The Beatles LET IT BE BOX SET UK 1ST PXS1 SUPERB NMINT

	£		460
	$		610

THE LABELS

THE APPLE LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE DARK GREEN SIDES ARE VERY RICH AND VIBRANT, AND HAVE LOST NONE OF THE COLOUR AT ALL. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS BOLD AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE WHITE SIDES ARE VERY WHITE AND THERE ARE JUST A HANDFUL OF SMALL SPIDERS LINE CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING THAT THIS LP HAS  BEEN PLAYED ABOUT 6-7 TIMES

THE VINYL

THE VINYL HAS RETAINED IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN AND IS REALLY CLEAN. IT GLEAMS LIKE A NEW PRESS AND HAS LOST NONE OF IT'S ORIGINAL LUSTRE. THERE ARE SOME VERY LIGHT HANDLING LINES THAT CAN BE SEEN WHEN THE LP IS ANGLED INTO THE LIGHT

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM OVER SIX SEPERATE SOUNDBITES TO ENABLE YOU TO JUDGE EXACTLY HOW SOUND THIS VINYL IS

IT IS WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION AT ANY POINT DURING THE PLAY, WHIC WOULD INDICATE THAT THE FEW PLAYS THAT THE LP HAS RECEIVED HAVE BEEN DONE ON A HI-FI THAT HAS NOT HAD A WORN OR TOO HEAVY STYLUS

THE LP PLAYS BEAUTIFULLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, WITHOUT ANY TRACE OF DISTORTION CAUSED THROUGH GROOVE WEAR. A STUNNING STEREO REPRODUCTION WITH NOTES BEING HEARD CRISPLY AND CLEANLY.IT IS WORTH POINTING OUT THAT FIRST PRESS RELEASES ALWAYS SOUND BETTER THAN LATER PRESSES. TAKING A LISTEN TO 'THE TWO OF US' SHOULD EASILY CONFIRM THIS

THERE ARE SOME LIGHT POPS AND A LITTLE LIGHT BACKGROUND WHICH CAN ONLY BE HEARD DURING THE QUIETEST PASSAGES, BUT PLEASE JUDGE FOR YOURSELF AS YOU ARE ABLE TO HEAR THE ENTIRE ALBUM IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS LP EXCELLENT PLUS

THE FIRST ISSUE OF THIS ALBUM ONLY CAME IN THIS DELUXE PRESENTATION SET. IT WAS RELEASED ON MAY 8TH 1970. TO OBTAIN JUST THE STANDARD ISSUE YOU HAD TO WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER 6TH 1970. THE BOX SET SOLD POORLY BY COMPARISON BECAUSE OF ITS PRICE.

THE FACT THAT NOT MANY HAVE SURVIVED IN A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION IS DUE WHOLLY TO THE TERRIBLE DESIGN WHICH I WILL DESCRIBE IN FULL

STARTING WITH THE OUTER SLEEVE. THIS IS A FULLY LAMINATED SLIDE OVER SLEEVE AND WAS DESIGNED TO JUST SLIP OVER THE CARD TRAY CONTATINING THE BOOK AND LP. THE PROBLEM WITH IT IS THAT IT IS MADE OF A VERY FLIMSY CARD AND THIS HAS RESULTED IN MOST COPIES TEARING ON THE SEAMS WHERE THE TRAY SITS TOO SNUGLY INSIDE. OTHER PROBLEMS OFTEN SEEN INCLUDE TERRIBLE CREASING AND LAMINATE LIFT. PEEL AND FLAKE.

THIS ONE IS ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE SEEN WITH VERY FEW FLAWS.

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE , THIS HAS REMAINED HIGHLY POLISHED AND THE LAMINATE LOOKS GREAT. THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES AT ALL, AND NO BENDS EITHER. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SAMLL LAMINATE LINES CLOSE TO WHAT WOULD NORMALL BE THE SPINE ON THE LEFT SIDE, AND ONE NEAR THE BOTTOM EDGE.

