Yes, certain brands seem to be better than others. It's probably more the formulation than actual thickness that causes good or badly manufactured albums.
The audiophool pressings are usually 180 or 200 gram - you pay for it, but they generally sound quieter. The deeper grooves wear less over time and they are cut more prudently - likely with lesser speeds of the cutting lathe that carves them out.
Don't get all hung up about vinyl quality - go get a vacuum record cleaner and LAST Record Preservative and take your shots like the rest of us. It's hit or miss as new albums are scarce and pricey at $30+.
I have found that the pressings before about 1965, which are uniformly thick, generally are made of some compound back then that was very noisy. It was made worse by conical and often heavy tracking forces of that day. So, I avoid these (used) albums as they invariably are putrid sounding. You might want to as well.
I'm sure there will be others chiming in, as well, on this subject - so don't let mine be the be-all and end-all word on this
Welcome back, err, home to where music thrives - vinyl
