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The Beatles : Abbey Road 2/1 1st Press 1969 (Misaligned Apple)

This first pressing plays with stunning quality on both sides with no interference at all.  I cannot overstate just how pristine the audio is and of course there are a number of quiet sections.  I 'heard' only three mega light ticks on S2 but in essence the clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is 'as new' - the sonic quality is breathtaking!  This may well be the most impressive first pressing I have ever listened to that's how good it is.  The vinyl is also visually stunning and has clearly not been played very much based on the audio and the minimal spindle wear, in fact S2 has no spindle wear!  This is definitely a FINAL UPGRADE time warp classic i.e. no need to purchase another as you could not find better audio!

The cover with the 'misaligned apple' is in lovely condition with no obvious wear, it truly is a stunning example.  The original inner is also in great condition.

As this is a genuine first press it has the 2/1 matrix and no 'Her Majesty' credit on either the cover or the S2 label.

PCS 7088 // YEX 749 - 2 / YEX 750 - 1 // OML 6 / MAP 2

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)  

The 'misaligned' apple cover is Near Mint-

The labels are Mint-

The original inner is Ex+

The vinyl is in superb condition and still has an immaculate jet-black glossy sheen.  There are no marks or scratches and only under a certain light can I see some very faint sleeve removal hairlines.  There is no groove wear and this is easily one of the most pristine examples of this class album that I have found.  The labels have no marking or writing on them and S1 has only very minimal spindle wear and S2 none!

Play grading  

The classic 'heavy' bass intro on 'Come Together' plays with perfect clarity and the opening vocal has no 'background' either.  There is no 'muddiness' to the sound and it continues to play with outstanding audio with a depth and warmth that can only be described 'as new'.  No dust ticks, ticks, clicks, pops or static this is undoubtedly a Mint start to the side - I cannot emphasise enough just how fantastic the audio is!

'Something' also plays with stunning precision from the very first note and the first vocal is so 'clean' with only one barely audible dust tick.  The chorus is 'as new' and the mid instrumental is of the same 'high end' standard.  From then on it plays like it was pressed only yesterday not over 52 years ago!  It plays beautifully with no intrusion and Mint is again deserved.

'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' plays with sublime quality from start to finish with no interference.  I hope the rest of the album is as good as this because so far there are no negatives!  The clarity is again exceptional where each note is so clean and 'fresh' with literally no intrusion.  Mint

'Oh ! Darling' plays with stunning clarity and power and remember McCartney's vocal is often stretched here and yet there is no distortion at all.  Pure perfect Mint audio all the way including the fade out.

'Octopus's Garden' is Mint with no interference of any kind.  No need to elaborate!

The intro on the classic 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' plays perfectly and Lennon's first vocal has not so much as a dust tick.  It then plays with genuine power and depth - the bass sound has lost none of its original sonic quality despite it being the final track on the side.  The first 'She's so heavy...' section is faultless and this applies to the instrumental section that follows.  Every verse and chorus play with stunning precision and as you get into progressive 'heavy' section you cannot help but be impressed by the sheer quality of the audio.  I had to turn it up to max it is STUNNING!  There is no inner groove distortion so there is no need to turn the volume down and the sound just resonates with such strength and power around the room.  The playback is phenomenal I cannot praise it highly enough ands this is the definitive version in my opinion.  It is MINT and then some!  What a version!

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The acoustic intro on the classic 'Here Comes The Sun' plays with impeccable quality and no interference.  Harrison's opening vocal then plays with sublime clarity and it proceeds in the same way with wonderful warmth and depth.  An emotive track and more so just because of the sound quality - again I cannot put into words just how beautiful the playback is.  In fact beautiful is the word!  A flawless Mint version.

The quiet intro on 'Because' plays with perfect clarity and this continues into the first 'harmony' and into the rest of the track!  Once more there is no 'background' not one dust tick and Mint is again the only grade I can give.

The quiet piano intro on 'You Never Give Me Your Money' is 'as new' and the first verse has just three very light ticks which are totally non-intrusive.  As the volume increases it could not play any better and it continues to play with stunning precision for the remainder.  The 'louder' end section is flawless as is the long 'countdown' fade out.  Mint-

The segue into 'Sun King' is perfect and then this quiet intro plays with unbelievable clarity, I heard just one very faint background tick.  The opening vocal has no interference and continues to play with sensational quality and immaculate harmonies!    This is Mint- although I'm not sure the minus is required!

'Mean Mr. Mustard', 'Polythene Pam' and 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Window' all play with exceptional clarity and power and...no interference.  The sonic quality is just breathtaking and there is just nothing that gets in the way of the 'as new' audio.  The audio definition here is just incredible.  This trio of songs are Mint in every sense of the word.

