SXL 6157 DECCA WIDEBAND TCHAIKOVSKY SYMPOHONY No 4 LORIN MAAZEL VPO

	£		19
	$		25

TCHAIKOVSKY - SYMPHONY No 4

THE ORIGINAL ' STEREO ' PRESSING ON DECCA WIDEBAND

SXL 6157

• CATALOGUE:DECCA SXL 6157
• MATRIX: ZAL-6527-1W / 6528-3G
• MOTHERS / STAMPERS: 1 H / 1 CA
• DEEP GROOVED WIDEBAND LABEL
• ' MADE IN ENGLAND'RIM WORDING

I HAVE UNEARTHED A CLASSICAL RECORD COLLECTION THAT INCLUDES MANY STEREO RECORDINGS ON THE DECCA, HMV, COLUMBIA, PHILLIPS AND DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON LABELS. FROM WHAT I CAN SEE SO FAR THEY ARE ALL IN MAGNIFICENT BARELY PLAYED CONDITION.

THE COLLECTION INCLUDES THE RARE BRUCKNER SYMPHONY No 3 ON COLUMBIA SAX 5294 WHICH I WILL BE LISTING IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE

MY AIM IS TO LIST ONE LP FROM THIS COLLECTION EVERY DAY, SO KEEP CHECKING BACK TO SEE WHAT IS UP FOR OFFER

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE WIDEBAND DECCA LABELS ARE JUST MAGNIFICENT. THE DEEP BLUE BASE COLOUR IS TOTALLY MINT ON BOTH SIDES, AND WAS CLEARLY OWNED BY SOMEONE WHO REALLY LOOKED AFTER AND BARELY PLAYED THE RECORDS IN HIS COLLECTION. THERE ARE JUST 1-2 TINY SPIDER LINES NEAR THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE SILVER TYPEFACE AND LOGO'S ARE ALL PRISTINE AND UNRUBBED, AGAIN SHOWING HOW LITTLE THE ALBUM HAD BEEN HANDLED

THE VINYL

THE FIRST PRESS STILL RETAINS ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL LUSTRE, AND GLEAMS LIKE NEW. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF ANY HANDLING MARKS , AND IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS FLAWLESS. THE TRUE INSPECTION OF COURSE IS UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION. I HAVE INSPECTED THE DISC UNDER 4 LED SPOTBULBS WHICH SHOW UP ANY IMPERFECTION. THE VINYL LOOKS INCREDIBLE. NO FINGERMARKS AND NO SCRATCHES WHATSOEVER. THE SHEEN IS PERFECT AND ANGLING THE DISC INTO THE LIGHT THERE ARE SOME ULTRA FINE AND NON SOUNDING SLEEVE WITHDRAWAL WISPY HAIRLINES.

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.

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF PLACING A BID ON ANY OF MY AUCTIONS YOU WILL 99% OF THE TIME BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE ALBUM BEFORE DECIDING IF IT'S THE RIGHT DISC FOR YOU. MY BELIEF IS THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE TO BE GIVEN TO CHANCE TO HEAR THE LP BEFORE CONSIDERING A BID, AND I SUSPECT EVEN MORESO WITH CLASSIC VINYL BUYERS.

THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS NEW AND OLD ALIKE

SO THE FIRST THING TO MENTION ABOUT THE REPRODUCTION IS THAT IT IS TOTALLY FREE FROM ANY DISTORTION CAUSED THROUGH GROOVE WEAR. THIS MEANS THAT THE FEW PLAYS THIS LP HAS RECEIVED IN THE 5O YEARS SINCE IT WAS PRESSED WERE CONDUCTED ON A STEREO SYSTEM THAT HAD NOT ONLY A CORRECTLY BALANCED PICK UP ARE, BUT THAT IT WASN'T SET TOO HEAVY, AND THE STYLUS WAS IN TOP CONDITION.

