The Black Ring: Fake Frails

Navigation:

1. About the Album
2. Liner Notes & Lyrics
3. The Missing Jar: Matt Bronleewe
4. The Black Ring: Fake Frails
5. Media

THE BLACK RING: FAKE FRAILS

In the late 90s and early 2000s, Jars of Clay’s popularity could be measured by the selling price of rare and out-of-print memorabilia on eBay. Special releases like the Seatbelt Tuba edition of Much Afraid went for $20-50, while even more obscure releases like Front Yard Luge sold for $200! But for all the money being spent on t-shirts, posters, singles, and other rarities, it paled in comparison to what people were willing to spend on Frail.

Limited to only 1,500 copies, Frail was – and still is – the holy grail of Jars of Clay collectibles. Superfans would actively browse eBay for new listings, oftentimes paying super prices along the way. Unfortunately, due the popularity of this item, sellers from Hong Kong, Indonesia, and other locations took it upon themselves to begin selling bootleg copies of Frail on eBay. Over the years, Jars of Clay’s fans have done their best to root out these fakes, and we’ve compiled a list of known attributes that can help someone verify that their copy is genuine.

If you’re interested in purchasing a copy of Frail for yourself, we’ve created this guide to help steer you in the right direction.

WHAT WE KNOW: AUTHENTIC FRAILS

• Limited to 1,500 copies (One 1,000 count pressing and a later 500 count pressing, both handled by by Disc Makers)
• Factory-pressed replicated discs (i.e. silver discs, not duplicated CD-Rs)
• Discs include an inner-ring CD matrix: DIDX 021227 (visible on front and back)
• Monochrome (black ink only) printing on disc and inserts

WHAT WE KNOW: FAKE FRAILS

The most well-known Frail bootleg is called a “Black Ring” Frail, named for the black ring that circles the jar logo printed on the disc. While fans have long debated the authenticity of the black ringed discs, lead singer Dan Haseltine confirmed that they are “frauds” in this forum post. Additional differences between authentic and fake versions of Frail noted below.

• The “Black Ring” fake is a factory-pressed replicated disc (i.e. silver disc)
• The “Black Ring” fake does not include the DIDX 021227 matrix; rather, it reads “CHRISTIAN CD 021227” on the underside of the disc only
• The “Black Ring” fake includes various printing errors (see images below)
• Duplicated CD-Rs are always 100% fake

COMPARISON OF AUTHENTIC FRAIL AND “BLACK RING” FAKE

AUTHENTIC FRAIL	“BLACK RING” FAKE
no black ring CD matrix: DIDX 021227 sharp and defined text black ink feels raised	black ring surrounding jar logo missing CD matrix text is blurred black ink feels raised
jagged edges in jar logo sharp and defined text	jar logo missing detail, rounded edges text is blurred
sharp and defined text	text is blurred different font (e.g. “R”)
DIDX 021227	no CD matrix upper-left jar logo doesn’t connect blank where CD matrix should be
factory-pressed disc mirror-image of front CD matrix	factory-pressed disc different CD matrix
CD booklet uses half-tone (black and white) printing sharp and detailed	booklet has green hue due to RGB printing full of artifacts
no artifacts sharp and detailed	different print pattern coloured artifacts
sharp image sharp and defined text	RGB printing method top-left corner missing part of image

Please note that while none of this information is 100% validated, it is accepted by the community as generally trustworthy. Some fans believe that the “black ring” Frails are authentic copies from the album’s second pressing. Please do your research, and spend your money at your own risk! Remember, you can always download a free copy of the album right here on Jarchives.

A majority of the content from this page comes from Jarchives forum member David (stand_1998). His original “Frail” CD Authenticity Guide can be found here.