LED ZEPPELIN III RARER Orig UK 70 Atlantic Plum EX++ LP

	£		102
	$		135

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: LED ZEPPELIN

Album Title: Led Zeppelin III

Producer(s): Jimmy Page [Executive Producer: Peter Grant].

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Immigrant Song; Friends; Celebration; Since I’ve Been Loving You; Out on the Tiles.

Side 2: Gallows Pole; Tangerine; That’s the Way; Bron-y-aur Stomp; Hats Off to (Roy) Harper .

Label/Format: Atlantic – Red and Maroon (‘Plum’) format.

Label Condition: A truly stunning Plum pair that retain highly attractive, practically ‘as new’ look. Any spindle traces are ultra light and faint, almost undetectable on side two. Intensely coloured, fresh and look little handled, these will not prove easy to find better.

Cat Number: 2401002.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 140 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England for both LP and Cover (some Plum copies included a German made sleeve, but this one is E.J. Day).

Rarity: All Led Zeps on Plum label are getting scarce, even more so in high grading visual and playing conditions.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: 2401002 A-5 1 1 1 8 / 2401002 B-5 1 3 1

Run-Out Groove Etched Messages: ‘Do what thou wilt’ / ‘So mote it be’.

Musicians: Jimmy Page – Robert Plant – John Bonham – John Paul Jones.

Brief Info: A masterful third release - and sometimes, unjustly underrated - it’s always overshadowed by I, II and IV. A more varied album with more use of acoustic instruments than previously. A wonderful set with its beautiful moving wheel packaging. Again peaking at No. 1 in the UK and US, this band could do little wrong at this time. This copy looks hardly played and has fantastic clean sound, so many of these are played into the ground and have clearly seen better days. The cover is laminated, unlike the two aforementioned albums but is prone to heavy creasing and often seen falling apart particularly on the top and bottom edges where the wheel is ‘sandwiched’ between the card construction. Often seen also with manufactured laminate issues with areas of creasing and non-adhesion, this one has escaped and has only minor blemishes. It even includes the original inner and not one that has been substituted. A lovely all-round example that should please many collectors in all departments.

Cover’s Potential for Wear & Damage: Moderately high. The moving wheel and windows often get damaged and the top and bottom edges often fall apart from use. Even though this cover is fully laminated, it often yellows badly particularly around the edges and is only scarcely found with none. Regularly seen also with manufacture creases on the laminate where adhesion clearly was an issue, probably due to the circular cut-out windows on the front.

Cover Condition and Details: Strong EX to EX+, a gatefold with the moving wheel with die cut windows on front, laminated front, back and inside. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group.

Cover Lamination and Front: Few escape marks or damage and this one that dulls and ages quite badly even though it’s laminated. All 11 circle windows are pristine with no burring or damage. The wheel rotated easily and freely too. The laminate itself is very clean, fresh and has minimal signs of any dulling or friction rubbing. Still a bright shade of white with any edge toning very light and faint. Light surface marks are only really visible witih angled viewing and apart from one very small fine surface crease, all fully adhered. This being just one tiny manufacture blemish as outlined above and so common on this cover. Many have considerable numbers of far larger ones than this tiny, almost unnoticeable one. The wheel rim is neat and unburred and only a faint thumb-crease on the area to the right of it, this also has little visibility. A very nice, better than excellent front that sets a high standard.

Cover Lamination and Back: The back sees all the lamination fully adhered with no manufacture creases or lifting. Any natural creases are very few, fine and faint. Mild dulling is evident with angled viewing only as are any mild pressmarks or general surface marks. The edges have just faint traces of toning that this cover rarely seems to avoid, but here, as light as they get. A very fine back also to complement the attractive front.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Barely anything to fault inside, any edge toning ultra faint, one tiny speck lies beneath the laminate. I reitterate this has the EJ Day printing credits not the commonly seen German version that has the artwork transposed.

Top Edges: Very neat and intact, not falling apart like so many. Very mild burr traces being critical.

Bottom Edges: Similar to above, slightly more thickened due to this being the ‘storage’ edge, any burring is only light. Both these critical edges are still solidly stuck with the centre area open which is correct as NO glue lines or marks are present.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp and neat with minimal traces of any wear, just minor thickening to the back edge (if viewed end-on). Record entered on this outside back edge. The wheel recess is perfect and showing no wear. The wheel edge is superb and undamaged.

Spine and Text: Absolute perfect, this is unbeatable: Rock solid and dead straight with no wear and still very black. Text is perfect and unworn under very solid and uncracked laminate. There is no central crease formation due to opening proving it hardly has ever been (please see spine picture).

Corners: All four show barely any wear at all and all retain great shape too.

Cover Summary: A very fine attractive all round example of this fragile UK made sleeve. This somewhat fragile cover will please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner: Yes the actual one that came with the record, no subsitutions here, dated coded 0470. This lined inner is easily EX+ and shows little wear at all and has no splits or tears with minimal ruffling. Just a record impression which is no surprise as this is now fast approaching 40-years-old.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Very critically graded EX++, but most would put Near Mint on this beauty I feel sure. With just a few ultra fine surface trace hairlines under light, this without any doubt has hardly been played or even removed from the inner. So rare to find a copy of this record on the Plum labels with so few plays, this is an exceptional example and these huge classics rarely get so unused by their original owners. This splendid copy plays with superb sound and it was a pleasure to hear again. So many Led Zep Plum record are played into submission or badly marked or scratched, with terrible sound resulting. This record is super clean and retains a very fine shine, intense black and quite heavily pressed – in every way exceptional.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippetts or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: An album that has a fair number of quieter passages compared to some LZ albums, but this plays beautifully with nothing unwanted and finding the Plum copies much better will prove very difficult. So-much-so, I can hardly imagine finding this title a great deal better. I noted no pops or clicks and this is a very clean pressing with even surface sounds conspicuous by their absence. The sound quality is superb: very clean and detailed and not even a hint of any distortion or groove wear. Both channels are clear and the sound is quite superb. The furious acoustic guitars on ‘Gallows Pole’ (and others) are dynamic and could have almost been in the room and Plants vocals are astonishing. The details and sheer volume and power embedded into a plum copy of III is without equal. This is a copy you can play loud and enjoy, no clipping or high frequency stresses, such lightly played copies – barely even run-in in vinyl terms – it has avoided any traumas or mistreatments. With such fine sound and attractive cover, it’s an early copy I can strongly recommend. They don’t show up like this too often and a wonderful opportunity. High recommendation is mandatory.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500).

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12. (insurance optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT neccessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.