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Béla BartókString Quartets Nos. 3 & 4

Vinyl pressings

String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4

by Béla Bartók · 1966

11 pressings4 countriesModernClassical

String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4 was first pressed on vinyl in 1966. 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 Nos. 3 & 4

1 pressing came out in 1966, 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.

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

All 11 vinyl pressings

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

1960s2 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1966UKColumbia SAX 5261First yearLPLP
1967JapanSound Laboratory Series 45cx-20-cLP, 45 RPM, StereoLP, 45 RPM, Stereo
1970s4 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1970UKCBS Classics 61119 / CBS Classics S 61119LP, White Label, StereoLP, White Label, Stereo
1970UKCBS Classics S 61119LP, Reissue, StereoLP, Reissue, Stereo
1972JapanCBS/Sony SONC 10124LP, StereoLP, Stereo
1972USColumbia Masterworks M 31197LP, Album, StereoLP, Album, Stereo
Year unknown5 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?GermanyEpic BC 1365 BCLPLP
?JapanCBS/Sony SOCM 37LP, StereoLP, Stereo
?JapanCBS OS-508-CLP, StereoLP, Stereo
?UKCBS Classics S 61119 / CBS Classics 61119LP, Album, Reissue, StereoLP, Album, Reissue, Stereo
?UKCBS Classics S 61119LP, Reissue, StereoLP, Reissue, Stereo

Tracklist

  1. Quartet No. 3
  2. Quartet No. 4

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4 are there?

11 vinyl pressings of String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4 are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1966 and 1972.

When was String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4 first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1966, in UK. One of them is Columbia SAX 5261.

How do I tell if my copy of String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4 is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use SAX 5261) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, YAX 1234 2E and YAX 1235 2E. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.

How much is String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4 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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