Wishbone Ash Argus MINT UK 1st Press Dogbone MCA Label with Lowest Stampers

	£		79
	$		104

 Hello there bidders!  

This is my new account that I have set up primarily for vinyl records.  I will be listing my fathers rather rare records other the next week so come and grab some rare wax!!

You can bid with absolute confidence as I describe with total honesty with as many pictures as possible.

I know what it is like to get an over graded record turning up 2 weeks late, but that is not the service you will receive here.  I am a true lover of vinyl and this passion will be transferred to the security of your records!!

So enough of that and on to the record in hand!

Wishbone Ash

Argus

First Pressing 1972

MDKS 8006

Stereo

Here we have a beautiful example of one of the rarest and accomplished Wishbone Ash records ever made!

It is so often with this record that it has been played to death and all the inners have been lost over the past 40 years, but we have a very very first pressing in simply beautiful condition.  The audio is perfect and when compared to later presses you really realise that this is how Argus should be heard!

The record has clearly only seen a turntable once or twice in its 40 year life!  It looks and plays as new!

With a near perfect 1st press vinyl; a stunning 1st press sleeve and the very earliest stampers, we have ourselves here a once in a lifetime record!

A quick word about the labels for MCA pressings. It seems they were forever changing the design, but there is a definite progressive path that they took with the early 70's presses.

The first two wishbone ash albums had the multi-coloured 'dogbone' label where the centre band you see on this press curved inwards in the centre and gave the appearance of a dogbone. This came in one of four colours:

Red and brown

Yellow and red

Red and pink

Orange and magenta

All four were issued at the same time and one is not earlier than the others, and it is possible to get the first two ash albums on any of the first two colours.

By the time Argus was released the labels had undergone the change you see here. A black label with a blue band across the middle

The next change saw the blue band disappear and the label was solid black with silver typeface. You can get all three of ash albums on this plain label. They are not 1st presses

Wishbone four is a first press on the black and silver label however. After this the labels changed again to the rainbow design on the black surface

There are many variants of this record, but only the very first pressings had the following criteria:

·         As mentioned, the blue/black MCA label.

·         The 1L/1L matrix endings.

·         The unlaminated Robert Stace gatefold sleeve.

·         JT etched at 12 O’clock in the dead wax.

Matrix Numbers

7 – LNMG-256-1L & 7 – LNMG-257-1L    

(The L here refers to George Bettyes, who was the engineer who oversaw the pressing process.)

Stampers.

Side 1:             1          BG       JT

Side 2:             1          UB       JT

Sleeve Condition.

The 1st print unlaminated gatefold Robert Stace outer sleeve is in superb condition!  There are no rips, stains, tears or writing to mention!  The wording on the wide spine is perfectly readable and is lovely and straight.  All the edges are straight and crisp.  The colours are as vibrant as they were on the day of release.  The inside of the gatefold is in near perfect condition!  The rear of the sleeve is as good as the rest of the sleeve, looking fantastic, with no ring wear to mention.  There is hardly even any sign of storage wear to be seen at all.  It’s clear that this sleeve has sat in a plastic cover on a shelf for its entire life! Simply Stunning!

 Nr Mint

Inner Condition.

The 1st press stereo blue and white inner, with the “handling equipment” info on is in great condition, with no writing, stains or splits to mention!  All the edges are nice and sharp and it holds the record perfectly as it should.  There is only mild discolouring to one edge that needs mentioning!  The date reads 4-72, being April 1972, which is the first press release, date (although the record was recorded in 1971.)

Excellent

Label Condition.

The first press MCA are in fantastic condition.  There are no rips, rubbing, writing or stains to mention.  There is no centre hole damage at all.  Even under a strong light, it’s hard to say if there is even 1 spindle!  It’s that good! 

Nr Mint

Vinyl Visual Condition.

The record itself looks unplayed!  It still retains its factory shine and lustre with no scratches or warping at all.  Under a strong light, only some wispy, almost invisible, removal lines can be seen that have no effect on playback at all.  It looks almost brand new, it really does!  It’s so very very rare to see a 1st press Argus in this condition.  It’s a joy to hold! 

Nr Mint

Vinyl Audio Condition.

The record sounds superb from start to finish!  There are no jumps, skips or distortion at all! I didn’t hear a single pop throughout!  The dynamics of all the different instruments are so well defined and easily separable by the ear.  The quiet parts are silent as they should be and I only heard the slightest static on the run-in of side 1! This really is how the record should be heard; it’s incomparable to later presses or other formats.  Near perfect sharp, crystal audio that won’t disappoint!

Nr Mint

So there we have it.  One of the rarest and very earliest copies of Argus you are likely to see and in such stunning condition. Final Upgrade!!

This will be an asset to your ears!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Happy Bidding!!

Also check out my other Wishbone Ash 1st Presses that are coming off on Sunday the 21st!!

IT'S WISHBONE SUNDAY!!

All my records will be sent first class, signed for and insured to their value!

I will package the records with extreme care, with hard stiffeners and the vinyl separate to the sleeve and inner, all housed in a Defenda lock tab record box envelope.

 I try to be as honest as I can in my descriptions, taking as many pictures as possible, but if you don’t feel happy with your purchase, I offer no quibble full refunds as soon as the record is sent back.  I will not give partial refunds however, only full.  I think this is fair, Thanks!

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Over the next month I will be listing my Fathers record collection.  He was an avid collector who amassed a pretty huge collection that I will be offering all at 99p starts! I shall be listing No Emi Harvests, 1st press Beatles, Pink Islands and loads of other rarities! 

They are mostly in near perfect condition with my dad putting most on tape in the 80’s, then once again onto CD in the 90’s, and since they have been sat unplayed and always in plastic covers! , so stay tuned if you’re interested in some good old rare wax!