LED ZEPPELIN III 3 1970 UK PLUM ATLANTIC TRUE 1st PRESS A5/B5 PHENOMENAL AUDIO!

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Description

The records I offer for sale are from my extensive personal collection of 1960s and 1970s albums which I have built up over the last four decades. During that time I have added duplicate copies of some of my favourite albums to my collection. I've always sought out the very best copies available as I am very particular about the records that I own. Storage space limitations dictate that the time has come for me to pass on a few of these choice albums in order to downsize my collection.

It's my pleasure to offer for sale a genuine first press copy of Led Zeppelin's iconic third studio album, simply titled Led Zeppelin III, Catalogue Number 2401002. It's a 1970 UK first pressing on the plum & orange Atlantic record label with an E. J. Day fully-laminated gatefold sleeve which has a fully-functional rotating wheel. [The record labels have the earliest "Executive Producer: Peter Grant" credit which was removed soon after the initial release. The etched record matrix numbers are the earliest 2401002 A5 and 2401002 B5. "Do what thou wilt" and "So mote it be" are also etched in the run-outs of Sides One and Two respectively].

The gatefold sleeve is in EX condition with just light signs of wear and a few tiny laminate creases near the edges. The rotating wheel is properly mounted on its pivot and spins freely. The front and back covers are unmarked only minor age discoloration to the white sections. The back cover has a couple of horizontal wrinkles as is often the case with this particular sleeve and a small spot-type mark near the top right corner. The opening gatefold spread is pristine. The spine is solid with all text clearly legible. Overall it's a very well preserved example of this iconic sleeve. Please study the supersize photos carefully as they form an important part of the item description.

The solidly pressed record retains much of its original shine and rotates evenly on the turntable. Visually it's a difficult one to grade as in addition to a few superficial sleeve-removal/rub type surface marks, there are a couple of obvious but purely cosmetic rub type surface marks on the Side One playing surface (see close-up photos). I'm pretty sure that these have been caused during long-term storage by pressure from creases in the poly-lined inner sleeve. The plum & orange Atlantic labels are unmarked with just some spindle traces near the centres. There is minimal wear to the spindle hole. Both sides play excellently throughout with barely any discernible deterioration in sound quality and a minimum of unwanted noise. The sound quality is nothing short of sensational - very powerful, dynamic and vibrant with incredible bass. It really does play to a very high standard which I'm confident will not disappoint.

The white poly-lined inner sleeve, date coded "07 70" has some creasing and age discoloration but no splits or tears.

Overall this is a highly desirable true first press copy of Led Zeppelin's brilliant third album which will make a fine addition to any record collection.

GRADINGS

The records that I offer for sale have been critically play-graded, at loud volume, on a Pioneer PL-L1000 tangential tracking turntable fitted with a Nagaoka MP-300 cartridge. I will only sell records that play to a high standard. My grading is strict and in accordance with the following descriptions:

·         MINT- Record is superb, almost like new, with just a few sleeve removal type surface marks and no deterioration in sound quality. Sleeve is near perfect in all respects.

·         EX Record is a top quality example with just a few very light surface marks and virtually no discernible deterioration in sound quality. Sleeve has slight wear and/or creasing.

·         VG Record has some visual surface marks, but still plays to a high standard without any major deterioration in sound quality – just a few clicks or light surface sound in places. Sleeve has normal wear and tear without any major defects but is still very presentable.

     All records can be expected to rotate sufficiently evenly on the turntable for there to be no effect whatsoever on the audio playback. Minor warps or dishing will not be mentioned as virtually all records display these features to some degree and no record is perfectly flat.

    Vinyl is not a perfect medium and even the finest quality pressings will play with a degree of residual surface sound, however minimal. Where, in my opinion, unwanted noise interferes with the listening enjoyment of the record, it will be mentioned in the item description. It is unrealistic to expect a 40+ year old record to play with a background of complete silence. Please bear this in mind when bidding.

PACKAGING         

LPs are packaged with care and well protected to ensure that they arrive safely in the same condition as they leave me. Records are removed from both inner and outer sleeves in order to prevent seam-splits in transit.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE

LPs posted outside of the UK will only be sent International Signed-For with insurance at the following cost:   

EU - £10.50

Worldwide - £14.50