Phonograph Pressing Plants Used In This Website
Details On How To Identify Pressings are Listed by Pressing Plant
| SYMBOL | NAME | ADDRESS | IDENTIFICATION TIPS |
| AR | Archer Record Pressing | 7401 E. Davidson Detroit, MI |
Founded by Norman Archer in late 1965. Look for AR prefix follow by 3 or 4 digit number unless customer supplied his own release number. Had Nashville Matrix account number 95. Still operating today! |
| ARC | Artist's Recording Company | 320 Mill Street Cincinnati, OH |
Look for a 6-digit number in the matrix which is the same on both sides of the record. It is usually followed by an A or B to denote the side. The first 2 digits indicate the year of release. |
| ARP | American Record Pressing Co. | 1810 W. King St. Owosso, MI |
In business from 1952-1972. Originally located at 1011 E. Main Street. Moved to King St. and expanded production in early 1964. 80% of it's production was for Motown Records. Starting in mid-60's, look for ARP initials stamped in italics or hand written in dead wax. Also may have Nashville Matrix account number 148. Large operation with 230 employees when it burned to the ground on Saturday, October 28, 1972. No evidence it was ever rebuilt. |
| BOD | Boddie Recording | 12202 Union Ave. Cleveland, OH |
In 1968 Tom Boddie bought all the record pressing equipment from the Kelmar pressing plant in Cleveland and installed it in his home. Toward the end of 1968 he was pressing his own labels, Bounty and Soul Kitchen as well as custom pressings for walk-in customers. His matrix numbers indicate the year pressed with the first two digits and a chronological sequence with the last two digits. He pressed records until the business died out in the late 1980's. |
| CAP | Capitol Records | Scranton, PA |
Identified as 2 letters (the 2nd is always a B) followed by 3 to 5 numbers. The first letter is the year code as follows: CB=1953, DB=54, EB=55, FB=56, GB=57, HB=58, JB=59, KB=60, LB=61, MB=62, OB=early 63, PB=late 63, RB=64, TB=65, UB=66, WB=67, XB=68, YB=69, ZB=70. |
| COL | Columbia Custom Pressings | Nashville, TN Chicago, IL &, New York, NY |
Three different Columbia mastering series are found on pressings from this area. They are: ZTSP - New York, ZTSC - Chicago and ZTSB - Nashville. They are chronologically numerical within each series but not between series. |
| DLT | Monarch Record Mfg. Co. | 4852 W. Jefferson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA |
Delta (triangle) symbol at the beginning of matrix number in dead wax. Click Here For More Info . . . |
| KB | Kay Bank Recording Studios | 2541 Nicollet Avenue Minneapolis, MN |
Earlier address was 111 N. 11th Street, Minneapolis, MN. Owned by Vernon Bank and named for his wife Kay, Kay Bank Studios recorded & pressed records starting in the late 1940's. |
| KING | King Records | 1590 Brewster Ave. Cincinnati, OH |
A 3 or 4 digit account number was assigned to each account. Found in dead wax and on label. Click Here For More Info . . . |
| MAG | Magnetic Studios | 1070 West First Avenue Columbus, OH |
Pressed local releases in the Columbus, Ohio area during the mid-1960's. Used an odd combination of letters and numbers and not easy to date or put in chronological order. |
| MUS | Mus-I-Col Record Studios | 780 Oakland Park Ave. Columbus, OH |
Musicol usually found in dead wax. Click Here For More Info . . . |
| NA | Not Available - No Info | , |
Pressing plant unknown or record is not in-hand and matrix information is not available. |
| NR | Nashville Record Productions ? | Nashville, TN |
These releases have an NR prefix on all matrix numbers. This is our best current speculation. |
| PRP | Precision Record Press | Nashville, TN |
ZAFX code in dead wax followed by number ending in 1 or 2 designating the side of the disc. In late 1966, PRP code replaced ZAFX in dead wax, frequently with Nashville Matrix logo and 161 account#. |
| QCA | Queen City Album Co. | 5907 Cheviot Rd. Cincinnati, OH |
QCA hand etched in dead wax. Click Here For More Info . . . |
| RCA | RCA Victor Custom Rec. Div. | 501 N. LaSalle Indianapolis, IN |
XXXX-1234 matrix code machine stamped or hand etched (mid-60's) in dead wax and also found printed on labels. Click Here For More Info . . . |
| RITE | Rite Record Productions | 3930 Spring Grove Ave. Cincinnati, OH |
CP- prefix on earlier matrix numbers. RITE in dead wax next to account number on later pressings. Click Here For More Info . . . |
| RITE2 | RITE House Account | 3930 Spring Grove Ave. Cincinnati, OH |
RITE had their own record labels such as Kentucky, Arc and Big 4 Hits. In the early 1950's they used a separate numbering system instead of the custom pressed series for their house labels. Later they used the same series for all records. This group represents RITE's house account numbering system. HJ stands for House Job and appears in the matrix of some house pressings in the regular RITE Custom Press series. Click Here For More Info . . . |
| RW | Richmond Record Pressing | 300 South First Street Richmond, IN |
RW code followed by a 3 digit number. |
| SHAW | Shaw Record Processing | 1914 Dana Avenue Cincinnati 7, OH |
Founded by George W. Weitlauf with Stephen J. Shaw and Herman Strietman. Operated from late 1949 to 1956. Click Here For More Info . . . |
| SO | Southern Plastics (Now United) | 512 Franklin St. Nashville, TN |
SO usually found on label and in dead wax. Sometimes the number is just in parenthesis. Originally located at 421 Broad Street, Nashville, TN. Founded by John Dunn in 1949 and still going strong! |
| SoN | Sound of Nashville, Inc. | 160 2nd Ave. S. Nashville, TN |
SoN on label and etched in dead wax |
| SRP | (no info) | , |
SRP code follow by matrix number |
| SS | Stereo Sound | Chicago, IL |
SS code follow by a four digit number. |