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Beatles BC-13 vinyl box... New Zealand??

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pedrohead

Active Member
What do you know about The Beatles Collection BC-13 box from EMI New Zealand?

I've got a lead on a set here and am thinking about purchasing it, but don't know how the vinyl quality/pressing would compare with the original UK BC-13 box. All the vinyl are black and silver Parlophone NZ with the exception of the Rarities album which is a red labeled Capitol NZ.

My plan originally was to buy a BC-13 box for the albums I wanted without having to spend years to hunt for a good original pressing (Rubber Soul thru Abbey Road) and sell the earlier records (in addition to even the box maybe) to help cover some of the cost. Would NZ pressings have any impact on the value or collectability of those copies I would try to sell vs. the UK versions?

Just want to make sure I'm not looking at a lemon here. I know there's some great Beatles vinyl knowledge here, trying to leverage some

Thanks guys.
 
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NZ pressings are usually very good. Of course if you had the option the UK originals would be your choice. I have a NZ copy of Revolver that I'm very happy with.
 
There's a guy from Australia over at Bootleg Zone (Q) who swears by the Australia and New Zealand Beatles. Word has it that the stampers were sourced from the UK. Here's what he has to say:

Apart from AHDN, BFS, Help! and the uniquely Australian GH packages, all local career releases were pressed from UK metal parts. For post-1970 compilations though we tended to do more local cuts from UK or US supplied tapes.

I spend a bit of time (happily, mind you) assisting international collectors obtain what I think are the best Aussie pressings (based on my experiences and the feedback of those who have compared pressings). In *every* instance the feedback from the collector has been that if the Aussie album isn't better than the equivalent UK album, then it sounds the same.
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Check out this post for an album by album run-down:

http://www.bootlegzone.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=22791&start=75
 
Dodog, all albums by The Beatles printed in Australia and New Zealand are directly sourced from the UK masters. We all know that. It is similar to the Australian print of Year of the Cat by Al Stewart that is in my possession - directly sourced from the UK RCA Victor master.

bhundu said:
NZ pressings are usually very good.
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Because my New Zealand print of Making Movies by Dire Straits has excellent dynamic range.
 
Cavity said:
Dodog, all albums by The Beatles printed in Australia and New Zealand are directly sourced from the UK masters. We all know that. It is similar to the Australian print of Year of the Cat by Al Stewart that is in my possession - directly sourced from the UK RCA Victor master.



Because my New Zealand print of Making Movies by Dire Straits has excellent dynamic range.
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Not simply "sourced" from UK masters, but pressed from UK metal stampers. They are virtually identical except that NZ purportedly uses better and heavier vinyl.

BTW, what's the deal with the angry face? I suspect that not everyone knows the ins and outs of NZ vinyl. I didn't know until this morning when I read the thread dog pointed out.
 
Cavity said:
Dodog, all albums by The Beatles printed in Australia and New Zealand are directly sourced from the UK masters. We all know that. It is similar to the Australian print of Year of the Cat by Al Stewart that is in my possession - directly sourced from the UK RCA Victor master.



Because my New Zealand print of Making Movies by Dire Straits has excellent dynamic range.
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Not sure how to interpret your post. 1) Your crazy font and spacing aren't jiving with the AK layout. 2) All bold and angry face comes across as aggressive.

I was just trying to affirm to the OP that that BC-13 probably isn't a lemon. Sheesh.

Edit-

Well, as I was typing, Mark posted. But, thanks for having my back Mark.
 
pedrohead said:
Would NZ pressings have any impact on the value or collectability of those copies I would try to sell vs. the UK versions?
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It seems that NZ vinyl is less collectible than UK vinyl, but it also seems this is undeservedly so. If you want to resell, this may or may not be the ticket, depending on price. If you want to listen, this seems like the way to go.
 
Two of my friends both own The Beatles blue box from New Zealand.

For the most part the LP's sound great but some sets have have the White Album cut from both UK and USA metal parts. One set may be all UK, another all USA or one will have one of each.

The Beatles For Sale (YEX 142/YEX 143) is about the best you're gonna hear it. Simply fantastic and without all the noise of used and abused UK originals. Also some of the Abbey Roads have the original (YEX 749-2/YEX 750-1) stampers used.
 
bhundu said:
NZ pressings are usually very good. Of course if you had the option the UK originals would be your choice. I have a NZ copy of Revolver that I'm very happy with.
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I have several Dutch Parlophone and German Odeon Beatles discs that I'm very happy with. I also have a UK Apple "Let It Be" that sounds fantastic. Supposedly the French discs were sourced from the German tapes and stampers, so they'd also be good choices.
 
dodog said:
Not sure how to interpret your post. 1) Your crazy font and spacing aren't jiving with the AK layout. 2) All bold and angry face comes across as aggressive.

I was just trying to affirm to the OP that that BC-13 probably isn't a lemon. Sheesh.
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Typing a message using the Microsoft Fixedsys typeface font is my choice. My initial choice was Courier New, but I do not like it. However font sizes, font colours and font typefaces do not have prohibition on this forum. If you were trying to affirm the original poster the "BC-13 probably isn't a lemon", please do so.

markshan said:
Not simply "sourced" from UK masters, but pressed from UK metal stampers. They are virtually identical except that NZ purportedly uses better and heavier vinyl.
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You have answered my prior claim, except you have elaborated that Australian prints are extracted from the UK stampers - that trace to a 'master'. To disclose the sum: there is no loss.

markshan said:
BTW, what's the deal with the angry face? I suspect that not everyone knows the ins and outs of NZ vinyl. I didn't know until this morning when I read the thread dog pointed out.
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I can try to empathize with you. Your response is quite dramatic to an emoticon aside the subject line - how contextualizing!

