The Who TOMMY 1969 UK Double LP 1st Laminated Sleeve Numbered Book MINT AUDIO

	£		350
	$		464

FINAL UPGRADE EXAMPLE

THE WHO - TOMMY

FIRST UK PRESS WITH LAMINATED SLEEVE AND NUMBERED BOOKLET

INCREDIBLE MINT AUDIO

VERY PRESENTABLE EX+ SLEEVE

• CATALOGUE:TRACK 613013/4
• MATRIX: 613013 A//1  /  B//1   613014 A//1   /  B//1
• 
  
• THE MARKINGS OF A TRUE FIRST PRESS SET ARE THAT THE SLEEVE HAS TO BE LAMINATED. 
• ONLY THE VERY FIRST BATCH OF THESE LP'S CAME WITH A FULLY LAMINED SLEEVE. 
• THERE ARE MANY REISSUES AND ALL HAVE A NON LAMINATED SLEEVE. 
• THE DISCS INSIDE ALSO VARY FROM PRESS TO PRESS, BUT ONLY -1 MATRIX NUMBERS ARE TRULY 1ST ISSUES.
•  AND THE LABEL HAS TO BE A MATT BLACK SURFACE WITHOUT ANY RIDGES IN IT EITHER
• 
  

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ALL 4 LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE JET BLACK BASE COLOUR HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED, AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THIS COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND EVERY LETTER IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE TRACK LOGO WHICH CAN RUB AND WEAR BADLY IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION ON ALL 4 SIDES. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLES REVEALS 1-2 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE BY INDICATING THE VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT OF PLAY THAT THIS 1969 SET HAS RECEIVED

A WORD ABOUT THE DISCS. ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE LABELS CAN EASILY BE INDENTIFIED BY THE FACT THAT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF EACH LABEL THE CATALOGUE NUMBER HAS 'DOUBLE ALBUM' UNDERNEATH IT AND IN BRACKETS (RECORD 2) ETC., AND NOTHING UNDERNEATH THE ST 33 MARKING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LABEL.

 WHEREAS LATER PRESSES HAD  IN  BRACKETS (SET NUMBER 2657-002) ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE UNDER ST 33

THE VINYL

SUPERB ORIGINAL HEVAY DISCS. BOTH DISCS HAVE RETAINED THEIR ORIGINAL LUSTRE . THEY LOOK AS GOOD TODAY AS THEY DID BACK IN 1969. NO HANDLING LINES OR ANY SUPERFICIAL MARKS WHATSOEVER, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SEE

PLAYING THE RECORD

WE BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTABLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. 

WE HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

WE HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH. WE AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO ANY LP THEY ARE CONSIDERING PLACING A BID ON, 

AND THIS IS A SERVICE WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER OUR CUSTOMERS

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM THIS FIRST PRESS SET IS A CRYSTAL CLEAR STEREO REPRODUCTION THAT IS BOTH CRISP AND CLEAN SOUNDING. 

THERE IS NO FRYING BACON, OR CRACKLING GOING ON BEHIND THE MUSIC, AND NOTHING OTHER THAN SILENCE IN THE LINKING GROOVES. 

A SET THAT HAS BEEN PLAYED NO MORE THAN 2-3 TIMES SINCE 1969

CLEAN NOISE FREE STEREO PERFORMANCE WITHOUT ANY STATIC AND NO MORE THAN A COUPLE OF MINUSCULE STATIC TICS DURING THE ENTIRE FOUR SIDES

NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE ANYWHERE

NO GROOVE WEAR AND NO DISTORTION

A STAGGERING AUDIO PERFORMANCE

A TRUE MINT AUDIO OVER ALL FOUR SIDES

THE SLEEVE

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT MOST COPIES FOR SALE, YOU WILL NOTICE IMMEDIATELY THAT THE SLEEVE LETS THE RECORDS DOWN, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE VINYL IS. THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS, 

SO LETS TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.

THE FIRST THING IS THAT THE SLEEVE IS FULLY LAMINATED AND AS IT IS A TRI GATEFOLD IT MEANS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SURFACE AREAS ARE VERY THIN AND FLIMSY WHICH OFTEN RESULTS IN SERIOUS CREASES, FOLDS AND BENDS TO THE LAMINTE.

 BUT BY FAR THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THIS SLEEVE HISTORICALLY IS THE SPINE AND THE AREA WHERE THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE COVER. 

 WHAT YOU WILL FIND ON MOST EXAMPLES IS A TORN OPENING EDGE,.

THIS IS ENTIRELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT BOTH ALBUMS IST INSIDE THE SAME POCKET WHICH HAS THE OPENING EDGE ON THE INSIDE OF THE GATEFOLD BY THE SPINE, MEANING THET THE LP'S HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY SLID INTO THE POCKET VIA THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE AND NOT THE OUTSIDE.

 THE SLIGHTEST WRONG BIT OF PRESSURE TRYING TO GET THEN IN OR OUT ALWAYS RESULTED IN A TORN OPENING EDGE.

THE MOST VISIBLE DAMAGE ON MOST COPIES THOUGH IS THE ACTUAL SPINE, WHICH IS OFTEN FOUND BADLY TORN. 

THIS IS COMPLETELY DUE TO HOW THE LP'S SIT INSIDE THE POCKET, BECAUSE IF THEY ARE NOT FIRMLY PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF THE POCKET ( I HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO) THEN THE VINYLS STICKOUT A LITTLE NEAR THE SPINE AND WHEN THE SLEEVE IS CLOSED THE VINYL ACTS LIKE A DULL BLADE AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WEARS THROUGH THE SPINE.

ANYWAY THATS WHAT MOST COPIES WILL HAVE SUFFERED. THIS COPY ONLY HAS A COUPLE OF MINOR FLAWS

THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR. THE ONLY SMALL CREASE LINE SITS ACROSS THE TOP RIGHT CORNER, AND THE BOTTOM TWO CORNER TIPS HAVE A LITTLE RUBBING

THERE IS JUST ONE TINY LAMINATE PRESSURE LINE BY THE SPINE (THIS IS EXTREMELY RARE AS MOST ARE HEAVILY CREASED AND FRAYED)

THERE ARE NO THUMB LINES ANYWHERE ON THE LAMINATE AND IT LOOKS HIGHLY POLISHED

THE  SPINE IS FLAT AND FREE FROM ANT EDGE WEAR AT ALL

THERE IS ONE LIGHT CREASE LINE ACROSS THE SURFACE AND SOME RUB TO THE BOTTOM TIP END

THE REAR SURFACE HAS A CREASE LINE ACROSS THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER AND TWO SLIVERS OF LAMINATE LIFT ON THE SPINE

THE THIRD LAMINATED SURFACE IS ONCE AGAIN GLEAMING AND ONLY HAS A LITTLE LINE CROSS ONE TOP CORNER TIP

I HAVE ALSO TAKEN A PICTURE OF THE TRIFOLD INNER SURFACES .THEY ARE IN SUPERB CLEAN CONDITION. THE FAR RIGHT SECTION IS THE POCKET THAT HOUSES THE VINYL, AND  THIS AS MENTIONED ABOVE IS FREE FROM ANY SPLITS

THE NUMBERED BOOKLET THAT COMES INSIDE THE SLEEVE IS IN  FLAT CONDITION AND CONTAINS THE UNIQUE NUMBER NUMBER '29904'

THE TWO ORIGINAL INNER POLY LINED SLEEVES ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. FLAT AND UNCREASED , AND UNSPLIT. JUST SOME AGEING

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS  SLEEVE A VERY STONG EX+