The Beatles : Abbey Road 3U/1 1st Press 1969 (Misaligned Apple)

This first pressing plays to a superb standard with barely any 'background'.  There are just a small number of very quiet ticks on a couple of S1 intros but they are not intrusive.  The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is outstanding and there are no clicks or pops anywhere.  The sonic quality is breathtakingly good!  This is without question one of the finest first pressings I have ever listened to.

The cover has some shelf wear but remains in very good condition and of course has the 'misaligned apple' and no 'Her Majesty' credit on the back or on the S2 label.  The original paper inner is in excellent condition.

This is actually known as the rarest first pressing as it has the 3U/1 matrix rather than the more common 2/1 matrix.  It's the 3U that is rare which might explain why this copy only has a single 'L' stamper.  S2 has three!  In all my years on eBay I think I have only seen one other 3U/1 pressing.  Even the Beatles-collection site says it is a rare combination!   

PCS 7088 // YEX 749  A - 3U / YEX 750 - 1 // L 1 / RPR 1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T2 intro Near Mint / T3 intro Near Mint- / T6 Near Mint) 

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T2 intro Near Mint)  

The cover is VG+

The labels are Ex+

The original inner is Ex

The vinyl is in excellent condition and still have a very strong glossy sheen.  There are no scratches but you can see some faint hairlines here and there and a few small 'specks' but they are of course superficial because the audio is stunning to say the least!  There is no 'bag rash' or groove wear and the run out grooves are very clean so the matrix info can easily be seen.  As stated there is some spindle wear and some minor bubbling on the S1 label also but there is no marking or writing on either.

Play grading  

'Come Together' plays with superb clarity and depth from the very first groove and the familiar deep bass sound is very much to the fore - there is no 'muddiness' to the sound at all.  The first vocal section is faultless and it continues in the same way with no interference.  From start to finish the playback is perfect and this undoubtedly a Mint- start to the side.

The intro on 'Something' is close to perfect with only a handful of mega quiet ticks - barely audible!  From then on it plays beautifully with no ticks, clicks, pops and no underlying static either.  The depth and warmth of the music is as good as it was back in '69!  A Near Mint intro and then Mint- for the remainder.

'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' again has just a small number of light non-intrusive ticks on the intro and then plays with stunning precision with no interference of any kind.  This intro is Near Mint- I would say and it then plays as Mint-

'Oh ! Darling' delivers on every level and plays with unbelievable clarity and power throughout.  McCartney's vocal is often stretched here and yet there is no distortion on the top end.  This is Mint- all the way.

'Octopus's Garden' is of the same 'high end' standard with sublime clarity from start to finish.  It is Mint- there is no need to say anymore!

The intro on the total classic 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' plays very clearly with only a minor hint of distortion and Lennon's first vocal is 'as new'.  It then plays with genuine power and and all I picked up were a couple of mega quiet ticks.  The bass sound is still so strong and it has lost none of its original sonic quality over the intervening years.  Every vocal section is flawless and the progressive 'heavy' section is very strong and has only the bare minimum of inner groove distortion.  You can certainly turn it up to max without having to turn it down immediately!  Overall I think Near Mint is a fair assessment of the audio.  A stunning version!

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The acoustic intro on the classic 'Here Comes The Sun' plays so clearly with only a couple of barely audible static sounds and Harrison's opening vocal is 'as new' and thereafter plays with wonderful clarity and depth.  There are no negatives and Mint- is deserved.

The quiet intro on 'Because' is close to perfect with only two seconds of very light static and the first 'harmony' then plays to perfection.  It continues in the same way with a clarity that defies the age of the album - no ticks, clicks etc the playback is outstanding!  A Near Mint intro and easily Mint- from that point on.

The quiet piano intro on 'You Never Give Me Your Money' plays beautifully with not even a single dust tick and the first vocal is just as impressive.  Wow this good!  As the volume increases the audio could not be any better and this standard is very much maintained to the end.  The clarity is of the highest calibre and the 'louder' end section is flawless as is the long 'countdown' fade out.  Mint-

The segue into 'Sun King' is 'as new' and this entire quiet intro plays with unbelievable clarity.  There is literally no 'background' and the opening vocal is equally as good.  It continues to play with sensational quality and the harmonies are immaculate!  This is Mint- and truth be told not even the minus is required!

'Mean Mr. Mustard', 'Polythene Pam' and 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Window' all have a sonic quality that can only be described 'as new' the audio definition is stunning.  There is not even a single dust tick and there is obviously no 'muddiness' to the sound.  This trio of songs are Mint- in every sense of the word.

The piano intro on the classic 'Golden Slumbers' has no interference and the first vocal has only a couple of insignificant dust ticks.  This track often plays with a 'muddy' sound but there is no such problem here and it is stunning from start to finish.  Mint-

'Carry That Weight' is superb from the get go with ticks or clicks etc.  There is no intrusion on the audio and grades as Mint-

'The End' continues this 'high end' audio with a power and depth that is off the scale!  From Ringo's opening percussive section, through every vocal and the three solos from Paul, George and John (in that order!) are 'as new'.  There is one minor static tick during the following piano section and the quiet end vocal plays to perfection.  A Mint- version for sure.

The long 'silent' section has no 'background' and 'Her Majesty' ends this classic album with sublime clarity once more.  A Mint end to this exceptional album.

In summary this first pressing with the rare 3U/1 matrix plays to an incredible standard with no interference it could be said.  A handful of mega light ticks on S1 but they hardly classify as interference and the clarity, depth and warmth of the audio on both sides is absolutely STUNNING on both sides.  The actual sonic quality is on another level compared to later pressings and the more recent reissues and I cannot emphasise enough just how impressive the audio is.  This record has certainly been played a few times and it shows that it is possible to retain the original sonic quality if it preserved well.  It still has that original deep rich tone and I am sure it will impress any avid collector.  Audio does not get much better than this!

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

The laminated G & L cover does have some wear the most obvious of which is a small mark below John's foot on the front cover.  Otherwise it is very clean and the edges and thin pinched spine are indeed near perfect.  The corners have only a little rubbing and the opening edge is also clean with only minimal handling wear.  The front cover has some laminate creases mainly around the edges and next to the spine but there is no actual laminate damage.  The back cover is very clean with only a small number of laminate creases and a white 'line' running down the bottom half of the left side with a minor scuff also.  Not a perfect cover but it is certainly rates as VG+ in my opinion.

The original plain white die-cut inner has no side splits or tears and only minimal creasing.  It has 15.00 written in one corner for some reason and has 'Patents Applied For' and 'Made In Great Britain' printed on the other side.

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

PCS 7088 // YEX 749  A - 3U / YEX 750 - 1 // L 1 / RPR 1

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