News

Jack White's Third Man Records To Open Detroit Pressing Plant

Michael Fremer  |  Nov 20, 2015

Jack White's Third Man Records just announced it will open a Detroit headquarters that will include a record pressing plant.

Third Man heard about the record presses in Mexico and tried to buy them but Furnace got there first.

Now Third Man is looking to a German company called Newbilt, reports Pitchfork, that manufactures new presses. Third Man hopes to eventually have eight presses up and running.

COMMENTS
WntrMute2's picture
Submitted by WntrMute2 on Fri, 2015-11-20 16:13

Just had lunch next door at the Jolly Pumpkin last Saturday. Tried to look in the window but no luck. That section of Detroit is booming! Although it is hipster city. Found 2 new (to me) record stores as well.

theboogeydown's picture
Submitted by theboogeydown on Fri, 2015-11-20 16:23

As someone who owns several TMR pressings I have never been less than blown away by their products. And on top of that, Jack White makes the effort to produce the majority(if not all) of his newest music all AAA. The man gets it and is doing it in America. Kudos!

J. Carter's picture
Submitted by J. Carter on Sat, 2015-11-21 07:45

As someone who owns a few TMR pressings I have been nothing but disappointed with quality of the pressings. They are some of the noisiest I own and no amount of cleaning helps.

It is too bad too because as you say it sounds like the recordings are very good.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Sat, 2015-11-21 09:33
The ones pressed at United "speak" for themselves.
J. Carter's picture
Submitted by J. Carter on Sat, 2015-11-21 09:40

Even without anything pressed on them.

theboogeydown's picture
Submitted by theboogeydown on Wed, 2015-11-25 11:00

In a crummy coincidence, I just received "Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes. And it is warped, yet the music sounds flat. Maybe Jack White is standing over them with a bat as they make each one of HIS?!

Jim Tavegia's picture
Submitted by Jim Tavegia on Sat, 2015-11-21 00:53

I wish him the best as you have to love a guy who keeps moving in alternative directions and keeps the flow of new music coming. You have to know he is having the time of his life right now.

ramseurrecords's picture
Submitted by ramseurrecords on Sat, 2015-11-21 01:08

http://www.vinylrecordpresses.eu

J. Carter's picture
Submitted by J. Carter on Sat, 2015-11-21 07:48

I am hopeful yet pessimistic that this will improve the quality of the pressings of TMR. United is just awful so I can't see them getting worse.

Potty Knotty's picture
Submitted by Potty Knotty on Sun, 2015-11-22 02:07

Great to hear another pressing plant is coming on line. Hopefully TMR will up its game in the quality department. BUT!....what about those disgusting turntables they sell? How can a business that prides itself on promoting vinyl sell this....SHIT! Come on Jack, go speak to someone like u-Turn turntables and get them to make you a decent entry level turntable to go with your new pressing plant?

Rudy's picture
Submitted by Rudy on Mon, 2015-11-23 13:32

Best of luck to TMR. They'll need it. Between being in the dumpy city of Detroit and running a business in one of the crappiest economies in the US, it'll be an uphill battle the whole way. Screw the hipness factor--people don't start good, honest businesses and locate them in failure-prone areas that are historically crime-ridden, corrupt, violently racist (they hate everyone from the suburbs unless they can get something from us) and lacking city/county services (including police protection). Good way to stack the deck against success. There are so many other good manufacturing areas that would welcome a pressing plant...let's hope Jack wises up and gets some business "brains" along with those new presses.

(And before I'm bitched at--I'm a lifer here; luckily in another two years I can finally move somewhere with a stable economy, roads that aren't crumbling, and people without constant racist chips on their shoulders when we go into "their" downtown area.)

JGonzo's picture
Submitted by JGonzo on Tue, 2015-11-24 00:00

Hopefully "they" won't bother you as much wherever you end up. Feel free to consult this list to help choose your new locale (the columns are sortable): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_African-American_po...

Asshole.

WntrMute2's picture
Submitted by WntrMute2 on Wed, 2015-11-25 03:43

Might want to consider Shinola, City Bird, Hugh, Willis, HopCat, Peoples Records, Hello Records, St CeCe, Brooklyn Street Local, Cliff Bells, Slow's, Gold Cash Gold, Avalon Bakery, Motor City Brewery, Detroit Distillery, Two James Distillery, Jolly Pumpkin and too many more to list before condemning TMRs efforts. Sounds a lot like all those naysayers when CDS were introduced.

hi-fivinyljunkie's picture
Submitted by hi-fivinyljunkie on Tue, 2015-11-24 09:31

I would think this is also an effort to bring business to a depressed area. Maybe there are govt grants?

macroaudio15's picture
Submitted by macroaudio15 on Wed, 2015-11-25 21:43

I was fortunate to get a relatively quiet pressing of their latest

Mercury 52's picture
Submitted by Mercury 52 on Thu, 2015-11-26 06:26

Hey Rudy,

Talk about racist chips?

I lived in the Detroit area for 36 years and was born in Detroit, worked in the Eastern Market, graduated from Wayne State and yes I did run in to racism but the racism I encountered did not even approach what I saw in the burbs and, as I can see clearly, is still alive and well.

Happy to see Jack White is making an investment in Detroit as well as promoting the medium of vinyl.

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