The piano intro on the classic 'Golden Slumbers' again plays beautifully and every vocal section and every musical note then play to perfection.  This track often has a 'muddy' sound quality but that is not the case here, another sign this record has only been lightly played.  Mint

'Carry That Weight' is superb from start to finish with no interference.  It plays with great power and depth and again the intervening years have not affected its sound quality in any way.  Another Mint track.

'The End' continues this 'high end' audio with a power and depth that is outstanding!  From Ringo's opening percussive section, through every vocal and the three solos from Paul, George and John are 'as new' with no distortion, a rarity in itself.  The quieter piano section and end vocal also play with sublime quality.  A Mint version for sure.

The long 'silent' is essentially perfect with only a couple of dust ticks and 'Her Majesty' then ends this classic album with a clarity that could not be any more impressive.  A stunning side and a stunning album every second of the way!

In summary this first pressing plays with a rare quality that is hard to find today.  It is without a FINAL UPGRADE classic and is easily in my top 3 of all time!  There is no interference on either side but not only that the clarity and depth of the audio is unbelievably strong.  It just does not get any better than this and this is exactly why we listen to vinyl!  I love the production on this album and it is just further enhanced on such a clean vinyl and as stated it is visually stunning.  This record has been so well preserved down the years and it is patently obvious it has only been played a handful of times.  Its deep rich tone is still very much evident and if you want a perfect Mint/Mint- first press then this is the one to own!

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

The laminated G & L cover is one of the best I have seen in a long time and of course has the 'misaligned' apple on the reverse as per the first press covers.  The edges and thin pinched spine are in perfect condition and the corners are so clean with barely any wear, how rare is that!  The opening edge is also in superb order with no real handling wear at all.  The front cover is unmarked and has barely any of the laminate creasing that you so often find.  It just has one small crease top right and a handful near the top edge and spine but they hardly deserve a mention as they are so faint and can only be seen when you hold the cover at a certain angle.  There is just one tiny crease near the bottom right corner but again this is so minor.  The back cover if anything is even better if that is possible (!) and I cannot find any negatives.  This cover has been so carefully looked after down the years which is another reason why it has retained its original shape and structure spo well.  A stunning example.

The original plain white die-cut inner has no side splits or tears, barely any marking and only minimal creasing.  Not all of the 2/1 pressings came in a black poly-lined inner.  This white one has the Patent No 1,125,555 and Made In Great Britain printed on one side.

Play Tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

PCS 7088 // YEX 749 - 2 / YEX 750 - 1 // OML 6 / MAP 2

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

I NOW ONLY SEND ITEMS WORLDWIDE VIA TRACKED SHIPPING. THIS PROVIDES 'PEACE OF MIND' IN CASE OF LOSS OR DAMAGE. ALL COSTS ARE SHOWN BELOW AND COMBINED POSTAGE IS ALWAYS OFFERED. ANY OVER-PAYMENT WILL ALWAYS BE REFUNDED BACK TO THE BUYER.

THE ROYAL MAIL ONLY INSURE ITEMS UP TO THE VALUE OF £250 SO IF AN ITEM SELLS FOR MORE A COURIER SERVICE MAY BE USED (e.g. Parcelforce, DPD).  AN EXTRA INSURANCE PREMIUM WILL BE REQUIRED BUT I WILL NOT KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT UNTIL THE FINAL SALE PRICE IS KNOWN.  HOWEVER, SOMETIMES I WILL ESTIMATE A COST AND THIS WILL BE STATED IN THE LISTING.  PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE BEFORE MAKING ANY PAYMENT BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH.  MANY THANKS.

ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PUT IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE OF THE COVER SO AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS. THEY ARE ALSO PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.

I ONLY USE HIGH QUALITY MAILERS AND THESE COST ME £1.00 EACH. I WILL OFTEN USE 3 OR 4 CARDBOARD STIFFENERS AND THESE COST AT LEAST £0.15 EACH AND THEN THERE IS THE COST OF THE POLY-LINED INNER AND PVC SLEEVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. IT ALL ADDS UP! NOT FORGETTING EBAY TAKING 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 : £17.45 then £2.00 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £25.95 then £2.50 per extra

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AFTER PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE, NONE OF THIS WAITING BEFORE I RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM YOU - I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MY LISTINGS!  IF YOU ARE NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE LEAVING FEEDBACK AND I WILL ALWAYS RESOLVE ANY PROBLEM, 100% GUARANTEED.  IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO SEND THE ITEM BACK I WILL OF COURSE OF COURSE PAY THE RETURN SHIPPING COST IF I AM AT FAULT.  I AM ONLY HUMAN AFTER ALL!