JIMI HENDRIX EXP. Axis… Rare UK Mono Orig 67 + Poster

	£		138
	$		183

Hi, I am Mike, I am 46 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 33 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and ellusive items now. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirity, not just bits to guess a grade (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story - I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested reader – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic , and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please if you have quality items for sale).

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions of their intended payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions. NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM UNREGISTERED USERS, I will cancel them immediately, and sorry, I cannot give valuations on people’s personal items just for their own curiosity, no item can be accurately valued blindly.

Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert - Thankyou.

Artist or Band: THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE

Album Title: Axis Bold as Love (this vintage copy includes the very rare lyric insert/poster)

Track Listing: EXP; Up From the Skies; Spanish Castle Magic; Wait Until Tomorrow; Ain’t No Telling; Little Wing; If Six Was Nine; You’ve Got Me Floating; Castles Made of Sand; She’s So Fine; One Rainy Wish; Little Miss Lover; Bold as Love.

Label/Format: Track (classic matt black with a slightly rough finish, not very rough like an early pink Island, but definitely not the later dead smooth finish. When viewed closely (for real) these appear slightly grainy, the large silver T in Track may just bring out some detail on a high resolution screen.

Cat Number: 612 003.

Mono or Stereo: Mono (This was issued in stereo as well).

Label Condition: Beautiful clean examples that show around Moderate(-) spindle traces, less on side one. The vitally important area around the centre hole has no wear at all and this is a more accurate gauge to the number of plays. Being black this would have been ruthless in showing any major wear and more plays, this area could have whitened and even expanded on a very heavily played record - not the case on this one, it still fits snuggly to my Rega’s spindle. This copy looks far more modestly played than some examples I have seen (to say the very least). (Please see label scans for all information needed).

Country of Manufacture: Gt Britain

Rarity: Rare, and these days getting very rare indeed especially with the poster. Very early pressings are often trashed beyond use, mono copies are the very hardest to find that play anything like decent - severe scratches, sound wear and distortion being a major problem (please refer to my paragraph mono vs stereo further down to bring a copy like this into context. I am NOT saying this is perfect, but its a highly respectable copy and these do not show up at all often now. This was probably not such a major rarity years ago, but how many copies have survived that can actually play well, how many copies will simply never be available to offer? This legendary man and album have never been in such demand and supply will never keep up with demand again. Classics like this are simply better than cash in the bank, this copy is still in investment condition - all is carefuly graded below.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: 612003 A1 and B1 The subsequent digits are 1 1. This looks like a proper very first pressing.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Always a pleasure to offer an original mono copy of this Hendrix treasure - the second of the three Experience classics - they are getting very hard to find at all now here in the UK, nice copies that play well are even more ellusive. This album charted at 5 and 3 in the UK and US respectively, a hugely strong follow up to the classic Are You Experienced, slightly less demonstrative of his guitar skills but proving himself as a formidable song writer, including several reflective compositions none better than the haunting ‘Little Wing’. Axis… always features high in any list of all times greats and justifiably so. How many times do you see this record offered, just to find its been played into oblivion? Massive solid masses of spindle marks and white frays around the centre hole that has even enlarged and become lose fitting around the spindle, the record covered in a multitude of scratches, scuffs and a dulled grey looking piece of vinyl covered in a maze of finger marks or foreign debris? An album as important as most in that great year of 1967 - the summer of love - just think this record was actually purchased while the great man was still alive - This makes a record like this indispensable. This mono pressing even includes the original poster/lyric insert which only came with a handful of the very first copies (condition described later). The sound and mix on this early copy is amazing, rich dynamic mono sound that brings out alll the detail and power of this recording. The sound via vinyl for this vintage recording will never be beaten, this is the real thing, no remixing, remastering no tampering, it was produced by Chas Chandler and this is how he wanted it to sound - why fool around with perfection? This sound and mix on this vintage Track copy is definitive, sit back and enjoy it and listen in awe of the master genius that was Jimi Hendrix. – Mike.

