Beatles White Album MFSL LP new sealed

$

190

MFSL stands for Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.  This is a very out-of-print pressing from the original sound recordings.

This auction is for the Beatles WHITE ALBUM: new unopened MFSL still sealed in the shipping box from MFSL.

Not only is this gem still sealed, it is still well protected in the original MFSL mailing carton, which itself is still sealed with MFSL packing tape.  The box got moved by hand (quite literally) during my various moves and has been stored vertically at room temperature among other records.  This was postmarked to me in 1987 when I ordered a second copy as a back-up because I felt then, and still do, that this was the best sounding item MFSL product I have ever heard (and I've listened to about 50 MFSL products with headphones).  Even the volume is lower than other MFSL LPs so that the full details of the bass can be handled by the vinyl.

If are not sure why you should pay so much for this, allow me to put it this way.  There have been times when I wanted to put a song from this album between songs from other records, and I have chosen some OTHER copy or CD of the white album because the mix on the MFSL pressing has "too much" dynamic range.  In other words, if you want to hear what the Beatles heard in their headphones when they mixed this album, you should listen to the MFSL pressing with good  headphones and a darn good phono cartridge.  Somewhere between the master tapes used for this pressing and the commercial tapes that were used for creating LPs (and probably most CDs to date), some engineer, probably wisely, compressed the dynamic range (and possibly otherwise "equalized" the sound).  However, some of the "message" got lost in  the process.

It is also my humble opinion that the Beatles knew they were blowing apart at this point, and for all they knew, there wouldn't be an " Abbey Road", and so they were rightfully concerned about creating a work of sonic art as opposed to just another LP.  However, Abbey Road was created with a sense of urgency and amid the beginnings of their legal problems, and I suspect they delegated most of the engineering work to Alan Parsons.  I won't say which album was better musically, but I do believe that the Beatles themselves spent more time in the engineer's booth when they were editing the White Album than during Abbey Road, and that they desired, and produced, a sound that was “less produced”.

I can refer the buyer to a firm that specializes in making outstanding digital copies of LPs.  You might want to do that right away, so that you always have a "reasonable" copy (not that a CDR is desirable to you guys that have $10,000 analog stereo systems).

Unless you tell me not to, I will put this box in a still bigger box for shipping.  Insurance proceeds is not a very satisfying (and certainly not a prompt) solution to the problem of a box crushed in transit.  Please let me know when you pay how you want it shipped.  I prefer sending it USPS Priority with Delivery Confirmation and insurance.

FEEDBACK:  Because many buyers cannot be bothered to leave feedback, I usually wait until I receive it until I give it. However, if you encounter a problem with this transaction, I would appreciate your letting me know via email so that I have an opportunity to address your concern before you leave negative feedback. I do not believe in retaliatory negative feedback, so in the unlikely event I deserve it, I will still leave you positive feedback if you deserve it.

PAYMENT:  I will ship ASAP (within 48 hours not counting Sundays) after receipt of payment. I greatly prefer Paypal (required for "Buy It Now"). If you must use a money order, I greatly prefer a US Post Office money order. NO PERSONAL CHECKS. Thanks.

SHIPPING:  Flat rate shipping of $5 will not cover all my costs, but that's okay.  Include $5 for USPS priority shipping with insurance.

CAVEAT:  Assuming that there is no damage in transit, you are getting what you would have gotten from MFSL.  Unlike MFSL, I cannot offer a replacement if it is defective, and you cannot guarantee to me that you are returning the same item that I shipped, so I am quite a bit reluctant to offer a money-back guarantee.  The law of probability tells me that you will be delighted with this purchase, so let's hope it works out that way.  You can't get better odds than this.