Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Capitol Rainbow Mono, VG/EX
$
41
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Description
Miles's transformative Birth of the Cool. This is a Capitol pressing the the rainbow label, from the 1960s. The cover is VG, with a bit of dulling and ring wear and some highlighter on the back. The vinyl is EX and plays like it.
(The record was play-tested on a custom-built turntable with a VPI TNT platter and Origin Live DC motor, a Graham 2.2 arm, and a Grado Statement Master cartridge, all feeding a Pass XP-17 phono stage, Pass XP-20 pre-amp, and Pass Aleph 1.2 amplifiers, which power Dynaudio Contour 60 speakers. So, yes, that system will make every tiny bit of noise apparent.)
The record was cleaned on an Audio Desk System Gläss ultrasonic record cleaner.
I do my best to grade according to Goldmine standards, which are described below. I try to be quite conservative in my grading. I am a serious collector myself and try to grade the way I hope other people will grade records I'm buying.
Visual Vinyl Grades
Near Mint (NM OR M-)
A good description of a NM record is "it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time". In other words, it's nearly perfect.
NM records are shiny, with no visible defects. If played, it will do so with no surface noise.
Excellent (EX)
Between NM and VG+, so has a few minor scuffs, e.g., compared to an NM record.
Very Good Plus (VG+)
A good description of a VG+ record is "except for a couple minor things, this would be Near Mint".
VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole.
Very Good (VG)
VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song?s intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise.
Minor writing, tape or a sticker can detract from the label.
Good (G), Good Plus (G+) or Very Good Minus (VG-)
The record still plays through without skipping. But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably.
Visual Cover Grades
Near Mint (NM OR M-)
NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind.
Excellent (EX)
All but NM. Divergences will be indicated.
Very Good Plus (VG+)
VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking. NO WRITING, ETC.
Very Good (VG)
VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won?t be obvious upon looking. Someone might have written or it or stamped a price tag on it, too.
Good (G), Good Plus (G+) or Very Good Minus (VG?)
A Good to VG- cover has ring wear to the point of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letters written across the front to deter theft.
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