I tagged along with Andrew today to United Record Pressing here in Nashville, TN. His mission: to pick up the stampers for the Chocolate Horse album, Patience Works!
While we waited, Beth (nice lady in the office) offered us a tour. Score! We didn’t have a clue what we were in for, and I’m happy to report that United Record Pressing is seriously rad.
I snagged the next paragraph from Andrew’s blog because he said it quite nicely…
“We got to see stampers being pulled off lacquers, aligned, and prepped for pressing; vinyl being pressed and finished records coming off the machines and stuffed; and the rooms where Motown producers listened to records and slept, since back in the day they couldn’t get a hotel room.”
United Record Pressing’s staff members are amazing at their respective parts of the vinyl-making process. They graciously took time out of their day to talk with us about their part(s) of the process and show us the less glamorous side of vinyls. Art sent us off with some nifty vinyl coasters. Double score!
When you’re in Nashville, please venture to United Record Pressing for the tour. If you’re in the market for vinyls, they have your back—you won’t be disappointed!
Take a peek at our phone pictures. Fancy, I know. 
Manual press.
They put such love into all their work. Inspection under the microscope; the grooves are visible on the screen to the left.
Stamper.
Display inside the banquet room.
A vinyl begin as pebbles that are melted and formed into a puck. A label is applied to both sides of a puck.
Display inside the banquet room.
Lounge area inside the banquet room. Just think of all the talented musicians who celebrated here!
Back when the Jim Crow laws were in effect (boo, hiss), Motown artists couldn't get hotel rooms. United Record Pressing invited artists to sleep in their guest suite (yay!).
Closer shot of the manual press.
Trimming the excess vinyl.
I can't remember this step exactly, but I think it's where the laquers are cleaned.
Andrew checking out the grooves under the microscope.
I don't know what this is, I just think it looks neat.
An artist hand-etched this vinyl. Nice!
Jack kindly showed us what he was working on this afternoon.
Art showed us how the laquers and stampers are separated.
Alignment of the stamper.
Megan sanding the stamper; they're fairly rough on the back.
Freshly pressed Avett Brothers vinyl! Took this picture for our friend Jase.
