The Beatles LET IT BE BOX SET UK PXS1 1ST NEAR MINT

	£		511
	$		677

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE APPLE LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE DARK GREEN SIDE'S COLOUR IS VERY RICH AND VIBRANT, A VERY DARK GREEN BASE COLOUR WITH PERFECTLY LEGIBLE TEXT. THE WHITE SIDE IS ALSO IMMACULATE. PURE UNBLEMISHED WHITE SURFACE AGAIN WITH PERFECT TYPEFACE. THE LP HAS HAD ABOUT HALF A DOZEN PLAYS JUDGING BY THE FEW SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE, WHICH CAN ONLY BEE SEEN IN ANGLED ILLUMINATION

THE VINYL

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 LUSTRE. IN DAYLIGHT THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE ON THE PLAYING SURFACE WHATSOEVERE, AND ONLY UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION AM I ABLE TO MAKE AOUT A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES

PLAYING THE RECORD

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 TAKEN THE DECISION RECENTLY TO RECORD THE ENTIRE ALBUMS THAT I LIST FROM START TO FINISH, AND WHILST THIS TAKES FAR LONGER TO DO, I BELIEVE THAT BUYERS WILL APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO HEAR EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THEY ARE CONSIDERING BIDDING ON

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

THERE IS THE VERY OCCASIONAL BIT OF LIGHT STATIC DURING 'THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD' AND ONE OR TWO TINY DUST POPS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PLAY, BUT THIS IS JUST A MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE OF THIS SOUGHT AFTER FIRST PRESS LP

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS LP NEAR MINT, BUT PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

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.

THIS ONE HOWEVER IS IN MAGNIFICENT ORIGINAL CONDITION

THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE COVER IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. FIRST OF ALL IT HAS RETAINED IT'S HIGHLY POLISHED STATE, AND GLEAMS LIKE A BUFFED MIRROR. THE LAMINATE IS ALL INTACT AND THERE IS NO PEEL OR FLAKE ANYWHERE. NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES EITHER. IN FACT EVEN THE SMALL LAMINATE LINES ARE REDUCED TO JUST THREE OR FOUR.THERE IS ONE TOP LEFT CORNER AND ANOTHER BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. ONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE AND A SMALL THUMB LINE NEAR THE RIGHT EDGE, BUT THESE ARE VERY MINOR AND VERY INSIGNIFICANT WHEN LOOKING AT THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THIS SUPERB BOX. THE FLAT TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE ALSO FULLY LAMINATED AND UNUSUALLY DO NOT HAVE ANY CHIPS TO THE CORNERS. ALL OF THE LAMINATE IS INTACT AND POLISHED WITH JUST A COUPLE OF MINISCULE LAMINATE LINES.

YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE THAT THE TWO SIDE EDGES WHICH ARE FORMED FROM THE INNER TRAY ARE IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION. BECAUSE IT WAS THIS THAT WAS PULLED IN AND OUT OF THE SLIP COVER, IT IS VERY USUAUL TO FIND THE FLAP ENDS SEVERELY WORN AND TORN, BUT HERE WE HAVE AN INNER TRAY THAT IS IN AS GOOD A CONDITION AS YOU COULD EVER FIND I BELIEVE. FIRSTLY THE BLACK COLOUR HAS BEEN RETAINED OVER 99% OF THE SURFACE, WITH JUST SOME VERY LIGHT RUBBING TO THE CORNER TIPS AND A TINY AMOUNT ON ONE OF THE EDGES. PULLING THE TRAY FREE FROM THE SLIP COVER IT IS A REALLY EXCEPTIONAL INNER THAT I AM LOOKING AT. THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT THE ROUNDED CORNERS ARE ALL PRISTINE AND THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES TO ANY PART OF THIS INNER. THE TOP EDGES ARE SHARP AND NONE OF THE SEAMS ARE SPLIT OR EVEN WORN. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THUMB LINES WHERE THE TRAY HAS BEEN GRIPPED TO REMOVE OR REPLACE IT INTO THE COVER, BUT SERIOUSLY THIS IS SUCH A MINOR POINT.

THE ALL IMPORTANT BOOK TRAY WHICH SITS INSIDE THE INNER TRAY IS THE MOST FRAGILE OF ALL OF THE COMPONENTS. VIRTUALLY EVERY COPY OF THIS SET I HAVE SEEN HAS THIS TRAY WITH SEVERELY SPLIT INNER CORNERS WHERE THE WEIGHT OF THE BOOK CAUSES THE TRAY TO FRACTURE AT ITS WEALEST POINHT WHICH IS THESE CORNERS, BECAUSE AS SOON AS THE BOX WAS STOOD UPRIGHT, THE HEAVY BOOK PUSHED DOWN ON THESE WEAK POINTS, EVENTUALLY CAUSING THEM TO TEAR, THIS IS WHY SO MANY SETS  HAVE HAD REPRODUCTION INNER TRAYS AND BOOK TRAYS PLACED INTO THEM. I CAN ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE THAT THIS IS THE ORIGINAL APPLE ISSUE AND IT IS IN NEAR MINT CONDITION. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PICTURE YOU WILL SEE TWO TINY WHITE LINES IN THE BOTOM RIGHT AND LEFT CORNERS OF THE INSIDE SECTION WHERE THE BOOK SITS. THESE ARE THE BEGINNINGS OF THE FRACTURE IS WAS EXPLAINING, IT WOULD APPEAR AS SOON AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER SPOTTED WHAT WAS HAPPENING THE BOOK WAS REMOVED TO ELIMINATE ANY FURTHER PRESSURE ON THESE WEAK POINTS, AND SO ALL WE HAVE ARE TWO TINY TINY NICKS TO THE CORNERS, CERTAINLY NOT WHAT YOU WOULD CALL SPLITS, AS THESE USUALLY TEAR RIGHT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE TRAY. IT'S THE BEST ORIGINAL TRAY THAT I HAVE COME ACCROSS. THE REST OF THE TRAY IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. NO COLOUR LOSS AND NO DAMAGE TO THE PERFORATED EDGE.

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 ONLY BEEN LOOKED AT ONCE AND THEN RELACED, ENSURING THAT THIS BOOK WILL COME TO YOU IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITION. THE FRONT AT BACK COVERS ARE UNCREASED AND GLEAM LIKE NEW. ALL OF THE PAGES ARE WHITE AND UNBLEMISHED. A MINT CONDITION BOOK

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 JUST MAGNIFICENT. THE FRONT SURFACE GLEAMS LIKE A MIRROR, AND THERE IS NO LAMINATE CREASING AT ALL ON ANY PART, NOT EVEN THOSE LITTLE LINES FOUND NEAR THE SPINE ARE PRESENT. THE LAMINATE GLEAMS LIKE A MIRROR. THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE 100% FREE FROM ANY WEAR AND THE SPINE IS ALSO IN MINT CONDITION WITH EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS PRECIOUS ALBUM HAS NOT BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS BRILLIANT AS THE FRONT, GLEAMING POLISHED EXAMPLE WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY LAMINATE LINES, AND AMZINGLY NO RING WEAR