The Who QUADROPHENIA UK LP 1ST WIDEST SPINE 100% MINT-

	£		163
	$		216

THE WHO - QUADROPHENIA

IN MAGNIFICENT  1-2 PLAY MINT CONDITION

WITH A MINT MINUS SLEEVE TO MATCH

ABSOLUTE INVESTMENT GRADE COPY WITH THE ULTRA RARE WIDE SPINE!!!!

• SET NUMBER 2657 013
• CATALOGUE:TRACK 2406-111 
• MATRIX: 2406110  A-1 1 1 / B-1 1 1 / 2406111 A-1 1 1 / B2 1 2
• MATT SLIGHTLY TEXTURED LABELS (NO RIDGE)
• RARE WIDESPINE FIRST PRESS

THIS ALBUM RANKS RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE BEST I HAVE EVER LISTED. IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT IN MAGNIFICENT 1-2 PLAY CONDITION, AND WOULD BE FIT FOR ANY COLLECTION

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 EHICH 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 PROBALY DUE TO EITHER COST OR A PERCEIVED FLAW. WHAT IS NOT IN DOUBT IS THE FACT THAT THE WIDESPINE IS FAR LESS COMMON THAN THE STANDARD SIZED ONE

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS AN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT FIRST PRESS SET IN THE RARE WIDESPINE SLEEVE.

A TRUE INVESTMENT GRADE COPY!!!!

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 DISC ONE HAS 2-3 SPIDER LINES AROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE WHILST DISC ON ONLY 1-2. CLEARLY A BARELY PLAYED ALBUM SET

THE VINYL

BOTH DISCS GLEAM LIKE NEW AND COULN'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,AND IN DAYLIGHT THEY ARE BOTH FLAWLESS. EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SEE,PERHAPS A COUPLE OF WHISPY HAIRLINES, BACKING UP THE FACT THAT THIS INCREDIBLE SET HAS BEEN BARELY PLAYED SINCE NEW. THERE IS THE TINIEST LITTLE LIP TO THE VERY EDGE OF DISC ONE WHICH HAS ABSOLUTELY NO AFFECT ON THE PLAY WHATSOEVER

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 HAVE DECIDED TO DO WITH ALL OF THE LP'S THAT I LIST NOW 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 WHATSOEVER

THERE IS ONLY THE ODD SECOND OR TWO OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC IN A FEW RANDOM SPOTS, AND A FEW DUST POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLAY

THERE CANNOT BE A BETTER EXAMPLE OF THIS RARE SET ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET, AND I ENCORAGE YOU TO SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO THIS VERY PRECIOUS DOUBLE ALBUM

I AM REALLY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO GRADE THIS SUPERB DOUBLE ALBUM MINT MINUS!!!!!

TAKE A 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 NOTICABLE BEING RING WEAR WHERE THE WHITE OUTLINE OF THE RECORDS HAVE CREATED A HIDDEOUS 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 ACCROSS JUST HOW NEAR IMPOSSIBLE IT IS TO FIND ONE IN MINT CONDITION

THIS COPY HOWEVER IS AS GOOD AS THE BEST OUT THERE!!

IT IS ALSO THE RARE WIDESPINE ISSUE

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND 100% FREE FROM ANY LOSS OF THE GREY COLOUR. IT HAS BEEN HOUSED IN A STRONG PLASTIC GATEFOLD OUTER SLEEVE SINCE 1973.

THERE ARE NO HEAVY, OR EVEN LIGHT CREASES TO THIS SURFACE, ABSOLUTELY NO RING WEAR AND JUST THE BAREST SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE TOP AND BOTTOM IF THE SLEEVE IS ANGLED INTO THE LIGHT.

MOST SURPRISING OF ALL IS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO SMALL CREASE LINES NEAR THE SPINE WHATSOEVER, AND THIS IS JUST UNHEARD OF. ALSO THERE ARE NONE EITHER AT THE TOP OR BORROM EDGES

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE 100% FREE FROM AMY SHELF WEAR AND THIS AGAIN IS DUE TO THE PLASTIC COVER THAT HAS BEEN PROTECTING IT SINCE 1973

THE LARGE WIDE SPINE IS JUST AMAZING. DEFINITELY THE BEST ONE I HAVE EVER SEEN. NO COLOUR LOSS,APART FROM THE BAREST TOUCH AT THE TIPS,AND ONE TINY NICK TO THE TOP LEADING EDGE. 

NO CREASES OR ANY DAMAGE WHATSOEVER,NO SQUASHING AT ALL AND EVERY SINGLE LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE  IS LEGIBLE. LOOKS SUPERB!

THE FRONT OPENING EDGE IS PRISTINE AND RAZOR SHARP, WHILST THE REAR ONE HAS VERY LIGHT WEAR DUE TO THE VERY SLIGHT OVERHANG OF THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE GATEFOLD

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. THE ONLY BLEMISH BEING THE BAREST TRACE OF RECORD SHAPE AT THE VERY TOP LEAVING A DARKER SHADE SEMI CIRCLE ALONG THAT EDGE

NOW THEN OPENING THE GATEFOLD WITH SOME CARE REVEALS A NEAR PRISTINE FRONT AND BACK PANEL WITH A PERFECTLY ADHERED BOOK.  THE STAPLES ARE STILL FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE PAGES, AND THE BOOK IS PROPERLY FIXED INTO THE SLEEVE AND IS DAMAGE FREE. VERY RARE TO FIND LIKE THIS, BUT AGAIN THE STRONG PLASTIC SLEEVE HAS BEEN THE CAUSE OF THIS REMAINING PERFECT

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER POLY LINED SLEEVES ARE IN MINT CONDITION. FLAT AND UNCREASED AND NO SEAM SPLITS ETC.AND STILL PURE WHITE

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE MINT MINUS 

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

GARRY