Vinyl pressings
by Béla Bartók · 1965
The Six String Quartets was first pressed on vinyl in 1965. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
3 pressings came out in 1965, 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.
o XXLP-78820-1A 1 p C2Runout side A
o XXLP-78821-1A 1 p C1Runout side B
o XXLP-78822-2B 1 p A1Runout side C
o XXLP-78823-2B 1 p A4Runout side D
XXSM-78826-1E pSide A runout
XXSM-78827-1ASide B runout
XXSM-78828-2ASide C runout
XXSM-78829-2A pSide D runout
o XXSM-78826-1A 2 P A 1Side A runout, stamped
o XXSM-78827-1A 1 P A 3Side B runout, stamped
o XXSM-78828-2A 2 P B 1Side C runout, stamped
o XXSM-78829-2A 1 P B 1Side D runout, stamped
Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.
By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | US | Columbia Masterworks D3S 717First yearLP, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Stereo, Box Set |
| 1965 | US | Columbia Masterworks D3S 717First yearLP, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Stereo, Box Set |
| 1965 | US | Columbia Masterworks D3L 317First yearLP, Mono, Box Set, Album · Mono | LP, Mono, Box Set, Album · Mono |
| 1969 | Italy | CBS S77317LP | LP |
| 1969 | Italy | CBS S 77317LP | LP |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | US | Columbia Masterworks D3S 717LP, Stereo, Repress, Box Set | LP, Stereo, Repress, Box Set |
| 1973 | Germany | CBS 77330LP, Reissue, Stereo, Box Set, Reissue | LP, Reissue, Stereo, Box Set, Reissue |
| 1974 | Japan | CBS/Sony SOCZ-367-369LP, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Stereo, Box Set |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Germany | Speakers Corner Records D3S 717LP, Remastered, Stereo, Box Set | LP, Remastered, Stereo, Box Set |
| 2016 | Germany | Columbia Masterworks D3S 717 / Speakers Corner Records Columbia D3S 717LP, Reissue, Test Pressing, Stereo, Box Set · Test pressing | LP, Reissue, Test Pressing, Stereo, Box Set · Test pressing |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | France | Epic BC 1364-5-6LP, Box Set | LP, Box Set |
| ? | Germany | CBS 77330LP, Reissue, Stereo, Box Set, Reissue | LP, Reissue, Stereo, Box Set, Reissue |
| ? | US | Columbia Masterworks D3L 317LP, Mono, Box Set · Mono | LP, Mono, Box Set · Mono |
| ? | US | Columbia Masterworks D3S 717 / Columbia Masterworks MS 6702LP, Repress, Stereo | LP, Repress, Stereo |
14 vinyl pressings of The Six String Quartets are listed here, from 5 countries, released between 1965 and 2016.
The earliest pressings are from 1965, in US. One of them is Columbia Masterworks D3L 317, released April 1965.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use D3L 317, D3S 717) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, o XXLP-78820-1A 1 p C2 and o XXLP-78821-1A 1 p C1. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.
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.
Concerto For Orchestra
1956 · 43 pressings
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta / Mathis Der Maler
1961 · 39 pressings
Concerto For Orchestra / Dance Suite
1965 · 39 pressings
Klavierkonzerte Nr. 2 & 3 - Piano Concertos Nos. 2 And 3
1960 · 37 pressings
Concerto For Orchestra
1966 · 36 pressings
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta / Hungarian Sketches
1960 · 31 pressings