I chose this icon to best represent my mood when I read Dodog's first submission to the topic. An emoticon that is appropriate to the mood would have been :sigh:. Perhaps this forum needs more icon selections.

I would feel more comfortable if we could share knowledge to you in regards to the "ins and outs" of New Zealand vinyl and Australian vinyl. The artists from Down Under do not receive much mention on this forum opposed to artist from the United States and the United Kingdom, and the discussions are not common. Have you seen a record that consists of a paper label different to a circle? Coronet Records placed labels in the shape of an octagon.

dodog said:
Edit-

Well, as I was typing, Mark posted. But, thanks for having my back Mark.
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markshan said:
That's cause you're my dawg, dog!
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:smlove:

This will be the first and last time I will use an emoticon in my post.
 
. . . "GOOD VIBES" . . . "GOOD VIBES" . . . "GOOD VIBES." (There, my work is done. lol.)

. . . for whatever it's worth I've read more than once - and in more than one book - that Aussie, NZ and, I think, Dutch(?) were all sourced from U.K. metal parts.

~PEACE ALL,
se7en
 
Well, after reading the response from "Cavity", I can only think of one emoticon:

:screwy:

If you feel like jumping on posters who are trying to help the OP, mission accomplished! Always a few bad eggs....
 
I currently own a NZ Blue box and think it fine. I'd went on a search as yourself regarding it's 'bloodline' and found some good info on the steve hoffman forums...

this thread from 04' I found of interest regarding such
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/index.php/t-43214.html in particular some information from a william sheers
Despite what the website says there were 2 box sets issued in NZ. The first in '79 then another in '81. Both had the light blue box but the '79 edition contained the US rarities and the 81 the UK. All the sleeves were the same as the UK editions but the 79 set were all laminated except the white album which had an unlaminated sleeve similar to the 'mono box' edition. Some of the albums in the '79 set were '77 centenary EMI' editions, others were from 78. All have the black and silver labels and were mastered and produced by HMV New Zealand with equipment shipped from the EMI pressing plant and Abbey Road, still being used here in NZ through the 70s. They sound great! The later box had some of the sleeves unlaminated and not as good print quality, though bizzarely the UK 'Rarities' was high gloss laminate. The 'with the beatles' stereo in both these boxes sounds very good, though the best I've heard is the 70s orange labelled australian edition with the unique artwork which is a loud cut, louder than the UK black and yellow edition, and sounds amazing!
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mine is the earlier pressing, based on his information/ mixed with other digging over there...anyway, hope this helps.
 
se7enMMBsg said:
. . . "GOOD VIBES" . . . "GOOD VIBES" . . . "GOOD VIBES." (There, my work is done. lol.)

. . . for whatever it's worth I've read more than once - and in more than one book - that Aussie, NZ and, I think, Dutch(?) were all sourced from U.K. metal parts.

~PEACE ALL,
se7en
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The Dutch pressings were on the Parlophone label, so it would stand to reason that they were sourced from Parlophone in the UK. The two I have sound fantastic.
 
dodog said:
Well, after reading the response from "Cavity", I can only think of one emoticon:

:screwy:

If you feel like jumping on posters who are trying to help the OP, mission accomplished! Always a few bad eggs....
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I want reciprocity co-operation. This what I want.

I did not 'jump' on you. I concede for the time I wrote my first response, I felt disgruntled.

If you are reluctant to agreement, I can not help you.

Back on topic, please.
 
Cavity said:
Dodog, all albums by The Beatles printed in Australia and New Zealand are directly sourced from the UK masters. We all know that.


The above statement is false what about the US Beatles Rarities as i have both the US and Orange label Aussie pressing.
and it most certainly isn't sourced from UK Masters.
Same thing goes for the White album as they used US stampers (SWBO) but i will admit they do sound better than the US ones.
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Question for any of you that own, or have seen a NZ BC-13 blue box set.

I ended up buying this one and got it in the mail today, and am amazed at how thin the covers are (and vinyl in many cases) and how low quality the photo printing looks, on thin brown cardboard paper. There are no inserts or lyric sheets other than those that were in the White Album (4 pics and poster are there). The original owner inherited a large collection of vinyl and this was in it, vinyls were claimed to be (and certainly look) totally unplayed.

I'm guessing (hoping) that it's not a fake or anything. The details people have provided seem to check out: all YEX stampers except one of the White Album is US, all covers are laminated (except white album and US rarities) indicating it's a '79 set, the blue box itself is a little beat up but looks genuine. It would be a real accomplishment for someone to make a fake set to this extent, it just seems "off" in some way, and maybe just because I'm seeing 30yo vinyl that has never been played :)

Maybe I'm just paranoid, I'm just surprised at how flimsy the covers are and how cheap the prints look. The vinyl itself looks about as flimsy.

I know some people have mentioned they have this same set and love it, I'm just curious if this sounds like the same set they've got.

Any help would be great, I hope I wasn't duped here...
 
Stanton681EEES said:
The above statement is false what about the US Beatles Rarities as i have both the US and Orange label Aussie pressing.
and it most certainly isn't sourced from UK Masters.
Same thing goes for the White album as they used US stampers (SWBO) but i will admit they do sound better than the US ones.
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I assert.
 
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