LED ZEPPELIN IV A3/B4 RED / PLUM Press 1971 INVERTED Feather & INCREDIBLE AUDIO
£
560
$
742
£ 560
Sold For
Apr 21, 2024
Sold Date
Apr 11, 2024
Start Date
33
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently. Led Zeppelin IV A3 / B4 Red / Plum Press V6 Inverted Feather
This very early pressing is stunning! Any red / plum press is of course very collectable (especially in this condition!) but this one has the inverted feather on the S2 label.
Having listened to every track in full I can confirm the sonic quality is exceptional and it is easily one of the finest examples I have ever encountered. The clarity, depth, power and warmth of the audio is so impressive and with only one light static click on S1 and three minor ticks this is as close to perfect that you will find. I cannot emphasise enough just how well it plays! Every track is a classic of course but 'Stairway To Heaven' and 'When The Levee Breaks' are among the finest versions I have ever heard. The vinyl is in superb condition and whilst you can tell it has been played due to some spindle wear it has clearly been so well preserved down the years and always very carefully handled.
The iconic cover has also been 'kept' very well with only minimal wear and the original inner sleeve is very clean with just some repairs on the inside, not sure how that was done!
This is known as Version 6 with the inverted feather and the incorrect 'Top' spelling on the S2 label.
2401012 ## A // 3 1 1 1 26 (PECKO DUCK etched)
2401012 B // 4 1 1 9 (PORKY etched)
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T1 Near Mint / T3 intro Ex+)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The gatefold is Ex+
The lyric inner sleeve is Ex-
The labels are Near Mint-
Visual description
The vinyl is in lovely condition and still has an immaculate glossy sheen with no marks or scratches. Only when looking under a bright light can I see a small number of faint hairlines but obviously there is nothing that impacts on the audio. The red / plum labels are in superb shape with no marking just some spindle wear but not an excessive amount.
Play Grading
The 'Black Dog' intro with Page 'warming up his guitar' plays with stunning clarity and Plant's opening vocal is equal to that. Page's first riff plays perfectly with tremendous power and depth and it continues to play with a sonic quality that is second to none. The power and definition is up there with the best I have ever heard and even the brief quieter 'moments' have no intrusion. The vocals are so strong and 'clean' and there is no distortion on the top end. I did however notice a couple of background ticks during the ah ah ah ah vocal near the end but if you were not listening intently you could easily miss them. Page's final solo then plays with stunning quality and then the fade out has no background. I will say Near Mint although 99% is 'as new' without a doubt.
Bonham's percussive intro on 'Rock And Roll' is flawless and as Page comes in the sonic quality is phenomenal. Again the audio is so strong and deep and the first vocal has no background either. This standard is kept up as it progresses - the clarity and depth of sound is just STUNNING! The mid instrumental is a prime example of that and there is no 'muddiness' to the sound whatsoever and you can turn it up to max without fear of distortion. The piano on the final third is so high in the mix and that shows just how well the vinyl has been preserved and that it has not been overplayed. The final vocal / percussive section is perfect and I am confident in grading this as Mint such is the quality.
The quiet mandolin intro on 'The Battle Of Evermore' has no background aside from one static tick / click and Plant's opening vocal then plays with sublime clarity. It continues in the same way and Denny's vocal of course adds so much to the overall sound here. I wish I could put into words just how the clean the audio is, it really is crystal clear where each note is so sharp and precise. This is rare in a way because this track so often plays with a fair amount of static distortion. Every vocal and instrumental section play perfectly with no interference and the long fade out has no intrusion. This is so close to perfect - I will grade the intro as Ex+ and the rest as Mint that is a fair assessment of the audio.
The classic intro on 'Stairway To Heaven' plays beautifully with only a half second of very quiet hiss (hardly worth mentioning) and a minor tick. The playback is so clean and there is no underlying static. The opening two verses play with sublime clarity and on the next instrumental passage there are only a couple of barely audible statics. The first makes me wonder section is perfect as is the next and the third verse in between plays with impeccable clarity also. The fourth verse is perfect and as Bonham comes the playback is STUNNING! Honestly the depth and warmth of the audio here is breath-taking! The next two verses are 'as new' there is no other way to describe the audio and the 'jangly' guitar sequence from Page is for once so clean with barely any distortion, a genuine rarity. The solo is then so powerful, it just could not play any better. Wow! Turn it up to max there is zero distortion here and the same applies to Plant's high octane vocal. The sonic quality here is amazing, the playback is 100% pristine and I have never heard this classic section playing with such precision. The final quiet vocal has no intrusion either and overall I think Mint- is an honest appraisal of the audio. A couple of minor background 'moments' you could say but there is literally nothing intrusive.
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The intro on 'Misty Mountain Top/Hop' plays so clearly with no intrusion and Plant's opening vocal is just as strong. It continues to play with exceptional quality and I cannot find one single negative. It's a 'busy' track and yet sonically nothing is lost here and again there is no distortion getting in the way of the audio. No ticks, clicks, pops or static this is pure unadulterated Mint audio from start to finish.
