The Beatles WHITE ALBUM Apple UK Mono 2 LP Top Opener 1st Week Pressing EX+

$

500

Offering from my personal collection a first week pressing of THE BEATLES (aka "THE WHITE ALBUM") Apple Mono UK 2 LP, top-opener, #0214758. Matrix numbers: XEX 709-1 / 710-2 / 711-1 / 712-1. Stampers 4 GL / 2 GAO / 2 RL / 4 TO. Comes with poster and the 4 individual portraits with separation sheet in unused condition, original black protective sleeves and newer protective sleeves.

Appearance:
Cover is in EX to EX+ condition, light normal creasing in a couple of areas, no delamination, corners show only light corner hits except for some discoloring of front right bottom (see pic). Top opening is very presentable, not perfect, but well cared for. Spine is strong with no damage, light creaking when opened. Original black album sleeves in EX condition included, albums stored in additional protective sleeves. Poster and 4 portraits are in unused condition, no tape or anything of the kind. Separation sheet is included.
Labels have extremely light spindle marks, perhaps 1 a side, very hard to see under bright light and you're looking for them. Disc 1 has "An EMI Recording" on both sides, disc 2 doesn't. Vinyl appears much as it did when new with good sheen. Vinyl has light hairline sleeve marks, clean and well cared for.
Playback:
Overall would rate as EX+. There is no distortion or any signs of improper play. Each side plays clear and clean, an occasional tic common to British vinyl of the time. The albums show very light handling, believe this album only to have been played a couple of times.

If you are in need of more particular pics, please ask and I will try to supply. I would consider this collector's copy and someone who has interest in actually playing it will enjoy it very much. Will be listing other Beatle UK mono 1st pressings, please inquire if interested. Thanks.

General comments:
Any playback on my end has been done on a Linn Sondek LP 12 with a variety of higher end cartridges. Albums have been cleaned with proper fluids on a VPI vacuum cleaner. Please keep in mind that all playback grading is subjective to stylus, cartridge, arms and VTA, and different people can get different results from the same lp. Also, please keep in mind that when spinning monaural lps it is best to use a mono cartridge, if not making sure that you have wired the deck or using a mono button on a preamp to combine channels to eliminate some anomalies that occur when using a stereo cartridge and stylus. Also, 4 + speaker systems may give a less than desirable affect and originally these albums were meant to listen to on 1 speaker systems.
Comment for those beginning to collect Beatles UK mono mix lps:
In 1982, the albums PLEASE PLEASE ME thru YELLOW SUBMARINE were reissued in box sets and individually both in the UK and Japan (1986 also). If one is interested in purely dead quiet vinyl, the Red Mono's from Japan are the hands down winners. They were culled from tapes supplied from UK EMI as they were never issued in mono originally in Japan. Unfortunately, the Japanese decided to do their own EQ'ing for their pressings which accentuated the high-end and bloomed the bottom. This had a tendency to make them a bit shrill sounding and the increased low end masks the lower mid-range where much of the detail of the recordings lie. So they sound generally very nice, they aren't very accurate or true to the original British 1st pressings:
Then there are the British reissues from 1982. They are pressed on UK vinyl of the time with a minimum of weight and generally not great vinyl. If played properly they sound pretty good and fairly clean. A few use original matrices so they will sound very similar to original tube 1st pressings, others are modern cuts and will sound different. They are cut from solid state lathes and are not cut from tube equipment. In general  EQ and feel are closer to the original 1st pressings than the Japanese versions, but they do not have the strength, power, and richness that original 1st pressings have. 1st pressings were also pressed on heavier vinyl. The reissues generally sound thinner.
Original British 1st pressings are what George Martin intended as finished product. Each title may have 1 or more matrix per side, meaning that George Martin may have had made subsequent EQ or mixing changes after the first rendition, some being more desirable than others. After you detune your ear from listening to digital you will find how comfortable they are to listen to, the louder the better and fuller. The better the turntable and cartridge the cleaner they will play. Of course this is The Beatles, and albums were played, and played, on equipment of that day, with most households having smokers (The Beatles were). Record cleaning, more refined stylus cuts, can help with getting great, satisfying listening albums. But even after all this, you may go through many albums to find those that were hardly played or played on very good equipment of it's day. When you finally get "that" copy, you really have something that either of the reissues just don't have. There is headroom, detail, clarity, and strength unique to them. They may not be rare as in there were so many produced, but finding clean copies is. They are valuable and not easily replaceable, hence the prices they go for.