STEVE VAI 'Passion and Warfare' 1990 UK 12" Vinyl Picture Disc Album GRUB 17P

	£		33
	$		44

STEVE VAI 'Passion and Warfare' 1990 UK 12" Vinyl Picture Disc Album GRUB 17P

Visually, I am unable to see any faults and, in carefully considering the below grading guide, I am listing this as 'NM' as I know it has only been played a few times.

Audibly, I describe the record overall as 'EX'. It suffers from heightened background noise, crackles, and pops associated with many picture discs. This of course is most noticeable during run-ins and outs, quiet periods, and between tracks. There are a few extra clicks at the beginning of side 2 from what appears to be a pit mark, also common in picture discs. It is overall an excellent listen, as the crackles are not apparent during loud music (which is most of it), just occasional pops. I have uploaded a video clip with audio representative of the majority of the album.

I am able to include the original plain PVC cover which has creases and a split to the bottom but please see my section on PVC covers below and use at your own risk!.


Important General Information and Terms:

I am a private seller, all of my records are from my own collection built up over the years. I bought them at the time, either new or used, because I wanted them. I do not buy anything purposefully to sell on, I am simply passing on records I no longer feel are needed in my collection to gain space.

Many of these records I have only previously played once or twice myself, although of course those I bought 'used' will have had varying degrees of use by previous owners. I do have some sealed, and unsealed, unplayed records in my collection, and they remain this way to preserve their 'New' condition.

Grading System
The basis for my grading of a used vinyl record is The Standard UK Record Collector Magazine Grading System for Cover/Record, as below. This is different to the U.S. Goldmine Magazine System, and it is also different to Ebay's own system of grading items other than records, where no 'Excellent' category exists, the nearest grade to that being 'Very Good', with their 'Good' taking the place of that. All very confusing but, for the avoidance of doubt, necessary to clarify.

As is common, I also use intermediate grades where an assessment seems to fall between basic grades by using a plus (+) or minus (-).

I visually grade records under natural light. If I list a used record as 'Mint', it will play without fault on my system but close scrutiny under a bright lamp or the use of a magnifying instrument might reveal visual imperfections.

Play Testing
I play test all used records throughout prior to listing, and monitor using studio grade headphones to ensure the most accurate grade. Any uploaded video clips will include audio recorded direct from my turntable, and I will provide further details where this is not largely representative of the rest of the record. I am currently using a conical stylus. The use of an elliptical stylus, particularly on older records, might audibly reveal more impurities due to it's reaching further into the groove.

I might give a record both visual and audio grades where they differ.

Picture Discs and Coloured Vinyls
The sound quality of picture discs can vary largely. When they first came out, they were only intended as promotional items which were not expected to be played. As they have become more collectable, the quality of those being produced has improved but this still varies and they can not be expected to play with the same audio fidelity as black vinyls. For this reason, I might grade a 'VG' sounding picture disc as 'Ex' or even 'NM' where it is known to have been like this from new.

Similarly, but to a lesser degree, coloured vinyls can not be expected to play with the same audio fidelity as black vinyls. There is some interesting manufacturer information if you would like to look on gottagrooverecords.com under' color vinyl info', including a scale from 1-10 of sound quality for particular colours.

'New' Records
If I list a record described as 'New', it might not necessarily be 'Mint'. The record will be unplayed but it could be unsealed and there could be age/shelf/storage wear to the cover.

I will not play test 'New' records, and I will not contemplate returns or refunds due to possible manufacturing faults, or for the inferior audio quality of picture discs and coloured vinyls.

PVC Covers
I have not used PVC covers since I found out that chemicals from them could leach into the vinyl and affect sound quality. I have had a couple of instances where an adjacent record in the rack has been so affected through the cardboard side, and urge all collectors to do as I have done. All of my picture discs are now housed in cardboard display covers with Japanese type inner sleeves and polythene outer covers. I have, however, retained any PVC covers where important information or hype stickers exist, so am able include this with a purchase.

Cleaning

Generally my records are already clean, I just use a velvet pad to remove surface dust prior to playing. I advise not dragging a similar cleaner across the grooves from the centre to the edge, whilst it is spinning on the turntable, as this can cause scratching. If specks remain after using a cleaner normally, these can be carefully brushed off with a purpose designed soft haired brush, as can be found online.

In some cases, it might be possible to improve the audio quality of a used record with a deep clean. However, I would not advocate the PVA wood glue method or the use of tap water.

If playing problems occur, please do check and carefully clean your stylus as necessary. I use a purpose designed brush with a little isopropyl alcohol.

It is important to renew your stylus as usage dictates.

The Standard UK Record Collector Magazine Grading System:

Mint (M)
The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition.

Excellent (EX)
The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packag­ing might have slight wear and/or creasing.

Very Good (VG)
The record has obviously been played many times, and may have slight deterioration in sound quality, noticeable sur­face marks and the occasional light scratch. Sleeve will have wear and tear, as expected for it's age.

Good (G)
The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and scratches. The cover and contents suffer from significant folding, scuffing of edges, discoloration, etc.

Fair(F)
The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor (P)
The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad (B)
The record is unplayable or might be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.