The gradings below are hyper-critical even to the point of exaggerating lower maybe than they really are. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to say everything is near mint, but I live in the real world and I doubt if many of these will even exist these days, if they do, a second mortgage may be required especially if bought from large shops or specialist dealers. This copy is very solid all round but has some wear, most relatively minor, but collectors of these types deserve to be told everything and I will not hold back on anything to the nth degree for this rare record.

Cover Grade and Format: Outside faces: EX(+), inside gatefold faces (left) VG+; (right) EX+. Laminated front and back, four large flipbacks inside the gatefold format. Printed and made by Ernest J. Day & Co Ltd, London. No text printed on this spine.

Cover Lamination: Very attractive indeed, this has terrific shine and has remained clean and avoided any major creasing. Any present, and there are a few, are the small hairline types, mostly confined to the very edges. Virtually all are small, light and most show little and certainly do not detract from this stunning piece of art. There is no peeling or dry areas which is a strong plus. Pressmark, indentations, even surface marks are few, virtually zero on the front. There is no dulling or patches of dulling and not even a record press indentation. Certainly not even a hint of any ringwear. All laminate is remarkably good for this vintage cover.

Cover Front: Gorgeous with bright, vivid and quite stunning artwork. This has been beautifully preserved under the strong laminate. Clean and unworn this looks very strong and striking. There is just the very faintest trace of a removed tape line on the very right if viewed carefully (I would doubt if my picture has even picked it up its that faint), this is explained on the ‘Gatefold Inner’ paragraph.

Cover Back: Very similar to the front, little to fault really. There is some minor wear encroachment from the spine corners that do have some light/moderate wear.

Cover Gatefold Inner: A little more to explain here: lets do the easy bit first, the right hand inner is fine with little to fault really. A very fine scuff line near the top centre hinge is about the only minor thing here. Both the right flipbacks are superb that include the Printers credit text. Both are firmly stuck down and virtualy devoid of any fraying and little creasing. The left face is slightly more complex: This at some time has had a strip of clear tape put on the left edge, this has subsequently been removed and has left a dull line on the black and white artwork. This is not at all sticky and all the ink is still very much intact - personally I dont find this a major problem but it has to be stated clearly that this has happened. The bottom flipback surface appears to have been beautifully repaired on the last 1/2 inch (approx). The original laminate on this small section must have lifted off, this has been fixed with a new piece of clear (laminate?) and spliced into position. This looks real nice still and way better than a unsightly tear. Let me make this clear, the flipback is totally intact, it’s just the surface that has been restored - and very well too. This apart, this left side looks as fine as the right. This blemish would not bother me too much as it really does not detract and even catch the eye too much. Put this fine cover up against some I have seen and this is streets ahead, many are so poor I simply would never considering offering them. The centre fold hinge is rock solid and shows no wear at all.

Top Edge: Virtually unworn.

Bottom Edge: Similar, odd tiny chip maybe.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear. Record entered on right outside back edge above the word Hendrix (this cover is sideways on).

Spine and Text: Solid and square with little wear until the very corners. The laminate is fully intact (up to the corners again) and shows little to no cracking and all very much intact.

Corners: All show a little minor wear, mostly on the very tips - more moderate on the top left. The others only show light/very light wear. Virtually all bar that top left have near perfect shape and that’s not so bad either.

Cover Summary: A lovely item, minor flaws, yes, but nothing really serious. This vintage cover is way, way above average - I have seen the odd one better, but believe me I have several far, far worse. This should please most collectors if not the perfectionist.