'Four Sticks' plays with genuine quality from the word go. The intro is perfect and I only noticed one light tick during the first vocal section although you could miss it as it is so much in the background. The first instrumental / 'chorus' section where Jones' bass is so high in the mix is superb! The power and depth of the audio is phenomenal this 'level' does not drop as you progress further into the track. This is audio of the highest standard and there is nothing to detract from the stunning sonic 'landscape'. The keyboard section near the end is so powerful and deep, the playback throughout is just incredible. No static distortion the audio is just so clean and 'fresh' sounding and that applies to the fade out also. I will say Mint- due to that one minor tick.
The intro on 'Going To California' plays with great clarity, you can easily hear Plant's intake of breath! The opening vocal is just as impressive and this acoustic track continues to play with a clarity and warmth that cannot be faulted. I only 'picked up' one minor static and Mint is well deserved. Not bad for a relatively quiet track.
The intro on the classic 'When The Levee Breaks' plays with great power and depth and there is no inner groove distortion which makes a change. The first vocal section plays with high end audio with zero intrusion and the clarity of sound here is so much better than what you normally hear. It continues in the same way and it has to be one of the 'cleanest' versions I have ever heard and any audiophile will know what I mean by clean - no static distortion and no inner groove distortion. This is a version that for once you can turn up loud without having to turn it down immediately! The clarity, power and definition of the audio is so impressive - it's often the final section that displays some obvious distortion but there is only the bare minimum here for a few seconds in my educated opinion. This is possibly the most 'complete' version I have ever heard and Mint- more than does it justice I believe. From start to finish the playback is phenomenal.
In summary this album plays to an unbelievable standard with barely any intrusion. It has all the characteristics that make the red / plum pressings so collectable i.e. the later pressings / reissues just do not have the same level of depth and warmth that you find here. The clarity of sound on both sides is STUNNING and if it's not quite a final upgrade then it's damn close to it! With only a couple of minor ticks and one static click on S1 and just one background tick on S2 the playback could hardly be any cleaner. This is a vinyl that has very well preserved and that is reflected in the visual 'look' and the audio quality. In conjunction with a very strong cover and inner this will add to any high end collection.
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The cover was produced with thicker card so is more robust and it remains in excellent condition with only minimal shelf wear. The edges have barely any rubbing and the wide spine is still strong with just one 'surface break' in the centre about 6cms long. All corners are very clean with very little wear and the opening edge has only minimal handling wear. The front cover is so clean with no marking and has only a couple of minor creases next to the spine and the back cover just has a small minor mark near the top edge. The inside of the gatefold is in great shape with only very light spotting along the bottom edges and a handful of minor specks. A fine example of this iconic cover.
The original lyric inner is a bit of a funny one! At first glance it's in great condition with just one faint mark on the lyric side and a tiny tear on the top edge. On closer inspection you can see that two small side splits and a longer bottom edge split have been repaired on the inside. I'm not sure how it was done but it was done very well! On the outside the two sides have only very light 'roughing' and the bottom edge actually looks perfect. So overall a very clean version with only minimal creasing and the flipbacks are still very much in place.
2401012 ## A // 3 1 1 1 26 (PECKO DUCK etched)
2401012 B // 4 1 1 9 (PORKY etched)
Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
Recent Feedback
THIS IS WHAT A SELLER SHOULD BE LIKE ON HIGH END VINYL! Exactly as described if not better ! I could not be a happier customer .. well packed for international flight .. and shipped and received very fast .. No worries here this guy is the topsGREAT AS DESCRIBED BEST SELLR OF ALL THE UK PEOPLE AND I HAVE BOUGHT FROM ALL OF THEM
Beautiful record as described, fast safe delivery, top seller. Cheers Steve.
Another fantastic LP from this seller - condition exactly as shown and the audio as described! Fast delivery, vinyl properly and carefully packed. Very highly recommended A++++
Another stunning LP from this very reliable and helpful seller.
Very quick delivery. Album exactly as described. Excellent packaging. Once again all perfect. Thanks!!!
Great item and seller (no.1), many thanks from ITALY !!!!!!!!!!!
Fantastic! Record as Described! Excellent Packaging and Fast Overseas Shipping!
One of the best on Ebay!
Another amazing record from this exceptional seller. Absolutely delighted!
Great seller and great vinyl record, professionally packaged. I’m very satisfied with my purchase and will certainly buy again!
Postage & Packaging
I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping. This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage. The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered. Any over-payment will always be refunded.
The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD). An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known. Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing. Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask. Many thanks.
All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection. They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection. I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.
The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each. There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up! Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!
UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £5.95 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item
EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £15.95 then £2.00 per extra
USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra
REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra
If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed. If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!
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