LED ZEPPELIN IV A3/B4 1st PRESS VINYL RED/PLUM *Stunning* AUDIO NEAR MINT
£
89
$
118
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Description
Led Zeppelin IV A3/B4 UK Red/Plum Label
This red/plum pressing plays with 'high end' audio, the quality is stunning for the vast majority.
There are about nine versions of the red/plum labels and this is one of the later variations. It has an A3/B4 matrix rather than A3/B3 and all aspects of the label are correct - no 'Peter Grant' credit, no inverted feather on S2 and has 'Hop' is spelt correctly. They finally got everything right!
PECKO DUCK and PORKY are etched into the dead wax on each side.
2401012 // A / 3 // 1 2 2 0 // Pecko Duck
2401012 // B / 4 // 1 2 4 // Porky
The audio on S1 is Mint (track 4 is Near Mint)
The audio on S2 is Mint (track 3 is Ex+ to NM- and track 4 is Ex)
The gatefold is Ex (close to Ex+)
The original inner sleeve is VG++
The labels are Near Mint-
Visual grading
This is a beautiful vinyl and is one of the most impressive I have ever seen. Whilst there is some spindle wear it has always been very carefully handled and has no markings or scratches at all. It has a superb glossy sheen and at first glance it looks 'as new'! It is only on closer inspection that you can see a small number of very faint sleeve removal hairlines and I do mean very faint! They are extremely difficult to spot. With very clean labels and run out grooves this is a wonderful example of a red/plum press and the audio reflects that.
Play grading
There is barely any lead in static and the brief the intro on 'Black Dog' plays superbly with only a couple of mega light dust ticks. This is rare as so often the opening grooves have some wear or marking and you expect more interference. This classic then has a clarity and depth that can only be described as Mint the quality is immaculate. There is no distortion on the top end and the track just exudes power! The quieter sections, albeit short, have no 'background' and the guitar solo at the end is 100% perfect. Again fantastic power and no distortion and no 'background' on the fade out. I think this may be the best version of this opening track I have ever heard on a re/plum pressing.
Suffice to say 'Rock and Roll' also plays 'as new' with no interference at all. Again there is just no distortion which is another rarity. The strength of the bass is incredible and as an example of the stunning clarity - you can easily hear the piano on the section. There is no muddiness to the sound and I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint also. Wow! I do not over grade as my regular customers know, it is not in my interests, and my feedback confirms that. This is quite simply audio of the highest standard possible.
The slow build up on the 'The Battle of Evermore' intro also plays with sublime clarity. A hint of mega light static right at the beginning but this soon disappears and then, you guessed it, plays perfectly with no 'background'. This is a vinyl that has been so well preserved down the years and the clarity is proof of that. During the playback there was no static or crackle and certainly no clicks or pops. Again the long fade out here plays with 100% perfect precision and not even one dust tick!
The intro on 'Stairway to Heaven' is absolutely stunning! There are no clicks or pops and the clarity is amongst the best I have ever heard on this classic. There is only a touch of barely audible static here and there but in all honesty it hardly deserves a mention. The sound is crystal clear and this is 'high end' audio once more. I repeat there are no clicks or pops. As any Led Zepp fan knows there is always some distortion on this track, this is just how it was put down on vinyl and there is no escaping it. During the third verse there is a hint of distortion on the top end but it is in no way intrusive and still plays with wonderful clarity. I only mention it to be complete in my grading. most would not! As the drums 'kick in' on the 'If there's a bustle in your hedgerow...' line the audio performs to a stunning standard and the bass is so strong here. A minor hint of distortion on the next verse but no clicks or pops. The guitar solo then plays with exceptional clarity, the playback was superb. The following vocal section plays with incredible power but yes with a little distortion. This heavier section never and I mean never plays as Mint but this is without doubt one of the 'cleanest' versions I have ever heard. The quiet end vocal provides a fantastic end to S1 with no static or crackle whatsoever. I am confident in grading this classic as Near Mint due to the fact that it always has some distortion and there is relatively little here. It is still a sublime version and it is worth repeating there is not one single click or pop on this side.
