Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn UK 1st Pressing STEREO 1G/1G

$

270

WOW!!! For sale is an undeniably RARE by any standards Pink Floyd's first seminal first album and EARLIEST Piper At The Gates of Dawn U.K. 1st Pressing on MUCH RARER STEREO SCX 6157 -1/-1

Matrix Numbers:

YAX-3419-1

YAX 3420-1

• LOWEST POSSIBLE MOTHER/STAMPERS 1G/1G

It doesn't get any earlier than this!! This is a coveted 1G/1G which most believe this means it was one of the first 300-500 ever pressed!! One cannot under-stress the desirability of a 1G/1G copy.

Cover:

VG+ : Has File Under POPULAR: Pop Groups text in upper right hand corner of rear sleeve.

Tbere are a few small laminate creases here and there, clean opening, rounded corners, rear a little grubby with a couple of tiny spots...no unwanted writing or other marks. Not perfect but no major imperfections of any kind. Glossy laminated sleeve front with early flip back tabs. Very acceptable 1st pressing sleeve!!

Inner Sleeve:

Original correct earliest EMI inner sleeve VG with a couple of 1-2" splits on each side...bottom has a small amount of tape. A fair amount of age browning but no major tears or creases other than aforementioned side splits. Disc is being kept in a high quality MoFi inner sleeve which prevents any further damage to original sleeve.

Record:

Visually- G BUT upon play testing was delighted to find the Audio is closer to VG+

Let me just say this record sounds a lot better than it looks! It still somehow retains more than expected shine but I'll be honest and didn't expect much in the playback when I first saw the disc. It lays flat on the turntable but I admittedly expected it to play terribly but NO!! It sounds quite great and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it LOUD. There are many superficial scratches and marks and several heavier looking scratches and scuffs. Most of these seem to have no influence whatsoever on the sound. Just goes to show how incredibly WELL these discs were pressed in the U.K. during the 60's by EMI. It's not a beautiful looking record but it still sounds great! If you buy records strictly based on the physical appearance of the surface without care for playback this one is probably not for you. However, if you are more interested in sound quality as opposed to a perfect looking record- you will be quite pleased and get a decent play copy for the fraction of the price at a much "prettier" but somehow poorer play copy.

Side One: There is the typical amount of crackling mostly in between songs and during quiet bits. Here are the biggest flaws in playback and I'm not leaving out a single thing that I heard: There's ONE tiny pop(?) in the 1st 2 seconds of the first track which almost sounds like part of the record. The second half of Matilda Mother through the first half of Flaming has some fairly light popping for several rotations but nothing so bad that it detracts from the overall experience. These records were pressed with QUALITY and there is not a single skip or jump. I was astonished at how good it sounded when I played it to be honest. So many marks some of which look pretty bad yet still bright clear audio without any skipping or jumping!! This is a great play copy that you don't have to worry about handling or playing. Definitely not for audiophiles but still very enjoyable!! A good clean would NO DOUBT remove a lot of the crackling...I have yet to deep clean the record apart from a cursory microfiber brush.

Side Two: Usual amount of crackling but no serious popping even. Again, surprisingly clear sound. I can't say it enough- visually it looks very rough but the playback is KEY here. On my Technics SL-Q300 deck it played through even the worst looking marks with barely any popping- and only the tiniest of jumps. I cannot guarantee that on a worse deck with no counterweight you'll have the same results but my turntable is just a cheap thrift store buy so nothing fancy. There's a 1/2 second chance jump (nearly unnoticeable) at the beginning of The Gnome. This record was obviously well loved and played but I have to give the audio playback a VG due to the perfect play through and only the tiniest (1/2) second (still plays right on after. Had to do a double take to make sure I heard it) on The Gnome which is barely noticeable.

I accentuate the brevity and near imperceptibly of the tiny slip (jump?) on The Gnome because as I've stated, when I saw the disc I certainly didn't expect this good of playback. Apart from some popping for a few rotations on Flaming and that tiny 1/2 second slip in The Gnome, the entire disc plays remarkably clear and enjoyably. Never once did I have to restart the needle or stop it. In fact, it makes me much sadder to let go of my 1G/1G Piper now having heard it...oh, how I seek out the 1G's. I am just being forced to sell ONE of my Pipers and this happens to be the one that isn't is EX condition. :(

Overall:

A not so pretty disc (though with beautiful labels) with lowest possible much coveted 1G/1G mother/stampers that actually plays quite lovely. If I were to get extra picky I'd say maybe there's some distortion in the treble-y parts I suppose and then of course the aforementioned pops/tiny jump. The PERFECT listening record for someone who is too scared to play a Near Minter for fear of scratches or scuffs. This has both- no doubt- but I'm not exaggerating when I say it has lovely playback. There's NOTHING like listening to a true UK 1st pressing of such a landmark album in rock and roll history which is undeniably RARE in ANY condition. Visually, the disc could be called a starter/filler but I think it's more than that due to the sweet playback. This is your chance to own an incredibly RARE UK 1st pressing in MUCH rarer Stereo for a fraction of a prettier copy. I'm pretty firm oh my asking price but may bend a little so feel free to make an offer. Serious buyers- might want to snatch it up while it's available.

Labels:

VG+ Remarkably clean labels- no unwanted names or marks of any kind. Several spindle marks in both labels is the only defect here simply showing signs of play. Embossed KT tax stamp on one side. The label has worn off the T (see pics). Otherwise, beautiful labels.

Shipping within the US ranges from $7.20-$12.75 depending on where you live via USPS Priority Mail. I would assume the $12.75 is for Alaska or Hawaii...these are just the quotes they gave me not a penny more. I will not do Media Mail on records of this value International shipping to Canada, UK, France,Australia and Germany is $35 via USPS 1st Class International with Registered Tracking ONLY. I know it sounds expensive but I ASSURE you I usually ending up losing money shipping especially considering packaging equipment. I prefer not shipping overseas and NEVER profit from shipping but will ship in most cases. I will just only send a valuable record with this trusted service only. Any other countries PLEASE ASK before buying and I will let you know if I will ship there. Some countries I will not.

I ship using only high quality, brand new cardboard LP mailers with the disc in a MoFi inner sleeve BEHIND the jacket in a highest quality Japanese Mylar resealable outer sleeve and with two cardboard stiffeners. I also try to use bubble wrap whenever possible. I am a collector too so I understand the importance of receiving the record exactly as described.

I strive for 100% customer satisfaction (see my reviews!) and in the unlikely event of a problem will do anything I can to resolve it immediately. No forms or complaints to the company necessary here! :) Please study and ALL pics and read my detailed description carefully so there are NO unwanted surprises but if upon receiving it there's something I somehow forgot to include, returns are available within 14 days of receipt of record. Thanks for looking and good luck!!