BORN TO RUN US pressing LP variants: Clarifying pressing plant-specific matrix number suffixes 1A, 1B, and 1C

This post represents the 100th upload on this blog in two years and eight months of sharing my views and thoughts on what I have collected over the years, mainly focusing on vinyl collectibles of both official and bootleg records (but I haven't written about what I don't own - that's my policy). It is remarkable to me (as a non-native English user) that I still continue and enjoy writing. Here I take this opportunity to thank all of you who have read and commented to this blog and those who have sent me private messages for whatever reasons.

Among 99 blog posts published before this one, the following are five of the most popular posts, according to the cumulative access number of visitors during the entire period starting from September 2014. The ranking results have revealed readers' view of what the general interests are.

1.  BORN TO RUN US pressing LP variants: the script cover (posted January 25, 2015)
2.  Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS (posted October 24, 2014)
3.  Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: THIS GUNS FOR HIRE 5LP box (posted April 23, 2016) 
4.  Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: TEARDROPS ON THE CITY 3LP (posted February 15, 2015)
5.  Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: "E" TICKET (posted October 12, 2014)

It was somewhat a surprise to me that posts on old vinyl bootleg are way prevailing, occupying four positions in the top 5 list, even though the subject is admittedly one of the major features here. Probably, this ranking also reflects the interest and concerns of repeated visitors, since such visitors must have contributed to the increases in access numbers for certain specific topics they care about. It is noteworthy to mention that, on the third-ranked post (the most recent among those on the list), several comments provided by a knowledgeable visitor, who confessed that he/she knew who made a bootleg of the post's subject, have attracted a great deal of interest from blog readers. On a country-by-country basis, this blog has been most frequently accessed from the United States, followed by Italy, England, France, and Spain. As expected, the access number from Japan is quite low until now, presumably because the native language is not used here, which I believe certainly decreases the chances of exposure to domestic collectors here.
 

The matrix number on Side A of the famous test pressing disc.
Inset image shows the enlarged "P" stamp which is a definitive
proof for Pitman pressing copies (also found on Side B).

Despite high popularity on bootleg-related topics, the blog post ranked first is on the official release subject: the BORN TO RUN Script Cover LP. For the result, no comment needed, I think. Since I started writing about this masterpiece LP, not only that particular post, but also the other relevant posts such as those on the white label promo copies, have been ranked high in this blog. Having reviewed back a series of 14 posts titled "BORN TO RUN US pressing LP variants," I found one thing that remains to be defined clearly: the relationship between matrix numbers and three major pressing plants (Pitman, New Jersey; Terre Haute, Indiana; and Santa Maria, California) back then used by the US Columbia Records for manufacturing this LP. So, on this occasion, I attempt to clarify and summarize this point.

As already known widely, and shown here previously, P AL-33795 and P BL-33795 are the matrix numbers hand-etched on Side A and B, respectively, for the early US copies including the Script Cover pressing. These vinyl discs show variation in the suffix code that is either one of 1A, 1B or 1C, and there may be additional markings such as T1 and 1S on the dead wax space.

The matrix number on Side B of a white label promotional copy
 pressed at Pitman. Inset shows the enlarged "P" stamp which is
also visible on Side A as shown in the above image of the test press.

P AL-33795-1A / P BL-33795-1A 
The suffix 1A is found in the matrix numbers for the famous Script Cover test pressing. This instantly means that "-1A" vinyl discs are pressed at the Pitman plant, because this pressing plant is mentioned on the white test-pressing labels (as "COLUMBIA RECORDS PITMAN, NEW JERSEY"; see here for the image). However, both promotional white and regular red COLUMBIA labels do not print any indications as to where a given disc was pressed. The direct proof for the Pitman-pressing copies for BORN TO RUN LP is a small letter "P" that is stamped on both sides of the deadwax. This letter is often so faintly stamped that one may not recognize it easily on these vinyl copies. It does nonetheless occur on the deadwax if a given disc truly originates as the first press from the factory located in the Garden State. Note that not all vinyl discs pressed at the Pitman plant carry the "P" stamp (it depends on in what year a disc was pressed). By the way, "P" in "P AL" and "P BL" has nothing to do with Pitman, but refers to regular popular releases (and corresponding white label copies) from this record label.

The matrix number on Side A of a regular red-labeled copy that
originates from the Terre Haute pressing plant, as indicated by 
the "T \"  hand-etching.

P AL-33795-1B / P BL-33795-1B
To my knowledge, the suffix 1B is always coupled with another hand-written mark "T1" or "T\", which precedes the matrix number on each side of the deadwax and refers to the Terre Haute pressing plant. I have white label promo and red label regular copies both of which show a combination of T1 and 1B hand-etched markings.

The matrix number on Side B of a white label promotional copy
pressed at the Santa Maria factory, with the "1 S"  handwriting.

P AL-33795-1C / P BL-33795-1C
Finally, the suffix 1C comes with a scratchy handwriting "S1" that is backwards on the deadwax. As already mentioned here, this matrix etching specifies vinyl copies that were pressed at the Santa Maria plant. Although I have only white label copies for this West Coast pressing and don't own the regular copy, I am almost certain the association between "S1"  and "1C".

Finally, the major aspects of matrix numbers for early US pressings of BORN TO RUN LP are summarized as follows (hand-etched, oblique; stamped, straight):

• Pitman              P    P AL-33795-1A      MCR_I   /      P    P BL-33795-1A      MCR
• Terre Haute   T \    P AL-33795-1B      MCR_II   /   T \    P BL-33795-1B     
• Santa Maria    1 S    P AL-33795-1C      MCR_III  /   1 S    P BL-33795-1C      MCR

My conclusions are that: (1) the number given to the suffices ("1" of "1A", "1B" and "1C") denotes the first stampers used for vinyl pressing; and (2) the letters indicate where a given vinyl was pressed (A, Pitman; B, Terre Haute; C, Santa Maria) but not specify the generation of pressing (i.e. 1st, 2nd, and so on). Thus, any vinyl disc with either of the three suffices is regarded as the first pressing, or to have been pressed with stampers made from the very first lacquer originally provided to each pressing plant. For MCR (Master Cutting Room) hand-etchings, refer to the previous posts (this and subsequent two). Note that each of the roman-number subscript given to this mark also seems to be specific to pressing plant (I, Pitman; II, Terre Haute; III, Santa Maria). Curiously, my Terre Haute copies do not have an MCR mark on the B-side dead wax.