The Who QUADROPHENIA UK LP 1ST PRESS TRACK A1/B1/A1/B2 PLAYS NEAR MINT

	£		185
	$		245

THE WHO - QUADROPHENIA

IN MAGNIFICENT  NEAR MINT!!!! PLAYTHROUGH CONDITION

OUTSTANDING NEAR MINT SLEEVE

A PROPER AND GENUINE FIRST PRESS!!!

• SET NUMBER 2657 013
• CATALOGUE:TRACK 2406-110/111 
• MATRIX: 2406110  A v 1  1 2 1 2 / B v 1  1 1 2 8 / 2406111 A v 1  1 3 2 4 / B v 2   1 5 2 

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)

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 FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE IS USUALLY MADE BY EUROALBUMS OF HOLLAND, HOWEVER THERE IS A VERY RARE UK SLEEVE WHICH APPARENTLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ISSUED WHICH IS NOT AS DELICATE  AND DOES NOT HAVE THE SKIN LIKE FEEL TO THE TOUCH 

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ALL FOUR JET BLACK LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE  BASE COLOUR HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED, AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THIS COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE, AND TO THE OUTER RIMS WHERE THERE IS NO RIDGE SHOWING A SET OF FIRST ISSUE LABELS AND VINYLS.

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 JUST 4-5 TINY SPIDER LINES PRESENT

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 NO MORE THAN A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES ON EACH DISC. SIDE FOUR HAS A FEW MORE AN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT FIRST PRESS OF THIS SET. THE VINYL HAS THE FLAT EDGES TO THE OUTER RIM THAT A GENUINE FIRST PRESS MUST HAVE

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

THERE IS NO DISTORTION WHATSOEVER AT ANY POINT , SHOWING THAT THE LITTLE PLAY THIS SET HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST SUPERB. NO BACKGROUND CRACKLE OF CLICKS ,

NO VINYL NOISE, JUST THE ODD SPECK OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC IN A FEW OF THE MOST SILENT PASSAGES, AND A COUPLE OF LINKING GROOVES

I CAN'T EVEN SAY THAT I HEARD ANY MORE THAN HALF A DOZEN TINY DUST POPS/TICS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAYTHROUGH

AN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF THIS SOUGHT AFTER COLLECTIBLE

I AM REALLY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO GRADE THIS SET NEAR 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.NO RING WEAR OR INCREDIBLY NO RECORD SHAPE EITHER. NO NICKS OR TEARS AND NO SCUFF TO THIS MOST DELICATE SURFACE

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES ON THE FRONT SURFACE AND AMAZINGLY JUST ONE SMALL LINE NEAR THE SPINE, THERE ARE HALF A DOZEN REALLY MINUSCULE LINES ALONG THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, BUT NO  THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

NOT ONE CREASE LINE AT ALL ANYWHERE ON THE FRONT SURFACE!!!

THE TOP EDGE IS ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE,WITH JUST THE VERY RIGHT CORNER TIP ENDS LIGHTLY RUBBED,  WHILST THE BOTTOM EDGE ONLY HAS THE MILDEST SPECK OF RUB TO THE RIGHT CORNER TIPS ALSO

THE SPINE IS IN NEAR PRISTINE CONDITION, WITH ALL OF THE DELICATE GREY COLOUR INTACT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VERY TOP TIP END WHICH HAS  ONE TINY SPECK OF RUB ON THE VERY EDGE

NO SQUASHING TO THIS TOTALLY FLAT SPINE, AND EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THERE IS ONE  LIGHT FINGER TO THUMB IMPRESSION

THE TWO OPENING EDGES ARE BOTH VERY SHARP, WITH JUST ONE TINY THUMB NAIL NICK TO EACH ONE, AND SOME VERY LIGHT BURRING TO A TINY PATCH ON THE FRONT EDGE,AND BEARING IN MIND JUST HOW SOFT THIS CARD IS, THAT IS ABOVE NORMAL

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, OR THE OTHER PERIMETER EDGES FOR THAT MATTER, JUST ONE MINUSCULE DING TO THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER TIP

OPENING THE GATEFOLD WITH SOME CARE REVEALS A  PRISTINE FRONT AND BACK PANEL .AND MOST INCREDIBLE OF ALL IS THAT THE BOOK IS TOTALLY AND FULLY ATTACHED, AND THE REASON FOR THIS IS SIMPLY BECAUSE WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED INTO THE SLEEVE IN THE FACTORY, WHOEVER DID THE JOB PUT IT RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLEEVE AND NOT CENTRAL. THIS MEANS THAT THE BOOK WAS RESTING ON THE SHELF ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE SLEEVE, AND THEREFORE DID NOT GET THE WEIGHT OF THE BOOK PULLING DOWNWARDS, AS THERE WAS NOWHERE TO GO. SO A FACTORY MISTAKE HAS ACTUALLY ENSURED THAT THIS BOOK HAS REMAINED PERFECTLY STAPLED AND ATTACHED. THE TOP STAPLE HAS RUSTED A LITTLE, BUT THIS IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR A PERFECTLY AFFIXED BOOK

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER POLY LINED SLEEVES ARE IN ORIGINAL CONDITION. FLAT AND ONLY LIGHTLY WRINKLED ON THE BOTTOM CORNERS, AND NO SEAM SPLITS ETC.

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

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

GARRY