PINK FLOYD PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN 1/1 2nd Stereo Blue COLUMBIA MINT- AUDIO
£
353
$
468
£ 353
Sold For
Nov 24, 2024
Sold Date
Nov 14, 2024
Start Date
32
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
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Description
I 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.
Pink Floyd : The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 1/1 2nd Stereo Press Blue Columbia Label
This second stereo pressing on the famous blue Columbia label plays with stunning quality on both sides and is easily one of the finest examples I have ever listened to. Put simply there is no interference, there are no clicks or pops and no static either. The lack of distortion is another stand out feature and the sonic quality is just incredible. The clarity, depth, warmth and resonance of the audio is so impressive and I only noticed a handful of mega quiet ticks that obviously do not intrude on the quality of the listen. In my opinion this is a genuine FINAL UPGRADE archive classic. The vinyl overall is very clean with only a couple of minor marks on S1, S2 is stunning! This is clearly an album that has been very well cared for and has not been over-played, just look at how clean the labels are!
The laminated E.J. Day cover is easily one of the best I have seen in a long time with only very minimal wear and certainly nothing obvious. The back cover is in superb condition which is a genuine rarity! The original EMI inner sleeve is in very good plus condition with just one small side split and barely any marking.
As this is a second pressing it has 'File Under Popular : Pop Groups' on the top right flipback. It was still only issued a few months after the first pressing.
SCX 6157 // YAX 3419 - 1 / YAX 3420 - 1 // P 1 / O 1
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The cover is Ex
The labels are Near Mint-
The original inner sleeve is VG++
Visual description
The vinyl is in excellent condition and still holds a strong glossy sheen without any scratches. There are only two marks worth of note - a thumbnail type hairline mark across the majority of the first three tracks on S1 and a small faint scuff also on S1. However, they are superficial as they have no affect on the superb audio. They are only 'obvious' when you hold the vinyl at a certain angle under a bright light. Aside from that there are only a few very faint sleeve removal hairlines. There is no surface or groove wear to be seen. The blue Columbia labels are very clean and still retain their original colour with only minimal spindle wear. Bizarrely the KT tax stamp is missing the K, it only has the T next to the spindle hole.
Play grading
The run in on S1 has barely any background and then the intro on 'Astronomy Domine' plays with exceptional clarity with just one minor static right at the start. As the 'sonar' / Mason's percussion section comes in the audio is stunning and Barrett's opening vocal is just as impressive with no background at all. The playback is phenomenal believe me! The next instrumental passage can also be described 'as new' and the first quiet 'section' is so clean with only a handful of extremely quiet statics that are of course totally non-intrusive. The mid instrumental could not play any better, the clarity and depth of sound is remarkable and rarely do you hear it play as 'cleanly' as this. The remainder is of the same exact standard and I am confident in grading this opening classic as Mint- such is the quality of the audio.
The intro on 'Lucifer Sam' again plays with incredible clarity and warmth and the first is just as strong. There is none of the distorted sound that you so often find and it continues to play with a sonic quality that is second to none. The mid instrumental is faultless as is the next vocal and this high end standard is kept up to the end of the fade out. There is no 'muddiness' to the sound and each note is so sharp and precise. This is Mint- at the very least.
'Matilda Mother' has no static on the intro, the playback is stunning, and the opening vocal section is well, perfect. The clarity and definition is of the highest calibre and the level does not drop as it progresses. This vinyl has clearly not been over-played and I just cannot emphasise enough just how clean the audio is. Still there is no static distortion, I really cannot believe what I am listening to! The sonic 'landscape' through every section is STUNNING and even the fade out plays so clearly. This has to be graded as Mint
The 'industrial' intro on 'Flaming' is so close to perfect with just one quiet tick near the end and the first vocal does indeed play with perfect audio. The vocal on this track has a very unique sound - it is very high in the mix - and it has lost none of its original quality. The instrumental section is 100% superb and the end vocal is equally as strong. Mint-
The 'vocal' intro on 'Pow R. Toc H.' has no background whatsoever, the clarity is incredible, and the piano section that follows has to be the cleanest I have heard in many a year. No ticks, clicks, pops or static just crystal clear audio with not even a dust tick. As the volume increases the playback is still so strong and there is no distortion on the top end. This is a 'busy' track and yet you lose nothing, the clarity is out of this world. This is very much in evidence during the quieter end section and I only noticed one mega quiet static. The 'louder' finale could not play with any greater precision and Mint- is again deserved.
The percussive intro on 'Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk' is flawless and the opening vocal is just as strong. The long instrumental passage is unbelievable! It is of course so loud and 'busy' and so rarely plays like this. It is often plagued by inner groove distortion but there is just none here. Honestly the playback is FANTASTIC! You can turn it up to max with no deterioration in sound quality and precisely because the audio is so clean you really notice every subtlety in the music. Waters' bass in particular is very strong here, you often miss it. The high octane end section is superb and the final vocal has no intrusion either. The final percussive piece is 'as new' with no background on the final beat even. This may well be the finest version of this classic that I have encountered and Mint- is again fair. Wow what a version!
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The lead in on S2 is even cleaner than S1! There is no background not even a solitary dust tick and the intro on 'Interstellar Overdrive' is as impressive as it would have been when first played in '67! As Mason comes in the audio is on the same level and Waters' bass is again so strong and deep. It continues to play with STUNNING quality and the first 'quiet' section has no intrusion at all - again not one dust tick. This entire instrumental section plays with exceptional quality and as it builds the stereo sound is so full and deep and it resonates around the room with incredible depth and power. As it quietens down there is no loss in quality and the next quieter passage is as close to perfect as is possible with only a couple of very quiet ticks. As the audio builds once more the audio quality is amazing, I cannot praise it highly enough, it is so clean and 'fresh' sounding. As it reaches a crescendo the playback is so powerful and again there is no distortion. The classic end section has no intrusion and outro is just as impressive. The clarity, power and depth of the music from start to here is unlike anything I have heard in a long time and Mint- is richly deserved. It is without doubt one of the most 'complete' versions you will ever find. In a word... stunning.
'The Gnome' just has one very quiet and easily missed static sound on the intro and then the opening vocal plays perfectly. This clarity is kept up as it progresses and again I am running out of superlatives! Barrett's vocal is as good as new, the clarity could not be any more impressive and I noticed things in the music I haven't heard before. That's the highest compliment you can pay to a vinyl I guess. A relatively quiet track and yet every acoustic section plays with sublime quality with no ticks, clicks etc. Another Mint- track.
The opening vocal section on 'Chapter 24' plays with great clarity with 3/4 barely audible statics on the first part - they hardly deserve a mention. From then on it plays so clearly with only one other minor tick. There is no vocal distortion which is a rarity for this track and the long fade out is so clean with only a couple of very quiet statics. Mint-
The percussive intro on 'The Scarecrow' is flawless and Barrett's first vocal has no background either. This high end standard is kept up as it progresses and as the bass / acoustic guitar end section comes in the audio is superb! It is so strong, deep and warm and the fade out is perfect. Mint-
The opening vocal on 'Bike' plays so clearly with no obvious inner groove distortion. It continues in exactly the same way and again I'm noticing things I haven't heard before - the piano in the background for example is so clean. If there is any distortion it is kept to an absolute minimum and even then 'distortion' is not really the right word. It's just how it was recorded and in essence there is no intrusion on the audio. It is a superb listen. The quiet section has no background and then the 'percussive' section is phenomenal! The clarity of sound is incredible and I don't think I've ever heard it as clean and succinct as this. The 'ducks' finale could not play any better either. I truly believe Mint- is a fair assessment of the audio, it is the definitive version you could say. What. An. Album!
The Cover & Inner Sleeve
The laminated E.J. Day cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear and has been preserved so well. The top edge has just one tiny rub and the bottom edge is very clean with only a little wear on the corners. The top corners are in great shape with hardly any wear. The spine is in fantastic order with The Pink Floyd still 100% legible and the opening edge is also super clean with hardly any handling wear. The front cover is in lovely condition with only a couple of small laminate creases and a minor amount of ringwear / laminate creasing near the top edge. The back cover is for once in lovely condition and the grey background really stands out because it is so clean, a genuine rarity. The flipbacks are also in great shape with hardly any of the marking / staining on the edges that you so often see. The bottom edge one only has minimal wear on the edge, just very slight rubbing, and the bottom left corner has only a little creasing. A fine example overall and rarely found in this condition today.
The original EMI inner is very clean with barely any marking but does have one small side split. It has only minimal creasing and has been well cared for.
Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine
SCX 6157 // YAX 3419 - 1 / YAX 3420 - 1 // P 1 / O 1
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.
Very quick delivery. Album exactly as described. Excellent packaging. Once again all perfect. Thanks!!!
Great item and seller (no.1), many thanks from ITALY !!!!!!!!!!!
Fantastic! Record as Described! Excellent Packaging and Fast Overseas Shipping!
One of the best on Ebay!
Another amazing record from this exceptional seller. Absolutely delighted!
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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