This very rare first press of Sheer Heart Attack is in superb condition and having play tested the entire LP I can confirm that the audio plays with a wonderful depth and quality.  It is also extremely rare to find SHA with the 3/U 1/U matrix (probably one of about 500 - more on this below) and I would say this record has been barely played.  Free of any hairlines Side One plays with minimal background noise and there are no skips or jumps.  'Brighton Rock' plays extremely well with a wonderful deep bass.  'Lily Of The Valley' does play with a little crackle but it doesn't get in the way.  Sometimes I think I'm being too harsh in my own grading as you expect some background noise with vinyls of this age and perhaps it's not even worth mentioning when so quiet.  I just prefer to give a true reflection of the record.  'Now I'm Here' again plays solidly with perhaps just a little distortion.  This is common on last tracks where the grooves were pressed closer together in order to 'fit' the track onto the side. 

 Side Two plays in a similar way, no lead in static and no skips or jumps at all.  Again it has that wonderful glossy sheen of a new vinyl and if anything this side plays with more clarity.  I heard just one small pop on 'In The Lap Of The Gods' but no other interference.  'Dear Friends' plays superbly for such a quiet track and the same can be said for the rest of the tracks.  Side Two plays almost as new it is that good.  A little distortion again on 'Gods...revisited' but not obtrusive.  A real treat to listen to!  

The laminated cover is one of the best I have seen - it is the rare cover without the Trident logo on the back.  So often the laminate has come apart and has plenty of creases but not with this one.  It just has a few small creases around the edges.  It has virtually no shelf wear and the thin pinched spine is in perfect order.  It has a very clean opening edge with just a small crease towards the bottom.  No marks on the reverse just a few small creases running down the spine.

  The lyric sleeve is also with only the one of the better ones you will find.  It has minor ringwear and the about 1cm of wear at the bottom.  It is rare to find one in such good condition when you consider it is made of paper.  It is certainly one of the best I have seen.

Play tested on my Technics SL-J110R turntable system

From the Queen online forum re the matrix numbers -

I have some very first pressings, and they are definitely 3U/4U pressings 100%, in fact the first 50 or so pressings are 3U/4U.
They then seemed to make an error when looking to cut some more mother plates, and actually used the 1U cut to make one stamper. Yes the rejected 1U B-side Trident cut seemed to be accidentally used to make one stamper "1OT" actually, that is mother plate number "1" for the 1U matrix, and stamper plate with letters "OT". It is competely bizarre as not only was it used once, it was used to make the B-side with a 3U and a 4U cut stamper on the A-side, really really odd. So there is one 3U/1U version out there, and one 4U/1U version out there, probably about 500 copies of each, so these are really rare and almost impossible to.

 Catalogue number EMC 3061 // Matrix numbers YAX 4881 - 3U / YAX 4882 - 1U // Mother Stampers 1 PD & 1 OT

The lyric inner is Ex+

The original EMI 

labels are Near Mint

Any questions please feel free to ask.

Please pay within 4 days of auction end.

I ONLY SEND ITEMS TO ITALY, RUSSIA AND SOUTH AMERICA "SIGNED FOR" AS TOO MANY ITEMS GO MISSING AND COSTS AN ADDITIONAL £6.00.  PLEASE ONLY BID IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS.

I ALWAYS COMBINE POSTAGE COSTS IF MORE THAN ONE ITEM IS WON / DOUBLE LPs COUNT AS TWO RECORDS.

ALL RECORDS ARE PROFESSIONALLY PACKED IN STRONG MAILERS WITH CARDBOARD STIFFENERS.  THEY ARE PUT INTO A SEPARATE SLEEVE TO AVOID CUTTING THROUGH THE ORIGINAL.  THE COVER AND RECORD ARE THEN PLACED SEPARATELY INSIDE A PVC SLEEVE.

I WILL LEAVE FEEDBACK AS SOON AS I RECEIVE FEEDBACK - SO I KNOW THE ITEM WAS RECEIVED SAFELY AND THAT YOU ARE HAPPY WITH IT :-)

In the coming weeks and months I will be putting plenty of Queen, Pink Floyd, Genesis and Marillion items on the site so please keep a look out!  Many thanks.  Please look at my other items on now!

UK POSTAGE RATES (FIRST CLASS):

LPs/12" singles : £3.95 then £0.95 per extra item 

7" singles / CDs : £1.95 then £0.55 per extra

EUROPE 

LPs/12" singles : £6.95 then £1.95 per extra 

7" singles / CDs : £3.95 then £0.95 per extra 

REST OF WORLD  

LPs/12" singles : £9.95 then £2.45 per extra

7" singles / CDs : £4.95 then £0.95 per extra  

FOR ITEMS OVER £46.00 I WOULD SERIOUSLY RECOMMEND SIGNED FOR.  THIS PROTECTS US BOTH IF ITEMS GET LOST OR DAMAGED IN THE POST AND COSTS £6.00 EXTRA SO PLEASE JUST ASK IF YOU WOULD PREFER THIS.  IF YOU DON'T I CAN'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST OR DAMAGED ITEMS.

IF YOU ARE NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE RETURNS ARE ACCEPTED FOR A FULL REFUND EXCEPT YOUR RETURN POSTAGE (UNLESS OBVIOUSLY MY FAULT).  IF THIS HAPPENS PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE LEAVING FEEDBACK SO WE CAN COME TO AN AMICABLE CONCLUSION.  I'M SURE IT WON'T EVER COME TO THIS ANYWAY!!