NEW! DIY-RAPIDPRESS PACKAGE: Black Vinyl + No Artwork = 2 week turnaround (no tests) or 3 week turnaround (with tests)! 1,000 qty limit. Click here to get pricing.
CURRENT TURNAROUND / LEAD-TIMES:
12inch 180 gram – approx 2 months, depending upon the specs/qty of the order
12inch standard weight (150 gram) – approx 2 months, depending upon the specs/qty of the order (multiple color variants take longer).
7inches – approx 2 months, depending upon the specs/qty of the order
Eco-Records (PET injection molded records) – Contact us at (800) 295-0171, turnaround varies.
Timeframes above assume you will have your audio/art ready within a couple weeks of submitting your order (or sooner, depending upon the specifics of your order and your desired shipping timeframe).
Orders with multiple color variants, and orders which include handmade color variants take longer, so please be sure to check the press date you receive after placing your order for planning.
*PLEASE DO NOT BOOK SOLID RELEASE DATES UNTIL AFTER YOUR TEST PRESSINGS AND ART PROOFS ARE APPROVED*
Also – please note that you do NOT need to have all of your audio/art ready when you are placing your order. In many cases where you are planning a release 9+ months down the line, you can place your order now to secure it in the schedule, and then send the assets a few months down the line. This method of planning has become prevalent over the past two years, and is part of the reason lead times are longer than they historically have been. But, it does seem to work for a lot of folks, and is a good option if you are able to do it. BUT – PLEASE be sure that you make these special arrangements with us in advance, not just place an order and assume!
Please note – while, on average, most orders finish on time or early – there is always the possibility of an unforeseeable delay in this type of manufacturing, which can add weeks (or sometimes months) to the lead time of a project. We do our best to keep you informed of such situations. If you have a “drop dead” date, there are some things you can do to insure against these sorts of unforeseeable delays – please call us to discuss at (800) 295-0171.
Also, when handmade variants, Wax Mage variants, and multiple color variants are present within the same order, timeframes can be delayed – particularly when specific color and/or variant requests are made. We need to limit the number of orders with handmade variants pressed in any given month, so orders with such variants can take a few months longer than orders without handmade variants.
Can I pay extra to rush my order? We get this question all of the time, and we totally understand why it is asked – in the 21st century, you can pay extra to rush just about everything. Well, without cutting corners, it is very difficult (if not impossible) to “rush” the manufacturing of vinyl records.
We try to be fair to all customers with resources. We also take on a lot of small-run pressing jobs which some other plants turn away, as well as offer a significant number of color options. Combined, these services do contribute to a longer turnaround overall. However, we feel all of our customers are best served by having fair access to press time, as well as the options they desire.
The number one thing you can do to move your job along is to submit all of your files up front, immediately upon placing your order, and in the right format (i.e., audio professionally mastered for vinyl by someone who regularly masters specifically for vinyl for a living; art professionally prepared with our templates and following the specs of our Art Guide). Then, stay on top of approvals. These two things can be the biggest factors in moving your order to the finish line ahead of schedule. 95% of the orders we manufacture do finish ahead of schedule when these instructions are followed.
I heard lacquers are not supposed to sit around – are mine sitting in a warehouse waiting to be processed? Lacquers do indeed need to be processed as fast as possible after cutting. At GGR, we only offer 2-step and 3-step plating. With these plating procedures, only the first step affects lacquers — and that step is generally done within 24 hours of when lacquers arrive at the plating facility. The second step (and third step, in the case of 3-step plating) can happen several weeks after the first step, depending upon production workflows. But, these steps have no connection to the lacquer, and no time sensitivity in terms of sound quality.
THE BOTTOM LINE – HIGH QUALITY RECORD PRESSINGS TAKE TIME.
You just can’t rush quality control – we certainly could ship a lot more records every day if we did not have our quality control protocols in place. However, our view is that the longevity of the vinyl format is directly dependent upon the quality of records entering the marketplace.
Also, turnaround is a topic that can often be misunderstood. If you are shopping around for the fastest turnaround, be sure you ask the right questions — how is the turnaround being calculated? Is it from when the pressing plant has your test pressing approval? If so, that can be a little misleading, because there is always a lead time in getting your lacquers cut and plated before test pressings can be made. The turnaround estimates we provide above try to factor those pre-pressing stage items in, as well as add a little cushion time in case of unforeseeable issues. Nobody likes a firedrill, or a release show without records in hand. So, we encourage you to plan a little extra time like we try to do with the estimates above.
Of course, we welcome you to contact us to discuss the specifics of your project. Email us at [email protected] or call us at (800) 295-0171.