The Who TOMMY UK LP 1ST TRACK PRESS No 3794 LAMINATED SLEEVE PLAYS NEAR MINT-

	£		245
	$		324

THE WHO - TOMMY

IN MAGNIFICENT NEAR MINT MINUS CONDITION

FIRST UK PRESS WITH LAMINATED SLEEVE AND  VERY LOW NUMBERED BOOKLET (3794)

STUNNING LAMINATED SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:TRACK 613013/4
• MATRIX: 613013 A//1  1 9 2  /  B//1  1 8   613014 A//1  1 2 1  /  B//1  1 1 5
• THE MARKINGS OF A TRUE FIRST PRESS SET ARE THAT THE SLEEVE HAS TO BE LAMINATED. ONLY THE VERY FIRST BATCH OF THESE LP'S CAME WITH A FULLY LAMINATED SLEEVE. THERE ARE MANY REISSUES AND ALL HAVE A NON LAMINATED SLEEVE. THE DISCS INSIDE ALSO VARY FROM PRESS TO PRESS, BUT ONLY -1 MATRIX NUMBERS ARE TRULY 1ST ISSUES, AND THE LABEL HAS TO BE A MATT BLACK SURFACE WITHOUT ANY RIDGES IN IT EITHER
• WHAT IS ON OFFER HERE IS A STAGGERING MINT / MINT MINUS COPY OF THE VERY FIRST PRESS OF THIS AMAZING ALBUM
• THE SLEEVE IS JUST FLAWLESS AS WELL
• THERE CANNOT BE MANY EQUALS OUT THERE

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 6-7 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE BY INDICATING THE VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT OF PLAY THAT THIS 1969 SET HAS RECEIVED.

THERE IS ALSO STILL A SHARD OF RESIDUAL VINYL FLAPPING ABOUT INSIDE THE HOLE ON RECORD 2

A WORD ABOUT THE LABELS. ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE LABELS CAN EASILY BE IDENTIFIED BY THE FACT THAT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF EACH LABEL THE CATALOGUE NUMBER HAS 'DOUBLE ALBUM' UNDERNEATH IT AND IN BRACKETS (RECORD 2) ETC., AND NOTHING UNDERNEATH THE ST 33 MARKING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LABEL.

 WHEREAS LATER PRESSES HAD  IN  BRACKETS (SET NUMBER 2657-002) ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE UNDER ST 33

THE VINYL

SUPERB ORIGINAL HEAVYWEIGHT DISCS. BOTH DISCS HAVE RETAINED THEIR ORIGINAL LUSTRE . IN DAYLIGHT THEY LOOK SUPERB WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY HANDLING LINES/MARKS VISIBLE. UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE A FEW MORE LIGHT HANDLING LINES, AND THE USUALLY WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN

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 AS I DO NOW WITH ALL MY LISTINGS BECAUSE I FIRMLY BELIEVE 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

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM THIS FIRST PRESS SET IS A CRYSTAL CLEAR STEREO REPRODUCTION THAT IS BOTH CRISP AND CLEAN SOUNDING. THERE IS NO FRYING BACON, OR HEAVY CRACKLING GOING ON BEHIND THE MUSIC.

THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND ANYWHERE SHOWING THAT WHAT LITTLE PLAY THIS HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM WITH A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

THERE ARE NO LOUD CLICKS OR TICS ANYWHERE

THERE IS SOME VERY LIGHT STATIC LIKE BACKGROUND HEARD ONLY IN THE QUIETEST SPOTS, AND I HEARD NO MORE THAN 6-7 TINY DUST POPS.TICS DURING THE ENTIRE 4 SIDE PLAYTHROUGH.

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SUPERB SET NEAR MINT MINUS!!