Insert Poster Condition: Firstly, this is the genuine article, photocopies will be around offered as the real thing - Beware! I would grade this as around EX, its a notorious fragile item that fades, tears and creases badly if not looked after properly. This example HAS been mounted and this is where the relatively minor damage lies, on the edges and corners. Take away the 1/4 inch perimeter and the poster is near perfect. There are small pin holes around the top and bottom, but hardly any at all on the left and right edges. There is a tiny nick on the centre top and the top left corner is clipped. A tiny light crease on the bottom left corner and a 1/2 inch tear on the bottom fold line. The numerous pin holes are small and have NOT damaged any of the artwork, they fall on the orange edges mostly and again are relatively inconspicuous, like the inner cover they do not drag the eyes down to spoil this precious insert. This has a clean front and back and all the lyrics are as sharp as new. This is a rare insert, mint ones may exist but again how often do you see them? Again I personally consider these small flaws fairly minor but that’s only my opinion. Most copies of this will not even include one at all and this truly looks very nice. You decide.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Side One: EX. Side Two: VG++ to EX(-) A very nice copy with side one showing few blemishes, a couple of light marks and a couple of circular press marks (superficial and non-sounding). Side two has more marks but are mainly hairlines or very light surface marks/faint scratches. There is a couple of slightly heavier ones, but very small and any sound is light and brief (explained below). This is a very heavy pressed record (later copies were far thinner), deep grooved, that is super clean and retaining good shine. Visually, taken into context again, this is a very nice example. This I feel has not been played too many times and I would be more than happy to own this one myself.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This album generally plays above its visual grading: Side One is simply stunning, even ‘EXP’ plays well with its very quiet intro, any faint surface sound here is virtually all there is on the whole side. Side two again plays generally well, there are a couple of sounds on the run in groove and a couple of lightish ticks as the music starts, but the music obscures most all. There is the odd sporadic light tick on tracks one and two, again few on the actual music areas. From there after just about all plays to the stunning standards of side one. Obviously the odd mark does pick up, but most marks are simply ignored by a modern thin stylus that penetrates deep into these deep vintage grooves and the lush mono sound absorbs most of anything unwanted. My Rega 3 deck tracked this album effortlessly and quite honestly this sounds quite magnificent. Surface and needle sounds were almost conspicuous by their absence, this is a stunning pressing. The hugely important factor, and I cannot emphasise this enough, is this record plays with NO distortion or sound degrading. NO high frequency clipping, resonance or crackle that blights many vintage mono classics like this. In other words there is NO groove-wear and that is so important for the enjoyment of this recording. Yes the odd tick but how many mono copies this age (or stereo come to that) will play CD quiet? - answer: few, if any. This is a lovely copy and the sounds embedded in these vintage grooves will rarely be found much cleaner or clearer. Such is the quality of the sound and production any minor blemishes are almost inconsequential - the music simply takes over. Both mixes are essential of course, but the mono is very special as it was not available for so long and remains more unique. I feel sure most collectors would treasure this copy, its NOT perfect, but it sets a very high standard and this can be enjoyed on any quality deck with utmost confidence. Like the cover, perhaps not for the perfectionist who cannot tolerate any small blemish, but in the real world this will be quite hard to beat. I would rather have the odd light tick rather than any distortion of sound degrading, that for me is close to intolerable if excessive. The guitars, cymbals and vocals are all totally ‘in focus’, the bass notes are tight and crisp. All frequencies pin sharp and this rates highly with me. I hope my paragraph below puts a record like this into perspective more fully.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: A quality copy, some modest visual blemishes and one or two minor audable ones also (a few light ticks, mainly one-offs - the first few revs on side two is the worst bit, and that’s not so bad really), but a fine item and getting so rare now. Even one ‘drop’ of the heavy arm or knock from a Dansette could cause a jump or stick on any record, this has avoided any serious major misdemeaour. This will be an investment, the poster alone makes this special. Probably only one in 20 first pressings include this these days (a conservative estimate). As stated it only came with some early copies, not all, and how many have been lost, destroyed, or written off? This one has its blemishes with several small pin holes but looks great. I emphasise my pictures are exactly as seen, I do not enhance or tweak with digital programes, what you see is what you get. I feel I have gone as far as I can with the details - this record’s importance justifies it. I enjoyed hearing this again in mono, I hope the winning bidder does too. Any other questions, please ask – Mike.

Payment Details please read carefully:

UK First Class: = £2.50; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £4.00 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £6.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Doubles add extra £1, triples add extra £2. Box sets add extra £3 (£4 overseas and Europe)

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do not profit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken out of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be given.

I accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders own risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear if any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.