The Beatles LET IT BE BOX SET UK 1ST PRESS COMPLETE EX+

	£		361
	$		478

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE APPLE LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE DARK GREEN SIDES ARE VERY RICH AND VIBRANT, AND HAVE LOST NONE OF THE COLOUR AT ALL. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS BOLD AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE WHITE SIDES ARE VERY WHITE AND IS JUST 5-6 VERY VERY SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING THAT THIS LP HAS  BEEN PLAYED JUST A FEW TIMES

THE VINYL HAS RETAINED IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN AND IS REALLY CLEAN. IT GLEAMS LIKE A NEW PRESS AND HAS LOST NONE OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN. THE DISC SEEMS FLALWLESS BUT THERE ARE SOME VERY LIGHT HANDLING LINES AND ONE MRK RIGHT AT THE START OF SIDE ONE THAT CAUSES A COUPLE OF CLICKS. UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE SOME WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN

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 THE LP'S THAT I LIST 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 OFF MY CUSTOMERS

THE LP PLAYS BEAUTIFULLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, WITHOUT ANY TRACE OF DISTORTION CAUSED THROUGH GROOVE WEAR. A STUNNING STEREO REPRODUCTION WITH NOTES BEING HEARD CRISPLY AND CLEANLY.IT IS WORTH POINTING OUT THAT FIRST PRESS RELEASES ALWAYS SOUND BETTER THAN LATER PRESSES. TAKING A LISTEN TO 'THE TWO OF US' SHOULD EASILY CONFIRM THIS

ON SIDE ONE THERE IS A SMALL SCRATCH RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF SDIE OENWHICH CAUSES THREE OR FOUR ROTATIONAL CLICKS. AFTER THIS THERE IS JUST THE ODD POP HERE AND THERE. WHAT YOU DON'T GET ON EITHER SIDE IS ANY  HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE, JUST THE ODD SPECK OR TWO OF VINYL NOISE AND OR STATIC AND THATS ALL

SIDE TWO PERFORMS TO THE SAME HIGH STANDARD WITHOUT THE CLICKS

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS LP EXCELLENT  TO EXCELLENT PLUS FOR SIDE 2

THE FIRST ISSUE OF THIS ALBUM ONLY CAME IN THIS DELUXE PRESENTATION SET. IT WAS RELEASED ON MAY 8TH 1970. TO OBTAIN JUST THE STANDARD ISSUE YOU HAD TO WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER 6TH 1970. THE BOX SET SOLD POORLY BY COMPARISON BECAUSE OF ITS PRICE.

THE FACT THAT NOT MANY HAVE SURVIVED IN A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION IS DUE WHOLLY TO THE TERRIBLE DESIGN WHICH I WILL DESCRIBE IN FULL

STARTING WITH THE OUTER SLEEVE. THIS IS A FULLY LAMINATED SLIDE OVER SLEEVE AND WAS DESIGNED TO JUST SLIP OVER THE CARD TRAY CONTATINING THE BOOK AND LP. THE PROBLEM WITH IT IS THAT IT IS MADE OF A VERY FLIMSY CARD AND THIS HAS RESULTED IN MOST COPIES TEARING ON THE SEAMS WHERE THE TRAY SITS TOO SNUGLY INSIDE. OTHER PROBLEMS OFTEN SEEN INCLUDE TERRIBLE CREASING AND LAMINATE LIFT. PEEL AND FLAKE.

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE , THIS HAS REMAINED HIGHLY POLISHED AND THE LAMINATE LOOKS GREAT. THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR DEEP CREASE LINES AT ALL, AND NO BENDS EITHER. THERE ARE THREE LAMINATE LINES ON EACH SIDE WHERE YOU WOULD USUALLY EXPECT TO SEE THEM AGAINST THE SPINE.ONE LIGHT LINE RUNNING UP FROM THE BOTTOM EDGE PARALELL WITH THE LEFT EDGE, AND THEN SOME SMALL SCRATCHES ALONG THE TOP AND BOTTOM SURROUNDS. 