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'Misty Mountain Hop' has a couple of static sounds on the intro and then plays with perfect precision and again no clicks or pops. The audio here has a tremendous range and depth throughout. This is another track that regularly has some distortion but I am pleased to say that isn't the case here, the clarity of sound is very impressive. There is just nothing that interferes with the music!
It may be that I am repeating myself now but 'Four Sticks' has no 'background' either. From the very first groove every note plays with incredible definition and the track quite simply plays 'as new' and you can't say that about many red/plum pressings. The instrumental sections play so clearly and the depth and warmth of the sound is stunning. As we all know fade outs often have some 'background' but this one is nigh on perfect with only a couple of dust ticks. I am confident again in grading this as Mint the audio could not be any better.
The intro on 'Going to California' plays very clearly with no static or crackle and only one faint 'tick'. For a relatively quiet track the audio from start to finish is of a very high standard. There is very little to detract from the quality apart from a couple of very light clicks in the middle - many would describe this as static as they are very much in the background. I am just being honest in my appraisal here, the audio is of a wonderful standard but is just a shade below the quality of the other tracks. There is one louder click on the fade out but this still grades very highly as the clarity is still very impressive overall.
The drum intro on 'When the Levee Breaks' plays perfectly but as per any red/plum press there is always some distortion on this track. This is how these pressings were manufactured and there is no escaping it. I am pleased to say this version plays extremely well and there is no other 'background'. The section leading up to the vocal is stunning but from then on there is some distortion on the top end although you can still turn the volume up loud without it hurting your ears! I grade fairly and let's be honest 99% of sellers would not even mention the distortion here! There is more towards the end and again this is a common occurrence often caused by the grooves being pressed closer together in order to 'fit' the track on. As I say it is still an excellent version and has no clicks, pops or crackle.
In summary the audio on this fabulous red/plum press plays to a superb standard and this is especially true with S1. In fact I may not have ever heard a better S1! Don't get me wrong S2 is still mightily impressive but the final two tracks are not quite as Mint as the others. This vinyl plays with wonderful clarity and definition and it's also quite rare to find one with everything on the label being correct! The gatefold is in lovely condition and has only very minor shelf wear and is easily one of the best I have seen in quite a long time.
The Gatefold
As per the vinyl this gatefold has been very well looked after also and only has very minor shelf wear. Hardly any in fact! The edges have very little rubbing and only the corners don't have very much wear either, certainly less than most you see. The spine is in great condition with no marking and the opening edge has no handling wear at all. The front cover is very clean with only one tiny white mark and the back cover has only a little ringwear and a couple of mega faint marks near the top. The inside of the gatefold is in superb condition with just a little fading around the edges. This is an excellent example of one of the most famous covers in history.
Inner sleeve
Whilst not perfect the inner sleeve is in excellent condition. There are some dark strips on each side where there obviously used to be some tape but the tape was obviously removed very carefully at some point and has left no tears etc. There is just one very small side split and one larger one on the bottom edge. This is infinitely cleaner than most inners you see and there are no tears around the edges and no markings on the actual inner itself. There is no obvious creasing either. One of better ones I would say.
The labels
The red/plum labels have retained their vibrant red/plum colours extremely well and have no marking or writing. There is just some spindle wear centred around the spindle hole with a little more on the S2 label.
Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable // B & W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
2401012 // A / 3 // 1 2 2 0 // Pecko Duck
2401012 // B / 4 // 1 2 4 // Porky
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 SHIP WORLDWIDE BUT WHEN SHIPPING ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA AND SOUTH AMERICA I WILL ONLY SEND THEM "TRACKED/SIGNED FOR" AND THIS COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £5.00. PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE. WHEN ITEMS EXCEED A SALE PRICE OF £50.00 AND ARE TO BE SENT INTERNATIONALLY TRACKED SHIPPING IS AGAIN NECESSARY PLUS INSURANCE AND THIS COSTS AN EXTRA £7.50 IN TOTAL. PLEASE ONLY BID IF YOU AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PLEASE WAIT FOR THE INVOICE, MANY THANKS.
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