How to Fix an Oversized Center Hole of a 12" Record

I recently had the unfortunate experience of dealing with finding a fix for 100 clear LPs that a pressing plant messed up and wasn't offering to repress for me. (Don't get me started - its a long and frustrating story based around my need for a clear LP with no center label)

Every single record in this first press has a center hole that is absurdly large and when it is placed on a turntable, it won't play correctly. There are DJ quick fixes like using notebook paper circle reinforcement tabs or tape but since this was an LP I am releasing on my label for an artist - I needed this fix to be attractive and something I would be proud to sell.

We headed to the hardware store and a few office supply type places for a remedy to our disastrous situation but nothing was acceptable or handsome enough to pass off as a cool addition to a limited record pressing. Aquarium type clear tubing almost worked but in the end we discovered that cutting tiny 1/4 inch bits did in fact fit in the hole but when you placed it on the spindle, it got stuck. Not just sort of stuck, it practically acted like glue. FAIL.

As a last ditch effort we looked up clear blank labels from on line label companies. I should add here that they needed to be clear because the LP I had pressed was clear and has no center label so you can see through the whole record to view the cover art. We have elaborate packaging planned for this LP so paper labels on the record won't do and to keep with the integrity of the all clear vinyl, we needed to find a clear label. Anyhow, we found a site that offered a promising product and we sent away for samples. After weeks of failed trials, we had finally found our perfect fix. The 4" clear labels fit exactly where a paper center label goes and when you apply one on each side of the LP and then pop your spindle through the hole, it creates the perfect, proper sized hole. Even after several plays, the hole maintains its shape and doesn't stretch.

The labels are fairly thick so we found placing a small pin prick hole in the center as a starter hole made popping it over the spindle a lot easier but the huge relief for us was that it worked and was a simple fix. All it requires is peeling a label off of the paper it came on and placing it on the LP. Sure, we had to order them from the label place but hell, it saved the first pressing of a record I really didn't want to toss out. As annoying as it was to deal with a pressing plant flaw, I hate being wasteful so this was the ultimate happy ending for my me and my label.

Thank you onlinelabels.com for saving the day. Here is a link to labels we found to work best.I wouldn't wish this problem on any record label but if for some reason you are faced with this same disaster, at least you know there is hope.