Abbey Road 2/1 (1st Stereo Press)

This first pressing plays with stunning, immaculate audio and I have never heard better.  The 'misaligned apple' cover is also in superb condition.  Being a first press there is no 'Her Majesty' credit on the S2 label.

PCS 7088 // YEX 749 - 2 / YEX 750 - 1 // MGL 4 / RTR 5

The audio on S1 is Mint (track 5 is Mint-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-)

The cover is Near Mint-

The inner sleeve is Ex+

The labels are Mint-

 Visual grading

  With only a small number of light plays this vinyl is in exceptional condition and still retains a superb mirror like glossy sheen.  It looks practically 'as new'.  You can expect sleeve removal hairlines even on the newest of vinyls but this stunning first pressing has only a very small number of mega faint hairlines that you can only detect if you look very closely under a strong bright light.  It is visually stunning and has been beautifully preserved down the years and is the cleanest first pressing I have ever seen.  There is only a little spindle wear and the run out grooves are incredibly clean also.  Overall a stunning vinyl with audio that more than matches up to its visual quality.

Play grading

S1 starts in sublime fashion with no lead in static so it's one of those 'how often has this played'?  Not often judging by the immaculate audio on 'Come Together'.  With such a strong bass line this classic quite simply plays as Mint the clarity and sonic quality is of the highest standard.  There is just no 'background' whatsoever and plays 'as new'.  I cannot put into words just how good this sounds!  There are a number of quiet sections and yet there is not one dust tick, no static and certainly no clicks or pops.  This is so rare to find on a genuine first pressing and even the fade out plays with 100% perfect precision.  Wow!!

I am pleased to say 'Something' plays to the same exacting standard.  There is no distortion on the top end and the clarity again is of the highest quality imaginable.  This is fantastically well preserved vinyl the likes of which rarely come around.

Having listened to every second on this side I can confidently say the sound quality does not diminish the further you progress.  'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' and 'Oh Darling' again grade as Mint the audio is just immaculate.  I would usually grade as Mint- due to the album not being sealed but the 'guidelines' can be put to one side here!  The audio is without doubt Mint sealed or unsealed!  What is highly impressive is that the high octane vocal on this latter track has no distortion at all.  This is a rarity and is another prime example of how lightly this vinyl has been played.

'Octopus's Garden' also plays to a fantastic standard but shock horror ! I did hear one faint 'tick'.  Aside from that complete perfection.

'I Want You' ends this incredible side with audio that again cannot be adequately be described by words alone but I'll try my best!  From the first groove the clarity and depth is 'high end' and could not be improved upon.  This is prevalent throughout the entire track and the crescendo ending builds with such power and again there is no distortion.  This is the 'cleanest' version of this classic I have ever heard and this is on a first pressing!!  The sonic quality is stunning and provides an astounding finale to S1.

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There is again no lead in static on S2 and the classic 'Here Comes The Sun' then has audio that plays with nigh on perfect precision once more.  I did hear a couple of mega faint dust ticks but this certainly cannot be classed as interference.  They are so much in the background that the 'usual' listener may not even detect them.  The clarity and depth is sublime and a special mention again here for the stunning strength of the bass.

'Because' is another incredible listen and the harmonies just play perfectly with superb definition and separation i.e. no muddiness to the sound.

The super quiet intro on 'You Never Give Me Your Money' is nigh on perfect with just a subtle hint of mega light static, in other words it is barely audible.  Quite honestly it is barely worth mentioning, the clarity is still superb and there is no crackle and no clicks or pops.  It continues to play with wonderful precision and the long fade out is fantastic with only a couple of mega light dust ticks.

The quiet intro on 'Sun King' plays oh so impressively with no 'background'.  This clarity plays to the end and provides another Mint track on this breathtaking album.

The following 'trio' of songs starting with 'Mean Mr Mustard' all play with the same quality which, you won't be surprised to hear, is of an immaculate standard with no interference and again no distortion on the top level.

The classic 'Golden Slumbers' starts with a quality of sound that is spine-tingling, it has the wow factor!  There are a couple of mega faint dust ticks on the second verse that you will hear if your ears are stuck to the speakers ! but essentially this track plays with perfect audio once more.

'Carry That Weight' is....another sublime listen with no distortion which, it is worth pointing out, is quite rare as it often carries some to a lesser or greater extent.  This is yet another indication of how little this vinyl has played and how beautifully it has been maintained.  The guitar solo towards the end is so strong and powerful and is 'as new'.

'The End' and 'Her Majesty' end this astounding album with superlative sound quality, no interference, and the silent section between the two is the finest I have ever heard.  All you hear is the needle running on the grooves, I wouldn't even call it background static.  100% audio perfection in my humble opinion.

In summary this is undoubtedly the cleanest and most impressive 2/1 first pressing I have ever heard.  A strong claim to make but I fervently believe 99% of this album plays 'as new' the clarity and definition is of a quality I have never encountered before.  You would just never know this was nearly 50 years old, it is absolutely exceptional and is a final upgrade archive museum piece for certain.  With complete silence between every track the audio is of a standard that is rarely found on anyt pressing let alone a first pressing!  This is why we listen to vinyl - the depth and warmth of the sound on a record that has been so well cared for is tangible and basically a complete pleasure to listen to.  This will complete any Mint Beatles collection and will not disappoint.  I have played many first pressings but this is DEFINITELY the greatest I have heard.  The fact that it comes complete with a superb original 'misaligned' cover makes it even more collectable of course.

The Cover

This G & L laminated cover in wonderful condition and of course has the 'misaligned apple' on the back cover.  The edges and thin pinched spine have no shelf wear and the latter remains 100% legible.  The bottom two corners only have a very minor amount of wear and I do mean minor!  The top two corners are in  fabulous condition and the opening edge has hardly any handling wear either.  The laminate throughout has no splits and there is only one very small area of 'lift' near the spine on the front cover.  Both the front and back cover are beautifully clean with no marking anywhere.  There is just one small laminate crease on the back near the bottom edge but can only be seen when held at a certain angle.  This really is a superb example of this iconic cover and like the vinyl itself has been incredibly well maintained down the years.  Near impossible to find any better!

Inner sleeve

The plain white die-cut inner sleeve is in excellent shape with only some light creasing and no splits or tears.

The labels

They are both in superlative condition with no writing or marking.  As stated there is very little spindle wear and what you can is centred around the spindle hole only.

Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable / B&W 684 Speakers

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

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Postage & Packaging

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