THE REAR SURFACE IS LOVELY AND GLOSSY AS WELL AND IS ALSO CREASE FREE APART FROM ONE LINE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND THOSE SMALL LINES NEAR THE SIDES. AGAIN A COUPLE OF SMALL SCRATCHES MAINLY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. ALSO IF YOU ANGLE IT INTO A STRONG LIGHT, IT HAS CLEARLY BEEN USED AS A REST WHERE SOMEONE HAS WRITTEN SOMETHING ON A PIECE OF PAPER, BECAUSE IN THIS ANGLED LIGHT YOU CAN SEE

THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE COVER IHAS TWO NICKS TO THE TWO ENDS WHERE THE COLOUR AND LAMINATE HAS RUBBED , AND ONE CHIP TO THE REAR LEADING EDGE

THE TOP EDGE DOES HAVE A LITTLE RUBBING TO THE FRONT LEADING EDGE, AND A TINY AMOUNT OF RUBBING TO THE EDGE TIPS

THIS IS TILL HOWEVER IN A VERY COLLECTIBLE STATE AND FAR BETTER THAN MANY YOU WILL FIND THAT ARE TORN AND SERIOUSLY CREASED AND EDGE DAMAGED

THE INNER TRAY IS USUALLY FOUND BADLY SPLIT. AGAIN THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE DESIGN. A VERY HEAVY BOOK WAS INLAID INTO THIS TRAY WHICH WAS VERY VERY DELICATELY PUT TOGETHER. THE WEIGHT OF THE BOOK WHEN THE BOX WAS STOOD UPRIGHT (OF COURSE THIS IS HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE) EVENTUALLY CAUSED THE WEAKEST JOINTS TO SPLIT. THIS IS WHY THERE ARE SO MANY REPRODUCTIONS ABOUT AS MOST ORIGINALS GOT TOTALLY RUINED.

THIS ONE IS IN EXCELLENT PLUS ORIGINAL CONDITION. THE OUTER SECTION OF THE TRAY IS UNDAMAGED WITH ALL OF THE ORIGINAL MATT BLACK STILL THERE AND THE ROUNDED EDGES FLAPS UNDAMAGED IN ANY WAY.JUST A LITTLE CREASING TO THE EDGES OR ACTUALLY MORE LIKE DENTS. THE FLAPS HAVE SMALL CREASES ON THEM AS WELL AND THE EDGES SLIGHTLY RUBBED

THE PERFORATED INNER BASE TRAY HAS ALSO REMAINED IN ABOVE NORMAL CONDITION. NONE OF THE PERFORATIONS HAVE SPLIT TOTALLY APART. THE ONLY MINOR BLEMISH BEING TWO SMALL TEARS AT THE STRESS POINTS IN THE CORNERS WHERE THE BOOK LAYS, BUT THESE HAVE NOT CAUSED THE INNER TRAY TO BUCKLE IN ANY WAY, AND IT HAS RETAINED ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE. THE BOOK HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED AND CANNOT CAUSE ANY MORE STRESS TO THE INNER TRAY

THE BOOK ALSO SUFFERS FROM POOR DESIGN. MOST COPIES YOU WILL SEE HAVE ALL OF THE PAGES FALLING OUT AS THE GLUED IN DESIGN WAS WEAK, AND THE MINTE YOU OPENED THE BOOK TO LOOK AT IT OR READ IT, THE UNDUE STRESS WAS PLACED ON THE GLUE AND LO AND BEHOLD THE PAGES STARTED TO FALL OUT. WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A BOOK THAT HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR BUT THE BACK  EIGHTH OF THE PAGES ARE LOSE

FINALLY THE ACTUAL ALBUM ITSELF

THE ONE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS LP AND THE NOVEMBER ISSUE WAS THAT ON THE REAR OF THE BOX SET SLEEVE, THE APPLE LOGO WAS IN RED, WHEREAS THE LATER ISSUES HAD A GREEN APPLE. ONE WAY TO TELL IF YOU HAVE A FIRST ISSUE ALBUM

THE SLEEVE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE FRONT SURFACE STILL GLEAMS NICELY, AND THERE IS NO HEAVY LAMINATE CREASING AT ALL ON ANY PART, THERE ARE SOME LIGHT LAMINATE LINES AROUND THE PERIMITER EDGES, AND A SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE WHEN ANGLED INTO THE LIGHT

. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE MARGINAL SHELF WEAR IN THE FORM OF A FEW WHITE PIN PRICK SHIPS AND THE BOTTOM CORNER IS RUBBED AND SLIGHTLY NICKED

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL SHARP , AND THE SPINE WHICH IS FLAT AND VERY THIN IS ALSO IN A VERY CLEAN AND TIDT STATE WITH NEARLY ALL OF THE TYPE FACE LEGIBLE APART FROM THE 'E' IN BE

THE REAR SURFACE IS ALSO VERY GLOSSY AND AGAIN NOT HEAVILY CREASED, ONE SMALL NICK TO THE OPENING EDGE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE SLEEVE

THE ACTUAL LP SLEEVE GRADES EXCELLENT, WHILST THE BOOK GRADES VERY GOOD PLUS, THE BOX GRADES EXCELLENT PLUS

A REALLY CLEAN AND TIDY LET IT BE BOX SET

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

GARRY