The Beatles LET IT BE BOX SET UK PXS1 GLEAMING AS NEW

	£		690
	$		914

I HAVE RESISTED THE TEMPTATION TO GRADE THE WHOLE SET IN THE AUCTION DESCRIPTION BOX, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY COMPONENTS THAT MAKE UP THIS RARE PRESS, THAT I DECIDED TO GRADE THEM ALL INDIVIDUALLY

THE RECORDS

THE CARDBOARD!!

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.

THE OUTER SLIP CASE

I DON'T BELIEVE YOU WILL EVER FIND A BETTER EXAMPLE OF THIS OUTER CASE ANYWHERE. IT IS JUST IMMACULATE

THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE COVER IS IN MAGNIFICENT ORIGINAL CONDITION. FIRST OF ALL IT HAS RETAINED IT'S HIGHLY POLISHED STATE, AND GLEAMS LIKE A BUFFED MIRROR.THE SURFACE IS THE MOST HIGHLY GLOSSY I HAVE EVER COME ACROSS ON THIS SET.

 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 JUST ONE BARELY VISIBLE ONE ON EACH EDGE

THERE ARE ALSO TWO SMALL THUMB NAIL LINES, ONE CLOSE TO EACH OF THE OPENING EDGES

THE TOP AND BOTTM EDGES ARE IN MINT CONDITION, BOTH ARE TOTALLY FLAT AND LIKE THE FRONT THE LAMINATE GLEAMS LIKE NEW.

INCREDIBLY THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DAMAGE TO THE FOUR LEADING EDGES. NORMALLY THESE ARE CHIPPED AND SCUFFED, BUT HERE WE HAVE COMPLETELY AS NEW EXAMPLES. THE ONLY MINISCULE WEAR IS ON THE VERY CORNER TIPS WHICH HAVE JUST RUBBED EVER SO LIGHTLY

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME MAGNIFICENT CONDITION AS THE FRONT. AGAIN THE LAMINATE IS JUST MIRROR LIKE AND SHINES LIKE NEW.THE WORDING AT THE FOOT OF THE REAR SURFACE INDICATES THIS TO BE A JOHN KOSH DESIGN, WITH PHOTOS BY ETHAN RUSSELL.

THERE ARE ABOUT 6 TINY LAMINATE LINES SPREAD OUT OVER THE FOUR EDGES AND ONE SMALL THUMB LINE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COVER

THIS OUTER SLEEVE REALLY IS AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTY AND REALLY SETS THIS SET APART FROM MANY OTHERS YOU WILL SEE THAT ARE TATTY AND AGED. NOT THIS ONE. IT LOOKS NEW, AND I CAN ONLY GRADE THE OUTER SLIP MINT MINUS!!!

THE INNER TRAY

YOU WILL  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 USUAL 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 HIGH POINTS, BUT EVEN THIS IS MINIMAL. THERE ARE ALSO A FEW LIGHT CREASE LINES ON EITHER SIDE

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 UNTORN OR BURRED

THERE ARE A FEW LIGHT CREASE LINES ON EITHER SIDE 

THE TOP AND BOTTOM SMALLER EDGES ARE IN IMMACULATE CONDITION

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 WEAKEST POINT , 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 PRISTINE 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 ONE TINY NICK THAT HAS NOT ACTUALLY TORN THROUGH THE WHOLE OF THE CARD, AND ONE THAT HAS.

HAVING SAID THIS, I AM STILL CONVINCED THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE TIDIEST EXAMPLES OUT THERE AND I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE IT EXCELLENT PLUS!!!!

THE BOOK

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 REPLACED, ENSURING THAT THIS BOOK WILL COME TO YOU IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITION.

THE FRONT AT BACK COVERS ARE UNCREASED AND GLEAM LIKE NEW. THE SPINE AS YOU WILL SEE FROM THE PICTURES IS ALSO IN MINT CONDITION ALL OF THE PAGES ARE WHITE AND UNBLEMISHED. A MINT CONDITION BOOK

THE LP SLEEVE

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.I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE IN THIS INCREDIBLE CONDITION

THE FRONT SURFACE GLEAMS LIKE A MIRROR,AND IF POSSIBLE HAS EVEN MORE SHINE THAT THE OUTER BOX COVER

THERE IS NO LAMINATE CREASING AT ALL ON ANY PART, NOT EVEN THOSE LITTLE LINES FOUND NEAR THE SPINE ARE PRESENT.

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 IN THE BEST CONDITION POSSIBLE

THE ORIGINAL WHITE INNER SLEEVE HAS THE CORRECT 'MADE IN ENGLAND' AND PATENT NUMBER ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND IS UNSPLIT AND STILL VERY WHITE

THE SLEEVE EASILY GRADES MINT!!!!!!

THE VINYL

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. I ACTUALLY CAN'T MAKE OUT ANY SPIDER LINES AROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE

THE VINYL

THE VINYL HAS RETAINED IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN AND IS REALLY CLEAN. IN DAYLIGHT THE VINYL LOOKS SPOTLESS

UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATIONTHERE ARE A FAIR FEW WISPY HAIRLINES AND A FEW LIGHT SUPERFICAL HANDLING LINES

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 RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO THE LP BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER 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

SO MY FINAL THOUGHT ON THIS SET IT THIS. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS A BETTER BOX SET AND SLEEVE OUT THERE ON THE MARKET OR IN MANY COLLECTIONS FOR THAT MATTER. I DO BELIEVE THE VINYL ISTELF COULD BE UPGRADED IF DESIRED, BUT THIS HAS TO BE THE EASIST OF THE COMPONENT PARTS TO CHANGE, BUT EVEN IN ITS NEAR MINT MINUS CONDITION IT IS BETTER THAN MOST STILL!!!

WITHOUT A DOUBT IN MY MIND THIS IS AN INVESTMENT GRADE COLLECTIBLE LET IT BE BOX SET

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

GARRY