PLEASE GIVE IT A LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

WELL WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THIS SLEEVE? THIS ONE HAS SAT INSIDE A PLASTIC COVER FOR VIRTUALLY ALL OF IT'S LIFE

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 FULLY LAMINATED AND AS IT IS A TRI GATEFOLD IT MEANS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SURFACE AREAS ARE VERY THIN AND FLIMSY WHICH OFTEN RESULTS IN SERIOUS CREASES, FOLDS AND BENDS TO THE LAMINATE, BUT BY FAR THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THIS SLEEVE HISTORICALLY IS THE SPINE AND THE AREA WHERE THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE COVER. SO STARTING WITH THAT, WHAT YOU WILL FIND ON MOST EXAMPLES IS A TORN OPENING EDGE, AND THIS IS ENTIRELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT BOTH ALBUMS SIT INSIDE THE SAME POCKET WHICH HAS THE OPENING EDGE ON THE INSIDE OF THE GATEFOLD BY THE SPINE, MEANING THAT THE LP'S HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY SLID INTO THE POCKET VIA THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE AND NOT THE OUTSIDE, THE SLIGHTEST WRONG BIT OF PRESSURE TRYING TO GET THEN IN OR OUT ALWAYS RESULTED IN A TORN OPENING EDGE.

THE MOST VISIBLE DAMAGE ON MOST COPIES THOUGH IS THE ACTUAL SPINE, WHICH IS OFTEN FOUND BADLY TORN. THIS IS COMPLETELY DUE TO HOW THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE POCKET, BECAUSE IF THEY ARE NOT FIRMLY PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF THE POCKET ( I HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO) THEN THE VINYLS STICKOUT A LITTLE NEAR THE SPINE AND WHEN THE SLEEVE IS CLOSED THE VINYL ACTS LIKE A DULL BLADE AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WEARS THROUGH THE SPINE.

ANYWAY THAT'S WHAT MOST COPIES WILL HAVE SUFFERED. THIS COPY IS VIRTUALLY UNBLEMISHED

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR.THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES, FOLDS OR BENDS ANYWHERE, AMAZINGLY, THERE ARE JUST THREE MINUSCULE AND ALMOST INVISIBLE LINES CLOSE BY THE SPINE, AND A COUPLE MORE ON THE RIGHT EDGE, BUT NONE ALONG EITHER THE TOP OR BOTTOM EDGES. ONE LIGHT SLIVER LINE JUST UNDER THE ALBUM TITLE AT THE TOP.

THE  SPINE IS NEAR PERFECT WITH A TINY BIT OF RUBBING TO THE BOTTOM TIP. THE LAMINATE HAS SPLIT IN THE MIDDLE FROM THE TOP TIP TO ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE WAY DOWN, WHICH JUST GIVES A SLIGHTLY ROUGH FEEL AS YOU RUN A FINGER DOWN IT. UNDERNEATH THAT LAMINATE IS ONE SMALL WHITE FLECK OF WEAR SHOWING AT THE TOP END

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS MAGNIFICENT AS THE FRONT. JUST ONE MINUSCULE LAMINATE  LINE NEXT TO THE SPINE,AND A SPECK OF WEAR TO THE VERY TIPS OF THE CORNERS 

THE THIRD LAMINATED SURFACE IS ONCE AGAIN GLEAMING AND FREE FROM ANY  CREASE LINES, JUST A SLIVER OF LIFT ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER TIP

I HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE OF ALL THREE LAMINATED SURFACE FULLY OPENED OUT, AND I HOPE YOU CAN SEE WHAT SUPERB CONDITION IT IS IN.

I HAVE ALSO TAKEN A PICTURE OF THE TRIFOLD INNER SURFACES AND ONCE AGAIN THEY ARE IN SUPERB UNMARKED CONDITION. THE FAR RIGHT SECTION IS THE POCKET THAT HOUSES THE VINYL, AND  IT'S MINT CONDITION

THE NUMBERED BOOKLET THAT COMES INSIDE THE SLEEVE IS IN (NEAR MINT FLAT) CONDITION AND CONTAINS THE UNIQUE VERY LOW NUMBER NUMBER '53794' HAS A VERY VERY LIGHT TRACE OF SOME WRITING IN THE SPACE OVER THE NUMBER.

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER POLY LINED SLEEVES ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. FLAT AND UNCREASED , AND UNSPLIT.

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS MAGNIFICENT SLEEVE NEAR MINT  IT IS JUST THAT BRILLIANT

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

GARRY