been listening to......

Im gonna buy a few more copies and do a bit more research and see what I can find out......
 
kevzep said:
Interesting, maybe thats why I like the non RL version..........I guess its all speculation anyway.......We will probably never really know....All the vinyl pressings I have and even on the CD's remastered or not sound like they were "in the red" on the mix buss out of the console on some of the tracks......
Maybe with the later ones they were trying to clean up the sound a bit.....

I just go with what I hear, I just finished listening to my Columbia pressing, and I've gotta say, it would have to be extremely exceptional to be better than what I have just been listening to......

Im gonna buy a few more copies and do a bit more research and see what I can find out......
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From what I've read, that first version actually caused tracking problems with some turntables and cartridges. I don't know first-hand, I have yet to get my mitts on an RL/SS copy.
 
I've really heard a lot of 'In The Red' on Zep 4..It took me 5 of them till I got One that wasn't....And, it's not a 'R L'...
And, my Zep 2 Has No initials at all...Only STA 691672-1C...And it Sounds Great!...
 
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Sam Cogley said:
From what I've read, that first version actually caused tracking problems with some turntables and cartridges. I don't know first-hand, I have yet to get my mitts on an RL/SS copy.
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You know that makes some sense to me........My RL copy is not pressed at Sterling.....would be interesting to get one, I'm intrigued now.....
However Im really happy with the Columbia NY pressing I have......

sled108 said:
I've really heard a lot of 'In The Red' on Zep 4..It took me 5 of them till I got One that wasn't....And, it's not a 'R L'...
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Led Zeppelin 4 was a complete disaster, the band and particularly Jimmy Page was never happy with the way it sounded......
They were so unhappy with the initial mix and the sound quality, they packed it up and went back to Olympic Studios in London to remix it right as they were supposed to release it......
Led Zeppelin 3 is a very good sounding album, and they really went backwards sonically with the 4th album......they remixed LZ 4 at Olympic in the hope they would get something closer to the way 3 was sounding...

You wont find an RL Led Zeppelin 4 because Robert Ludwig did not master this album, Robert Ludwig mastered only two Led Zeppelin albums, which were Led Zeppelin 2 and Houses of the Holy......

The first pressings of Led Zeppelin 4 have pecko duck in the dead wax, and I have one, and it sounds awful........lots of distortion, no bottom end, not top end.....not good......

I have given up trying to find a good sounding Led Zeppelin 4 vinyl, quite frankly the box set CD remaster is pretty damn good, far better than any 4th album vinyl I have heard.....
Jimmy Page was involved with the remastering, and I have to say they did a very good job of it all......

The only 4th album vinyl I would be interested in getting would be the Classic Albums 200g pressing, which has been remastered....
I have Coda on a 200g pressing and its very very good......
 
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