 THE REAR SURFACE IS LOVELY AND GLOSSY AS WELL AND IS ALSO CREASE FREE , AGAIN JUST THE COUPLE OF TINY LAMINATE LINES

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF THIS SLIP OVER SLEEVE USUALLY END UP CHIPPED AND TORN BUT HERE WE HAVE TWO THAT ARE IN SUPERB CONDITION. THE BOTTOM EDGE IS HIGHLY POLISHED AND HAS JUST ONE SMALL LAMINATE LINE ALONG A TINY SECTION OF IT, WHILST THE TOP EDGE IS ALSO IS EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION WITH JUST ONE SMALL CREASE LINE ON ONE END. WHAT IS UNBELIEVEABLE IS THAT THERE IS NO CHIPPING TO THE VULNERABLE EDGES

THIS IS JUST ABOUT THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THIS FRAGILE SLIP OVER CASE THAT I HAVE SEEN

THE INNER TRAY IS USUALLY FOUND BADLY SPLIT. AGAIN THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE DESIGN. A VERY HEAVY BOOK WAS INLAID INTO THIS TRAY WHICH WAS VERY VERY DELICATELY PUT TOGETHER. THE WEIGHT OF THE BOOK WHEN THE BOX WAS STOOD UPRIGHT (OF COURSE THIS IS HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE) EVENTUALLY CAUSED THE WEAKEST JOINTS TO SPLIT. THIS IS WHY THERE ARE SO MANY REPRODUCTIONS ABOUT AS MOST ORIGINALS GOT TOTALLY RUINED.

THIS ONE IS IN AMAZING ORIGINAL CONDITION. THE OUTER SECTION OF THE TRAY IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. MOST OF THE BLACK SURFACE IS STILL THERE WITH JUST THE HINGED FOLDS SHOWING A LITTLE RUBBING AND ONE SMALL TEAR THE THE SEAM ON ONE SIDE ABOUT TWO INCHES IN LENGTH

THE PERFORATED INNER BASE TRAY HAS ALSO REMAINED IN INCREDIBLE CONDITION. NONE OF THE PERFORATIONS HAVE SPLIT TOGETHER. THE ONLY MINOR BLEMISH BEING TWO SMALL TEARS AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE TRAY, BUT THESE HAVE NOT CAUSED THE INNER TRAY TO BUCKLE IN ANY WAY. THE NEAITHER SPLIT HAS MADE IT TO THE EDGE , AND THUS IT HAS RETAINED ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE. THE BOOK HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED AND CANNOT CAUSE ANY MORE STRESS TO THE INNER TRAY

THE BOOK ALSO SUFFERS FROM POOR DESIGN. MOST COPIES YOU WILL SEE HAVE ALL OF THE PAGES FALLING OUT AS THE GLUED IN DESIGN WAS WEAK, AND THE MINTE YOU OPENED THE BOOK TO LOOK AT IT OR READ IT, THE UNDUE STRESS WAS PLACED ON THE GLUE AND LO AND BEHOLD THE PAGES STARTED TO FALL OUT. WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A BOOK THAT HAS ONLY BEEN LOOKED AT ONCE AND THEN RELACED, ENSURING THAT THIS BOOK WILL COME TO YOU IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITION

FINALLY THE ACTUAL ALBUM SLEEVE ITSELF

THE ONE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS LP AND THE NOVEMBER ISSUE WAS THAT ON THE REAR OF THE BOX SET SLEEVE, THE APPLE LOGO WAS IN RED, WHEREAS THE LATER ISSUES HAD A GREEN APPLE. ONE WAY TO TELL IF YOU HAVE A FIRST ISSUE ALBUM

THE SLEEVE IS JUST SUPER. THE FRONT SURFACE GLEAMS LIKE A MIRROR, AND THERE IS NO LAMINATE CREASING AT ALL ON ANY PART, THERE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF TINY LAMINATE LINES NEAR THE SPINE, AND ONE OR TWO ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES.THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS PRECIOUS ALBUM HAS NOT BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE MORE THAN A FEW TIMES

THE CORNERS HAVE SUFFERED A LITTLE RUBBING, AND THERE IS THE BAREST TRACE OF RECORD SHAPE ON THIS VERY THIN ANF FLIMSY SLEEVE

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS BRILLIANT AS THE FRONT

THE ACTUAL LP SLEEVE GRADES NEAR MINT MINUS, WHILST THE BOOK GRADES MINT MINUS, THE BOX GRADES NEAR MINT

A TRULY INCREDIBLE LET IT BE BOX SET, AND IN A SUPERB CONDITION THAT WOULD BE HARD TO BETTER

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY