The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 1/1 (Flipback cover)

This early pressing is in superb condition and plays with immaculate audio.  The vinyl is in a beautiful pristine condition with hardly any spindle wear and has obviously been hardly played.  This is a stunning vinyl!  It has the black Columbia labels with silver text and two EMI logos and comes complete with a stunning flipback cover.

SCX 6157 // YAX 3419 - 1 / YAX 3420 - 1 // RD 1 / GL 1

The audio on S1 is Mint-

The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- for the majority)

The laminated cover is Ex+

The labels are Mint-

The inner sleeve is Near Mint-

Visual grading

This is visually stunning and looks 'as new' and that is no exaggeration.  It is pristine and has only a couple of faint spindle trails on each label confirming it has been hardly played.  The vinyl itself has an immaculate glossy sheen and I cannot detect any hairlines or scratches.  If you want a Mint looking early press vinyl then this is the one to own!  The run out grooves are also spotlessly clean.  What a beautiful vinyl!

Play grading  

The mega quiet intro on 'Astronomy Domine' has no static/crackle at all and the quality of the audio is absolutely stunning.  This has to be the 'cleanest' intro I have ever heard.  There is just no interference of any kind and the depth and range off the audio is breathtaking.  This classic quite simply plays 'as new' all the way through, I cannot believe what I am hearing!  The separation and sonic quality is so 'high end' it is patently obvious this vinyl has been hardly played.  No static or crackle and certainly no clicks or pops.  Mint- without doubt.

'Lucifer Sam' carries on in the same fashion and delivers stunning audio once more.  A hint of distortion perhaps on the top end of the vocal but as any Floyd collector understands this is synonymous with this album anyway, it was just the way it was recorded.  The clarity is again of the highest order.

'Matilda Mother' is another superb example of a barely played vinyl.  Again the clarity is exceptional and there is no interference of any kind, not even a solitary dust tick.  Even the long fade out plays 100% perfectly.

'Flaming' has some vocal distortion again for the same aforementioned reason but there is no other 'background'.  The music is so clear and this is what I mean when I use the term 'separation'.  There is no muddiness to the sound and each instrument is given every chance to shine.  The sound quality is phenomenal.

 The intro on 'Pow R. Toc H' is 100% sublime!  There is no 'background' again and whilst I may be repeating myself S1 is just playing 'as new'.  This pressing was released in '71 I believe and for a 47 year old record to play with such astonishing clarity is a rarity.  Dare I say this track deserves a Mint grading?!  The many quiet sections all play with the same delicate perfection and the section near the end is just immaculate.

'Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk' ends S1 with impeccable audio once again.  A little distortion on the top end again but due to the vinyl having hardly been played it is only minimal.  In fact this is the 'cleanest' version of this track I have heard on any pressing for a long time.  A stunning end to a faultless side.

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'Interstellar Overdrive' has a handful of mega light dust ticks on the intro and then plays with incredible power and definition.  There is no interference and the quieter sections (not many!) play with stunning clarity.  As I always do I played every second of this psychedelic classic so as to give a complete grading and there are no clicks or pops.  There is a hint of barely audible static during the quieter section towards the end but without doubt this is one of the most impressive versions I have ever heard on such an early pressing.  The crescendo ending plays with such immense power and the bass is so strong in the mix.

'The Gnome' is another highlight and again grades as Mint- with not one iota of interference.  Again the separation here is superb, the instruments as clear as when it was first released.

'Chapter 24' as is always the case has a little vocal distortion but again this is how it was recorded and cannot be classed as interference.  Aside from that it plays perfectly with no clicks, pops or crackle.  The fade out is stunning.

From the very first not 'The Scarecrow' is another sublime listen.  The intro is so quiet and yet there is no 'background' whatsoever.  As the instrumental section builds the clarity again is exceptional and the fade out is immaculate.

'Bike' ends this classic album with no 'background' apart from some vocal distortion again.   The quiet section leading up to the 'ducks' is sublime and again plays faultlessly.  This instrumental ending has incredible clarity and provides a suitably impressive ending to this super clean vinyl.

In summary this early stereo pressing is a final upgrade, archive copy without doubt.  This must be the cleanest 1/1 pressing I have seen in a long time.  The fact there are no clicks, pops or crackle or any extraneous sounds pays testament to the way it has been preserved down the years.  Not only has it been hardly played but the cover has also been superbly well maintained and is remarkably clean.

The Cover

This laminated flipback G&L cover is in superb condition and is one of the cleanest I have seen in a long time.  The edges and thin pinched spine are in fantastic shape with no shelf wear at all.  Stunning!  At first glance it looks as new!  The laminated front cover is super clean and has no splits or lifting and has only a small number of creases next to the spine.  The corners have no wear either which is incredibly rare for a vinyl of this age.  The opening edge is also 'as new' and has obviously been hardly touched.  The back cover is very clean and the flip backs are in great order with only a little marking mainly on the top one but nothing major.  The white background is in stunning condition with no obvious marking or staining.  A fantastic example of this iconic cover, a true gem.

Inner sleeve

The original inner sleeve (with 'Sgt. Pepper's' and 'Abbey Road' etc) is in great shape with no side splits or tears.  There is no marking either just a little ringwear as you would expect.

The labels

They are both in superb condition with no marks or writing on them and barely any spindle wear.  Fantastic examples.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

SCX 6157 // YAX 3419 - 1 / YAX 3420 - 1 // RD 1 / GL 1

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 EXTRA INSURANCE IS NECESSARY AND COSTS AN EXTRA £2.50.  PLEASE ONLY BID IF YOU AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

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ALL VINYLS ARE PACKAGED IN STRONG CUSTOM MADE OVER-SIZED MAILERS WITH EXTRA CARDBOARD PROTECTION. THEY ARE PLACED IN SEPARATE POLY-LINED INNERS OUTSIDE THE COVER IN ORDER TO AVOID SEAM SPLITS IN THE POST. EVERYTHING IS THEN PLACED INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE TO PROVIDE EXTRA PROTECTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON MY HIGH QUALITY PACKAGING AS MY FEEDBACK TESTIFIES AND IF ANY CUSTOMER HAS ANY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS I WILL ALWAYS ENDEAVOUR TO HELP.

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REST OF WORLD  

LPs/12" singles : £12.45 then £2.50 per extra

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