The Who QUADROPHENIA UK LP 1ST A1.B2 A1 B2 INCREDIBLE UNPLAYED SET MINT

	£		146
	$		193

THE WHO - QUADROPHENIA

IN MAGNIFICENT  UNPLAYED!!!! CONDITION

VERY  FIRST PRESS!!!!

• SET NUMBER 2657 013
• CATALOGUE:TRACK 2406-111 
• MATRIX: 2406110  A v 1  1 2 1 / B v 2  1 1 2 8 / 2406111 A v 1  1 1 2 / B v 2   1 2 2 1
• SIDE 2 HAS B-2 MCA 362 ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX 
• THIS IS A VERY  FIRST PRESS

I WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON THE SUBJECT OF WHAT A FIRST PRESS HAS TO BE

FIRSTLY LETS TAKE THE VINYL.

THE MATRIX NUMBERS MUST BE A1/B1/A1/B2 (THERE IS NOTHING LOWER)

THERE MUST BE 1 1 DIGITS AFTER THE A1/B1 MATRIX NUMBERS

THE VINYL MUST HAVE A SQUARE EDGE TO THE RIM

THE LABELS MUST BE MATT BLACK NOT SHINY

THE LABELS MUST BE FLAT ALL THE WAY TO THE RIM (LATER ISSUES HAVE A RIDGE JUST INSIDE THE RIM)

THE SLEEVE MUST NOT HAVE A BARCODE

THERE IS SOME CONJECTURE ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE SPINE ON A FIRST ISSUE. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT DESIGNS. THE STANDARD SPINE, AND THE HUGE WIDESPINE. I HAVE HAD BOTH SLEEVES AND BOTH HAVE HOUSED FIRST PRESS VINYLS, SO AS TO WHICH IS THE FIRST STYLE I HONESTLY COULDN'T SAY. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE WIDESPINE WAS ISSUED FIRST AND THAT IT WAS LATER SHRUNK IN SIZE PROBABLY DUE TO EITHER COST OR A PERCEIVED FLAW.

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ALL 4 LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE JET BLACK BASE COLOUR HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED, AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THIS COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND EVERY LETTER IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE TRACK LOGO WHICH CAN RUB AND WEAR BADLY IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION ON ALL 4 SIDES.

A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLES REVEALS THAT THERE ARE NO SPIDER LINES AROUND ANY OF THE FOUR HOLES, IN FACT THERE ARE STILL SHARDS OF VINYL INSIDE THE SPINDLE HOLE ON RECORD 2. 

THIS SET IS IN 'AS NEW' CONDITION AND IS ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT

THE VINYL

BOTH DISCS GLEAM LIKE NEW AND COULDN'T LOOK ANY BETTER. ALL OF THE ORIGINAL LUSTRE HAS BEEN RETAINED. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE MARKS OR ANY SIGNS OF HANDLING ON THE DISCS. IN DAYLIGHT THE VINYLS ARE TOTALLY FLAWLESS, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SEE, BACKING UP THE FACT THAT THIS INCREDIBLE SET HAS UNTIL TODAY REMAINED  UNPLAYED!!!

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 FROM START TO FINISH. SOMETHING I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, BECAUSE I AM CONVINCED 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 LP'S PLAY THROUGH MAGNIFICENTLY ON ALL SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC THESE DISCS SOUNDS. THE SILENT BITS ARE SILENT, AND THE MUSIC COMES THROUGH CRISPLY AND CLEARLY, WITH EVERY NOTE HEARD TO PERFECTION

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST SUPERB. NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE OF CLICKS , JUST SOME VERY LIGHT AND VERY RANDOMS SPOTS OF VINYL NOISE.THIS IS NOT MAN MADE AS THERE ARE NO MARKS WHATSOEVER ON THE DISCS, AND IT IS VERY SPASMODIC AND BARELY AUDIBLE  MOST OF THE TIME

OTHER THAN THIS I HEARD NO MORE THAN 2-3 TINY DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAY

AN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF THIS SOUGHT AFTER COLLECTIBLE

I AM REALLY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO GRADE THIS SET UNPLAYED MINT!!!

TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

WELL WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THIS SLEEVE?

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT MOST COPIES FOR SALE, YOU WILL NOTICE IMMEDIATELY THAT THE SLEEVE LETS THE RECORDS DOWN, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE VINYL IS. THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS, SO LETS TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.