THE DELICATE SOUNDS EMANATING FROM THE DISC ARE FREE FROM ANY HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE. NOR ARE THERE ANY CLICKS ANYWHERE THROUGH EITHER SIDE,

WHEN THE MUSIC REACHES THE SILENT PASSAGES THEY PLAY WITH A SPECK OF NOISE ON OCCASION. JUST THE ODD LITTLE BIT OF NORMAL VINYL NOISE AND A LITTLE OCCASIONAL STATIC LIKE STUFF

I HEARD ABOUT 5-6 TINY DUST POPS/TICS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAYTHROUGH

PLEASE TAKE A FULL LISTEN TO THE WHOLE COMPOSITION AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF AGAINST THE STANDARDS THAT YOU PERSONALLY SET

I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD GRADE AT LEAST NEAR MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

LAMINATED FRONT SURFACE, NON LAMINATED REAR SURFACE MACNEILL PRESS SINGLE SLEEVE

THE FRONT SURFACE HAS AN INCREDIBLY GLOSSY SHEEN TO THE LAMINATE. HIGHLY POLISHED AND MIRROR LIKE IN IT'S FINISH.

THERE ARE NO LARGE LAMINATE CREASES LIKE YOU FIND ON SO MANY SLEEVES OF THIS TYPE. IT WAS KEPT UPRIGHT IN A CABINET ALL OF ITS LIFE AND NOT HANDLED VERY OFTEN.

THE FOUR CORNER TIPS ARE STILL VERY SQUARE

THERE ARE SEVEN REALLY SMALL LAMINATE LINES NEXT TO THE SPINE, TWO ALONG THE TOP EDGE, AND TWO ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE. PLUS A COUPLE OF TINY LINES ACROSS THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE ALL OF THE LAMINATE RUNNING FROM CORNER TO CORNER . THEY ARE VERY THIN AND THE UNLAMINATED CARD PROTRUDES A LITTLE OVER THE TOP EDGE. THE CORNER TIPS ARE UNBLEMISHED APART FROM THE BOTTOM RIGHT WHICH HAS THE TINIEST SPECK OF RUBBING

THE THIN SPINE IS FLAT AND UNSQUASHED WITH ALL OF THE LAMINATE PROTECTING IT. ONLY THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS SHOW A TINY BIT OF RUBBING TO THEM. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS ALL PRISTINE AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE

THE OPENING EDGE IS  STILL VERY SHARP WITH A LITTLE LIGHT BURRING AT THE TOP ON THE FRONT EDGE

THE REAR SURFACE IS STILL VERY WHITE WITH A VERY LIGHT SHADOW OF FOXING

THE ORIGINAL BLUE AND WHITE POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS FLAT AND CLEAN WITH JUST A LIGHT SPRINKLING OF FOXING. UNSPLIT AND ALMOST UNCREASED

I BELIEVE THE SLEEVE GRADES NEAR MINT

IF YOU WIN AN LP AUCTION OF MINE THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL GET IN TERMS OF PACKING AND DELIVERY.

I TREAT EVERY ALBUM WITH THE RESPECT IT DESERVES. THE FIRST THING IS THAT I REMOVE THE LP FROM THE SLEEVE AND PLACE IT INTO A BRAND NEW POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE TO PROTECT NOT ONLY THE LP BUT THE SLEEVE AS WELL. THE LP IS PLACED BEHIND THE SLEEVE AND THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE LOCATED BACK INSIDE THE SLEEVE.

THE ALBUM IS PLACED INSIDE A BRAND NEW THICK PVC OUTER SLEEVE. NOT SOME FLIMSY POLY THING, A PROPER COLLECTORS PVC SLEEVE.

I USE THE TOUGHEST CRUCIFORM BOXES TO PLACE THE LP INTO AND INCLUDE ONE VERY HEAVY DUTY STIFFENER INSIDE THE BOX AS WELL. THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL STIFFENERS PLACED ON BOTH FRONT AND BACK SURFACES OR AS MANY AS NEEDED TO ENSURE THE CORNERS CANNOT GET DAMAGED OR THE BOX BENT.

FINALLY THE LP IS SENT EITHER SIGNED FOR, TRACKED AND SIGNED FOR DEPENDING ON WHICH SERVICE IS AVAILABLE FOR EACH COUNTRY.

FINALLY THE TRACKING NUMBER IS UPDATED ON EBAY UPON MY RETURN FROM THE POST OFFICE

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

GARRY