Collecting log: BORN IN THE U.S.A. LP ー Matrix numbers of the earliest U.S. pressing and an error copy with off-centered labels (Part 3 of 5)

The width of the dead-wax space is about 21 mm long for the early
vinyl discs and 13 mm for the repressed copies.

Back to the early U.S. pressings of the mega-hit album. In the first post of this topic, I wrote about the three features that are prerequisite for such vinyl pressings: a blue & white sticker pasted on the shrink wrap of the album sleeve and two signatures (MASTERDISK stamp and RL inscription) on the run-off groove space of the vinyl disc. Additionally, there is yet another point by which a given copy can be distinguished from the later pressings. The early discs mastered by Robert "Bob" Ludwig have an apparently wider dead-wax space compared to the repressings. This difference is found on Side One only. It is of note, however, that some vinyl pressings lack the RL hand-etching even though the run-off area is wider. As I mentioned in the last blog, one such example is the copies with the matrix number PAL 38653-3L. I don't know if he happened to forget to inscribe his initials on the master lacquer or if this particular pressing indeed is not mastered by him (though unlikely).

The difference in stylus-tracing groove length per unit time affects 
the fidelity of sound that a vinyl record can reproduce.

Dead-wax spacing is one of the various factors that affect the sound of vinyl disc; the others include the generation of master tapes used, the condition of the tapes, the mastering process, the equipment used, and so on. Given a same recording on LP format, less dead-wax spacing (meaning the wider groove spacing) seems to provide more dynamic sound. However, such a spacing would cause relatively less sound fidelity as the playback progresses and the stylus gradually moves towards the center hole. This is because the stylus runs at slower rates of speed through inner grooves than outer grooves (i.e., the circumferential length per rotation becomes shorter as the stylus traces from the outer to the inner groove of a record even though the disc spins at a constant speed of 33⅓ or 45 rpm). So, the wider dead-wax spacing (= narrower groove spacing) results in less usage of the lower-fidelity inner grooves. Not being an audiophile but just a vinyl collector, I'm not sure if my understanding is correct. The fact that needs attention here is that Bob Ludwig's mastering gave greater amount of dead wax on this LP.→ The updated information is available (10/10/2020).
— To be continued.