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Béla BartókString Quartets No. 5, No. 6

Vinyl pressings

String Quartets No. 5, No. 6

by Béla Bartók · 1959

19 pressings4 countriesModernClassical

String Quartets No. 5, No. 6 was first pressed on vinyl in 1959. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.

How to spot a first pressing of String Quartets No. 5, No. 6

6 pressings came out in 1959, the album's first year. Compare the label and catalog number on your copy, then the codes etched or stamped in the runout groove (the dead wax around the label): they are the surest sign of an early pressing.

US

1959
Label and catalog number
Concert-Disc M-1209
Format
LP, Mono
Runout / matrix

φ JO8P-2430-2B CDM-1209 A ARC 10-9-4 A1 I̶A-Side Runout Etching

φ CDM-1209 B JO8P-2431-2A ARC 10-4-4 A1 I̶B-Side Runout Etching

Full details of this pressing

US

1959
Label and catalog number
Concert-Disc M-1209
Format
LP, Stereo · See text on the sleeve
Runout / matrix

CS209 ASide 1

CS 209BSide 2

Full details of this pressing

US

1959
Label and catalog number
Concert-Disc CS-209
Format
LP, Stereo
Runout / matrix

CS209 A ARC9110 Pete HelffrichSide A runout etch

CS 209B ARC9110 Pete HelffrichSide B runout etch

Full details of this pressing

Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.

All 19 vinyl pressings

By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.

1950s6 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1959USConcert-Disc M-1209First yearLP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
1959USConcert-Disc CS-209First yearLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1959USConcert-Disc M-1209First yearLP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
1959USConcert-Disc M-1209First yearLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1959USConcert-Disc CS-209First yearLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1959USConcert-Disc CS-209First yearLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1960s8 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1961GermanyBärenreiter-Musicaphon BM 30 SL 1803LP, StereoLP, Stereo
1961GermanyBärenreiter-Musicaphon BM 30 L 1803LP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
1961GermanyBärenreiter-Musicaphon BM 30 SL 1803LP, StereoLP, Stereo
1961UKSaga XID 7003 / Saga STXID 5205LP, StereoLP, Stereo
1961UKSaga XID 5205LP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
1961UKSaga STXID 5205LP, StereoLP, Stereo
1961UKSaga XID 5205LP, StereoLP, Stereo
1967UKSaga XID 5205LP, Reissue, Repress, StereoLP, Reissue, Repress, Stereo
1980s1 pressing
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1981UKSaga SAGA 5205LP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · LimitedLP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Limited
Year unknown4 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?FranceRicordi 30 CS 032LPLP
?UKSaga XID 5205 / Saga STXID 5205LP, StereoLP, Stereo
?UKSaga STXID 5205 / Saga SAGA 5205LP, Reissue, StereoLP, Reissue, Stereo
?USConcert-Disc CS-209LP, Album, StereoLP, Album, Stereo

Tracklist

  1. String Quartet No. 5
  2. String Quartet No. 6

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of String Quartets No. 5, No. 6 are there?

19 vinyl pressings of String Quartets No. 5, No. 6 are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1959 and 1981.

When was String Quartets No. 5, No. 6 first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1959, in US. One of them is Concert-Disc M-1209.

How do I tell if my copy of String Quartets No. 5, No. 6 is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use M-1209, CS-209) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, φ JO8P-2430-2B CDM-1209 A ARC 10-9-4 A1 I̶ and φ CDM-1209 B JO8P-2431-2A ARC 10-4-4 A1 I̶. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.

How much is String Quartets No. 5, No. 6 on vinyl worth?

It depends on which pressing you have and on the condition of the record and its sleeve. Early pressings from the album's home country in near mint condition are usually worth the most; common later reissues are worth far less. Scan your copy with VinylLens to see its value for every grade.

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