THE FIRST THING IS THAT THE SLEEVE IS MANUFACTURED FROM A VERY SOFT CARD. (ALL VERY FIRST PRESS SLEEVES WERE PRINTED IN HOLLAND) WHEN YOU TOUCH IT YOU CAN ALMOST GET THE SENSE THAT IT MADE OF SOMETHING LIKE PHOTO PAPER. THE SURFACE FEELS ALMOST SLIMY TO THE TOUCH. THIS DELICATE SURFACE IS THEREFORE PRONE TO SEVERE WEAR, USUALLY THE MOST NOTICEABLE BEING RING WEAR WHERE THE WHITE OUTLINE OF THE RECORDS HAVE CREATED A HIDEOUS RING ON BOTH THE FRONT AND THE BACK COVER. BEING THIS SOFT AS WELL MEANS THAT ANY STICKER THAT WAS ON THE SURFACE, IF REMOVED IT LIKELY TO TEAR AWAY THE TOP SURFACE. AND OF COURSE THE FACT THAT THE SLEEVE IS NOT LAMINATED MEANS IT IS PRONE TO STAINS AND HANDLING. THE SPINE ALSO SUFFERS BADLY, AND MANY MANY COPIES ARE BENT, SQUASHED, FRAYED, SPLIT, OR COMPLETELY SHELF WORN.

INSIDE THE SLEEVE THERE IS A VERY VERY HEAVY BOOKLET WHICH WAS STAPLED INTO THE SPINE. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW ROUGH PAGE TURNS TO JOLT THIS LOOSE AND TEAR IT FROM THE SOFT SPINE. OR MORE COMMON THAN THAT IF THE SLEEVE IS LEFT UNPROTECTED, AND BY THAT I MEAN NOT HOUSED IN A PLASTIC SLEEVE, THEN THE WEIGHT OF THE BOOK GRADUALLY PULLS DOWN ON THE STAPLES WHICH EVENTUALLY GIVE WAY AND THE WHOLE BOOK COMES ADRIFT, WHICH IS WHY MANY COPIES, THE BOOK WILL BE FOUND HOUSED INSIDE THE SLEEVE WITH THE RECORDS. ANYWAY SORRY FOR THE HISTORY LESSON, BUT I WANTED TO GET ACROSS JUST HOW NEAR IMPOSSIBLE IT IS TO FIND ONE IN MINT CONDITION

THIS SLEEVE IS IN NEAR MINT CONDITION

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND 100% FREE FROM ANY LOSS OF THE GREY COLOUR. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO RINGWEAR WHATSOEVER, NO WHITE RING, AND INCREDIBLY NOT EVEN ANY RECORD SHAPE OR IMPRESSION..

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES ON THE FRONT SURFACE AND AMAZINGLY JUST TWO MINUSCULE AND NEAR INVISIBLE LITTLE LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE. ONE TINY PIN PRICK OF WHITE SHOWING ON THE SPINE'S LEADING EDGE.

THE TOP EDGE HAS TWO PIN HEAD SIZED WHITE FLECKS SHOWING THROUGH THE GREY, WHILST THE BOTTOM EDGE HAS THE MILDEST BIT OF RUBBING

THE  WIDE SPINE IS IN NEAR PRISTINE CONDITION, WITH ALL OF THE DELICATE GREY COLOUR INTACT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VERY TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS WHICH ARE LIGHTLY RUBBED. NO SQUASHING TO THIS TOTALLY FLAT SPINE, AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE

THE TWO OPENING EDGES ARE BOTH RAZOR SHARP, WITH JUST ONE TINY THUMB NAIL NICK TO EACH ONE, AND BEARING IN MIND JUST HOW SOFT THIS CARD IS, THAT IS QUITE SPECIAL.

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY LITTLE BIT AS BRILLIANT AS THE FRONT. AGAIN NO CREASES, OR LOSS OF COLOUR OR RING WEAR. JUST PERFECT.NOT EVEN ANY OF THE SMALL LINES NEAR THE SPINE

NOW THEN OPENING THE GATEFOLD WITH SOME CARE REVEALS A  PRISTINE FRONT AND BACK PANEL . IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE BOOK HAS STARTED TO COME AWAY FROM THE STAPLES BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAS VERY TIDILY AFFECTED A REPAIR THAT IN NO WAY LOOKS OUT OF PLACE (NO TAPE USED AT ALL)

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER POLY LINED SLEEVES ARE IN ORIGINAL CONDITION. FLAT AND UNCREASED AND NO SEAM SPLITS ETC.JUST SOME LIGHT AGEING WHERE THE LP'S HAVE SAT UNMOLESTED INSIDE TE SLEEVE FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE NEAR MINT!!!!

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

GARRY