Beatles Rubber Soul UK Parlophone LP - Mono - 1965 -4 Matrix - 2nd Pressing M-

$

360

I am a 40 year collector of LPs and 45s from the 50s and 60s. I have been collecting The Beatles UK LPs for 25 years. The Beatles LPs I have listed on eBay are from my personal collection.

I have also been an audiophile for 40 years (analog only). The unsealed LPs listed have been play-graded on high quality equipment (turntable, tone-arm, cartridge, pre-amp, amp, speakers, and subwoofers). My system picks up the slightest surface noise on vinyl; i.e., ticks, pops, hiss, and sibilants due to groove wear. The standard I have used in adding a record to my collection has been how well it played (no surface noise present) in addition to how it looked. Over my years of collecting I have continuously upgraded my personal collection of Beatles LPs to where almost all of them play as new. To me, this means quiet surfaces; i.e., no ticks, pops, crackle, or hiss in the music or the dead wax.

The outer sleeves/covers of these LPs have been stored in polyethylene sleeve protectors since I acquired them. I also removed the LPs from the original Emitex inner sleeves and stored the LP in a custom rice paper sleeve while keeping the original Emitex inner sleeve in the LP jacket.

I have used strict grading standards of the UK publication Record Collector. I will use a mint grade only if I know a record has never been played. Unless a record is sealed, M- is my highest grade. I have described the flaws, if any, on the labels, vinyl, and sleeves. All the LPs I have listed will play as good as, or better than, they look. If you wish to see larger pictures than those shown on Ebay, I can send you much larger photos attached to an e-mail. I hope you find something you can add to your collection and enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed listening to vinyl records for the last 57 years.

This is the second mono pressing of Rubber Soul. The loud cut (-1 Matrix #) was the first pressing. This has The Gramophone Co Ltd in the rim print and the “Sold in U.K…. “ statement across the labels. It was released on December 3, 1965. It is catalog # PMC 1267. The demand for this LP was massive. Advance orders were 500,000 and the LP was a million-seller within a couple weeks of its release.

Matrix #s:

Side 1: XEX 579-4 

Side 2: XEX 580-4

SIDEBAR Regarding the Mono Pressings of Rubber Soul

When EMI halted the pressing of the loud cut it had to make another master lacquer with the corrected gain and mix it wanted for Rubber Soul. In making a new master lacquer and plating it, the second and third lacquers were damaged in the plating process so were never used. Thus, the second pressing of the mono version of Rubber Soul has a -4 matrix number. You will not find any mono version of Rubber Soul with a -2 or -3 as a matrix number. They don’t exist. The -4 version is the second pressing.

END SIDEBAR

Mothers:

Side 1: 4

Side 2: 5

Stamper letters:

Side 1: RHD 

Side 2: RAP

Labels: M-

There are a few light spindle tracks on the labels. They are otherwise flawless. The yellow text and black background are unmarked and show no handling wear. The spindle hole itself shows no signs of wear.

Vinyl: M-

The vinyl is flawless. It shows the sheen and high gloss of a new LP. It is completely free of dust or dirt that would dull its natural sheen and affect its sonic qualities.

I have listened carefully to this LP. It plays flawlessly with one very minor exception. There is an instant of audible hiss in the dead wax between tracks 3 and 4 on Side 1. I see no scratches, scuffs, wear, or damage to the vinyl or dead wax so I assume this has to be a stamper glitch. Other than this one second instance, the LP plays as new. There are no ticks, pops, or surface noise. You will hear nothing but the music in the songs and silence in the dead wax on the run-ins, run-outs, and between songs with the one noted exception.

Sleeve: EX

The sleeve was made by Garrod & Lofthouse and is in exceptional condition. The dark colors of this sleeve make it very susceptible to front-cover ring wear and easily noticeable creases. The sleeve has light ring wear on the top, bottom, and near the mouth. There is very slight wear to the tips of the corners and a couple of light creases on the lower half of the front of the sleeve. These defects are not immediately noticeable and are the kind that can only be seen on closer inspection. The front panel is firm and has retained the gloss of these early, classic laminated sleeves. The sleeve has solid seams with no splits and it has no creased or crunched corners. The flip-backs on the reverse are clean and intact. The reverse panel has light toning but this in no way detracts from the quality of the sleeve. It is an all-around very nice sleeve.

The Emitex inner sleeve is intact with no splits.

Payment, Shipping, and Returns:

Please do not remit payment until you receive an invoice. The buyer is responsible for all shipping costs. All boxes and other shipping materials are new. Each LP is carefully packaged in custom made LP mailing boxes with the disc removed from the sleeve cover. This LP will be double-boxed. The LP mailing box will be placed inside a larger box filled with Styrofoam material. Shipping costs include only the actual costs of shipping and the required shipping materials. Shipping services within the US are USPS Priority Mail. The shipping cost for this LP within the US is $19.00.

Shipping costs vary widely outside the US. International shipping services are either USPS International or Federal Express International. For all locations outside the US please contact me for an exact shipping cost. The buyer is responsible for any customs or import duties. Shipping costs include a signed-for receipt.

Satisfaction guaranteed. Notification of intent to return an LP must be made within 48 hours of receiving the LP and must be returned to me within 7 days of receipt. Shipping costs are not refundable and the buyer pays return shipping. A returned LP must be packaged in the same manner in which it was received and I must receive it in the same condition as it was received by the buyer.

Other Listings:

I have many other Beatles UK LPs listed on Ebay, including Factory Samples and export LPs.