This rare 2/3 press of this iconic LP is in absolutely stunning condition and I can confidently say this is the best first press I have ever sold.  The vinyl and the gatefold are in wonderful condition and will not disappoint the winning bidder.  Visually the vinyl looks so good it honestly looks as new.  Even under the brightest sunlight I can only see a few of the faintest wispy hairlines only caused by sleeve removal and have no bearing on the audio quality at all.  The glossy sheen this vinyl still has is like no other first press I have seen.  This LP has obviously been so well looked after I would say it has hardly been played.   I am stunned by the quality.  Get the impression I like it?!

  There is not even any lead in static prior to 'Death On Two Legs' and it plays with a quality I have never heard before.  No background noise, skips or distortion at all.  I have play tested every track and I can say this quality does not diminish.  The audio is quite simply stunning, you will not hear better.  The quiet intro to '39' is sublime and again plays with no interference.  'Sweet Lady' and 'Seaside Rendezvous' play with equal quality with perhaps a little distortion on the latter.  This is extremely common with 'final tracks' on where the grooves were pressed closer together in order to fit onto the side.

'The Prophet's Song' starts Side Two with again no lead in static.  It plays as per side one with no background noise at all and the clarity and richness of the audio is breathtaking.  The 'now I know' section plays as Mint, stunning quality as you can hear nothing but the vocals.  No crackle, no clicks no nothing but pure unadulterated perfect audio!  Unsurprisingly 'Love Of My Life' plays with audio equal to all prior tracks.  'Bohemian Rhapsody' is totally stunning and is the best I have ever heard on vinyl let alone a first 2/3 press.  'God Save The Queen' ends the LP in impeccable style with Mint audio.   

Without doubt the best 'A Night At The Opera' vinyl I have heard and of course all the more rare being a first press.  Of course being a 2/3 press it has Blair's etched into the dead wax not Mr Blair's Cut.  This is a true archive copy and a final upgrade copy for the true Queen connoisseur!  I honestly think it would be impossible to find a better vinyl than this.  I so rarely grade records as Mint but this is as close to that as you will find.

Play tested on my Technics SL-J110R turntable system

The Garrod and Lofthouse overall is also in wonderful condition and has retained its original 'white' colour extremely well.  If I am being ultra picky it has perhaps has very slight discolouration around the edges.  The top of the spine is slightly pinched but the edges and remaining corners are extremely clean and has obviously been kept in a pvc sleeve during its existence.  The inside of the gatefold is stunning.  The reverse has very slight ringwear and a couple of minor marks but for a first press this is one of the best I have seen.  Being a first  press it doesn't have the glossy sheen of later versions and of course has the famous embossed crest.  

The inner sleeve with cut corners (as per all first presses) is in excellent condition and is one of the cleanest I have seen.  It could be graded as Near Mint but for a slight wearing through at the bottom.

Catalogue number EMTC 103 // Matrix numbers YAX 5063 - 2 / YAX 5064 - 3 // Mother Stampers 4 GPP & 2 ADR

The picture inner is Ex++

The 

labels are Mint

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

I ONLY SEND ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA AND SOUTH AMERICA "SIGNED FOR" AS TOO MANY ITEMS GO MISSING AND COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £6.00.  PLEASE ONLY BID IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS.

I ALWAYS COMBINE POSTAGE COSTS IF MORE THAN ONE ITEM IS WON / DOUBLE LPs COUNT AS TWO RECORDS.

ALL RECORDS ARE PROFESSIONALLY PACKED IN STRONG MAILERS WITH CARDBOARD STIFFENERS.  THEY ARE PUT INTO A SEPARATE SLEEVE TO AVOID CUTTING THROUGH THE ORIGINAL.  THE COVER AND RECORD ARE THEN PLACED SEPARATELY INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE.

I WILL LEAVE FEEDBACK AS SOON AS I RECEIVE FEEDBACK - SO I KNOW THE ITEM WAS RECEIVED SAFELY AND THAT YOU ARE HAPPY WITH IT :-)

In the coming weeks and months I will be putting plenty of Queen, Pink Floyd, Genesis and Marillion items on the site so please keep a look out!  Many thanks.  Please look at my other items on now!

UK POSTAGE RATES (FIRST CLASS):

LPs/12" singles : £4.75 (recorded) then £0.95 per extra item 

7" singles / CDs : £1.95 then £0.55 per extra

EUROPE 

LPs/12" singles : £6.95 then £1.95 per extra 

7" singles / CDs : £3.95 then £0.95 per extra 

REST OF WORLD  

LPs/12" singles : £9.95 then £2.45 per extra

7" singles / CDs : £4.95 then £0.95 per extra  

FOR ITEMS OVER £46.00 I WOULD SERIOUSLY RECOMMEND SIGNED FOR.  THIS PROTECTS US BOTH IF ITEMS GET LOST OR DAMAGED IN THE POST AND COSTS £6.00 EXTRA SO PLEASE JUST ASK IF YOU WOULD PREFER THIS.  IF YOU DON'T I CAN'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST OR DAMAGED ITEMS.

IF YOU ARE NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE RETURNS ARE ACCEPTED FOR A FULL REFUND EXCEPT YOUR RETURN POSTAGE (UNLESS OBVIOUSLY MY FAULT).  IF THIS HAPPENS PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE LEAVING FEEDBACK SO WE CAN COME TO AN AMICABLE CONCLUSION.  I'M SURE IT WON'T EVER COME TO THIS ANYWAY!!