Led Zeppelin IV UK LP 1ST RED/ PLUM A3 / B3 MAGNIFICENT PLAYS NEAR MINT/ MINT-

	£		280
	$		371

LED ZEPPELIN - 4

ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE

ORIGINAL RED AND PLUM ATLANTIC PRESS

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIC  2401012
• MATRIX: 2401012 B3 (CROSSED OUT) A//3  1.2 1 0  2401012 B//3 1 2 2 
• SIDE ONE DEAD WAX HAS 'PECKO DUCK' ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX, SIDE 2 HAS 'PORKY' ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX
• NO PETER GRANT CREDITS
• SUPERHYPE CREDITS  
• INCORRECT SPELLING OF MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP (TOP)

I  WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME DETAILING THE SUBJECT OF AN ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS SLEEVE, BECAUSE OVER TIME SLEEVES AND INNERS HAVE BEEN SWAPPED ON THIS ALBUM IN PARTICULAR TO THE POINT THAT IF YOU HAVE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE THEN YOU MAY WELL END UP WITH A PLUM AND ORANGE LABELLED DISC SITTING INSIDE A GREEN AND ORANGE LABELS ISSUE SLEEVE. SO I AM GOING TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU NEED TO BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR

FIRST OF ALL THE SLEEVE ON THE VERY FIRST ISSUES WERE MADE OF A SLIGHTLY THICKER CARD THAN LATER REISSUES, AND THEREFORE IT WAS STRONGER. TAKE A LOOK ON THE INSIDE OF THE OPENING EDGE AND THE CARD USED SHOULD BE A SLIGHTLY LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN THAN THE CARD USED ON THE LATER ONES. MOST OBVIOUS OF ALL IS THE FACT THAT THE LATER SLEEVES WERE SEMI LAMINATED WHEREAS A CORRECT FIRST ISSUE IS DEFINITELY NOT LAMINATED.

THE INNER SLEEVE IS ALSO DIFFERENT, AND IS VERY EASY TO TELL APART FROM ANY THAT HAVE BEEN SWAPPED. THE FIRST ISSUE MUST HAVE FLIPBACKS OVERLAPPING THE EDGES AND STUCK DOWN OUTSIDE OF THE INNER, AND IN ADDITION THE FIRST ISSUE IS A DARKER SHADE OF GRAY THAN REISSUES

I TELL YOU ALL OF THIS SO THAT YOU ARE IN THE KNOW AND CAN AVOID A HYBRID CONCOCTION, EVEN IF THIS PARTICULAR SET IS NOT FOR YOU

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE RED AND PLUM LABELS ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT, AND THE WHITEBAND IS  NOT SOILED AT ALL ON . THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. FINALLY THERE ARE JUST 2-3 TINY SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE SHOWING THAT THIS SUPERB VINYL HAS  HAD VERY VERY LIMITED PLAY SINCE 1971 SOME 41 YEARS AGO. THERE IS STILL SHARDS OF VINYL OUTSIDE OF THE SPINDLE HOLE ON SIDE 2

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL IS FLAWLESS IN DAYLIGHT AND HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LUSTRE. AND EVEN WHEN PLACED UP TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE NO MORE THAN A FEW MINUSCULE WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN.

A REALLY STUNNING EXAMPLE

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO BEFORE DECIDING TO MAKE A BID. I NOW DO THIS WITH ALL MY LISTINGS AS I KNOW THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

THE CLARITY OF THIS ALBUM IS PURE FIRST PRESS, AND THE INTRODUCTION TO 'ROCK AND ROLL' IS JUST INCREDIBLE

THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND SHOWING THAT THE FEW PLAYS THE VINYL HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED WITH AN UNWORN AND CORRECTLY WEIGHTED STYLUS

THE VINYL PLAYS BEAUTIFULLY THROUGH BOTH SIDES WITHOUT ANY SERIOUS BACKGROUND CRACKLE

THERE IS THE ODD BIT OF VERY LIGHT STATIC LIKE VINYL NOISE HEARD ONLY IN A COUPLE OF THE LINKING GROOVES, AND ONLY IF YOU SIT AS CLOSE AS I DO TO MY SPEAKERS WHILST TYPING THIS OUT. MOVING TO NORMAL LISTENING DISTANCE AND THIS NEAR SILENT STUFF CANNOT BE HEARD AT ALL

THERE ARE NO LOUD CLICKS AND I DIDN'T EVEN HEAR ANY LITTLE DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAYTHROUGH

FOR ME THIS SUPERB VINYL GRADES NEAR MINT TO MINT MINUS!!!!!  IT'S THAT GOOD

DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT THOUGH, TAKE A FULL LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

 UNLAMINATED STRONG CARDED ORIGINAL ISSUE SLEEVE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES

THE COLOURS REMAIN UNRUBBED AND INCREDIBLY JUST THE ONE INVISIBLE TINY LINE NEAR THE SPINE WHICH CAN ONLY BE FELT IF YOU RUN YOUR FINGER DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE SPINE

THERE IS NO RINGWEAR OR EVEN A TRACE OF RECORD SHAPE EITHER.

THE TOP EDGE HAS THE LIGHTEST TOUCH OF SHELF WEAR IN PATCHES WHILST THE REAR BOTTOM EDGE IS SHELF WORN, BUT THE FRONT EDGE NOT!!

THE SPINE IS IN MINT CONDITION, ALL OF THE DELICATE COLOURS ARE PRESENT, AND EVEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIP ENDS ARE PRISTINE APART FROM THE TINIEST SPECK OF RUB TO THE VERY BOTTOM TIP END

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY THUMB NAIL NICKS, WHICH IS ANOTHER SIGN OF HOW LITTLE THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE IN 41 YEARS

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME MAGNIFICENT CONDITION AS THE FRONT. ONCE AGAIN NO CREASES OR CREASE LINES, AND NO RECORD SHAPE OR RING WEAR

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS AN ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE PAIR OF INNER PANELS. THESE USUALLY HAVE SOME BLEMISH ON THEM, BUT HERE IS A PAIR THAT ARE JUST MINT!!

THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED, WITH THE FLIPBACKS. I HAVE DETAILED AT THE TOP OF THE LISTING WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE INNER TO BE A CORRECT FIRST ISSUE AND THIS ONE IS EXACTLY THAT DESCRIPTION

WHAT IS AMAZING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR INNER IS THAT THERE ARE NO CREASES WHATSOEVER. IT IS TOTALLY FLAT AND ALL OF THE SEAMS REMAIN UNSPLIT

THE SLEEVE GRADES NEAR MINT  AND THE INNER SLEEVE MUST GRADE MINT

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY