LED ZEPPELIN IV A3/B4 Early RED / PLUM 'TOP' Credit Superb COVER/INNER & AUDIO
£
194
$
257
£ 194
Sold For
Sep 15, 2024
Sold Date
Sep 5, 2024
Start Date
18
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
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Description
4I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently. Led Zeppelin IV A3 / B4 Red / Plum Press Var 5 'Top' Mispelling
This is one of the finest examples of this classic album that I have ever heard. It is as close to perfect as is possible and the only intrusion is one click followed by a light ticks on the 'Stairway To Heaven' intro. This is caused by a tiny speck which refuses to move! You almost need a magnifying glass to see it! Aside from that the clarity, depth, power and warmth of the audio is stunning, I cannot overstate just how strong and clear the audio is. There is no background static and aside from that two seconds of interference you could not wish to find a 'cleaner' red / plum pressing than this one. Not surprising in a way because the vinyl is visually stunning and has clearly not been played very much based on the sonic quality and that there is only very minimal spindle wear.
The iconic cover has also been so well preserved with hardly any wear and still has its original shape and structure. It is very close to Near Mint minus! The paper lyric inner just happens to be one of the best I have ever seen and has just one small split on the bottom edge. This is known as Variation 5 in the red / plum 'catalogue' with the incorrect 'Top' credit on the S2 label. Everything else is correct on the labels.
2401012 ## A // 3 1 1 1 4 (PECKO DUCK etched)
2401012 B // 4 1 1 9 (PORKY etched)
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T4 intro Ex-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The gatefold is Ex+
The lyric inner sleeve is Ex
The labels are Mint-
Visual description
The vinyl is in beautiful condition and still has an lovely glossy sheen with no marks or scratches. When I look under a bright light I can only see a handful of ultra faint hairlines and a small number of faint 'specks' that have no bearing on the superb audio. Under a more 'forgiving' light it is pristine! The run out grooves are super clean and the red / plum labels have no marking or writing and very little spindle wear.
Play Grading
The intro on 'Black Dog' with Page 'warming up his guitar' plays perfectly and Plant's opening vocal section is just as impressive. It continues to play with tremendous power and depth and there are no ticks, clicks or pops getting in the way of the audio. Maybe a handful of barely audible statics but I probably doing myself a disservice by even saying that! The clarity is stunning even during the 'quieter' moments and Page's final solo is superb - no intrusion and no distortion. The sonic quality is exceptional! The fade out has not even a dust tick and Mint- is a fair assessment of the audio.
The percussive intro on 'Rock And Roll' is 'as new' as is the rest of the powerful intro. Again the audio is so deep and strong I cannot praise it highly enough. The first vocal is on the same level and there is no drop in quality as it progresses. Bonham is of course so high in the mix here and with Jones' strong bass adding so much to the sound it just could not play any better. You can easily hear the piano on the final third which gives you an idea of the clarity on offer here. The final percussive section is as good as the first and this is without question a sublime Mint version.
The quiet build up on 'The Battle Of Evermore' plays beautifully with only one barely audible static and Plant's opening vocal has no background at all. The first 'chorus' is perfect and this clarity of sound is kept up through every vocal and instrumental section. Denny adding her stunning vocal and I cannot stress enough just how clean and precise the audio is here, crystal clear audio. The fade out plays to perfection and Mint is well deserved here.
The intro on the classic 'Stairway To Heaven' plays so clearly apart from one click followed by a lighter tick after about 10 seconds caused by the barely visible 'speck' as mentioned above. It's a shame because the rest of the intro plays with wonderful clarity. The opening two verses have no background and the first It makes me wonder... vocal has no intrusion either. The clarity during the next two verses / instrumental is just STUNNING and as Bonham comes in the audio is equal to that. Once again phenomenal depth and warmth here. For once there is no static distortion and it continues in the same precise way. Page's 'strumming' section has only the bare minimum of distortion (a common feature during this section) and his solo then plays 'as new' with zero background. Plant's powerful vocal is flawless as is the following instrumental and the quiet end vocal plays beautifully. This is so close to the 'definitive' version apart from the brief interference at the beginning. The majority of the intro is still so clean so I will grade that section as Ex- but from then on it plays as Mint- the sonic quality is outstanding!
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'Misty Mountain Hop' plays with superb audio from the get go. The intro has just the one mega quiet static and the opening vocal has no background. From then on the audio is so strong and powerful and cannot be faulted. It's a 'busy' track and yet the playback is so clean and precise, very much in evidence on the vocals. It often plays with some static distortion but that is not the case here, you could not wish to find a better version. Mint all the way.
'Four Sticks' plays to the same high end standard with no interference. The sonic quality throughout is so good and you really notice when the volume increases during the instrumental sections where Jones' bass is very much in the forefront. The playback is phenomenal, so strong and deep, the depth so impressove. The 'complete' version so grades as Mint and has another perfect fade out also.
The intro on 'Going To California' plays with great clarity (you can easily hear Plant's single breath!) and the opening vocal has no background either. The brief acoustic section is flawless and the next vocal is just as clean. It continues to play with a clarity and warmth that is second to none and once again I cannot believe just how clean and precise the audio is. As stated it is so obvious this vinyl has hardly been played. Mint
The classic 'When The Levee Breaks' plays with STUNNING quality throughout. Now this is a track that is often affected by distortion but there is barely any here. The entire intro plays so clearly with real clarity and power and Plant's first vocal keeps up the good work also and the following instrumental is superb. Plant's high octane vocal then plays so clearly and amazingly there is still no distortion on the top end. The mid instrumental is another example of this and whilst the final third may have a touch of distortion here and there it is so minor and totally non-intrusive. Perhaps a re-think - this section still plays with fantastic quality and you can still play it loud, it doesn't affect the sonic quality. The end vocal section is superb as is Page's final refrain and I honestly believe Mint- is deserved here. A remarkable end to a stunning album!
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The cover is in lovely condition and has only very minimal shelf wear. The edges have hardly any rubbing and the spine has no wear either. The corners are so clean and the opening edge has zero handling wear. The front cover is stunning without any marking and the back cover is almost as good with just a little white 'rubbing' near the bottom edge. The inside of the gatefold is more or less perfect with barely any of the fading that you so often see around the edges. This is a stunning example of this iconic cover.
The paper lyric inner is one of the finest I have seen in a long time and has just one small split on the bottom edge and no marking or creasing. The flipbacks are still firmly attached also.
2401012 ## A // 3 1 1 1 4 (PECKO DUCK etched)
2401012 B // 4 1 1 9 (PORKY etched)
Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable with Rega Carbon Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
Recent Feedback
THIS IS WHAT A SELLER SHOULD BE LIKE ON HIGH END VINYL! Exactly as described if not better ! I could not be a happier customer .. well packed for international flight .. and shipped and received very fast .. No worries here this guy is the topsGREAT AS DESCRIBED BEST SELLR OF ALL THE UK PEOPLE AND I HAVE BOUGHT FROM ALL OF THEM
Beautiful record as described, fast safe delivery, top seller. Cheers Steve.
Another fantastic LP from this seller - condition exactly as shown and the audio as described! Fast delivery, vinyl properly and carefully packed. Very highly recommended A++++
Another stunning LP from this very reliable and helpful seller.
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Great seller and great vinyl record, professionally packaged. I’m very satisfied with my purchase and will certainly buy again!
Postage & Packaging
I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping. This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage. The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered. Any over-payment will always be refunded.
The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD). An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known. Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing. Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask. Many thanks.
All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection. They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection. I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.
The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each. There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up! Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!
UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item
EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £13.95 then £2.00 per extra
USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra
REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra
If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed. If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!
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