Frédéric Chopin ~ Volume 2  (The Four Impromptus / Berceuse / Barcarolle / Nocturne No. 3 / Scherzo No. 3) Wilhelm Kempff

Cat#: SXL 2024 Record Label: Decca Country Released: UK Label Info: Wide Band / ED1 "Original Recording"Stereo/Mono: Stereo Release Year: 1958 Title(s) / Tracks: Side A Title Side B Title A1 Impromptu No.1 In A Flat Major, Op. 29 B1 Barcarolle In F Sharp Major, Op. 60 A2 Impromptu No.2 In F Sharp Major, Op.36 B2 Nocturne No.3 In B Major, Op. 9, No.3 A3 Impromptu No.3 In G Flat Major, Op.51 B3 Scherzo No.3 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 39 A4 Impromptu No.4 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 66
("Fantasie-Impromptu")

A5 Berceuse In D Flat Major, Op. 57


***PLAY TESTED***

Grading Overview  Vinyl Grading Ungraded (Please read comments) The disc on the whole is very clean with only light surface scuffs here and there.
If it wasn't for the below issue, I would be happy to grade this at a strong EX.
On playback there is only very light sporadic crackle and the odd tick. There is very little hiss which is obviously very important in solo instrumental titles.

The label shows some light spindle wear within 1cm radius of spindle hole. Obviously been played but not abused.

Conclusion:
Depending on your tolerance for such issues, this is either a strong EX disc with a minor tolerable flaw or a complete no-no, graded Good, at best. I'll let the market decide and so have started with a fair, low starting price.  

Sleeve GradingVG This sleeve predates the era when Decca were building up the spine so this is a flat example. Some light creases to spine edge. Lights signs of storage wear back and front but laminate has kept very well with no obvious bubbling (laminated front only). Light sticker residue on bottom right corner back, and indentation of number "25" top right. No foxing in evidence so has been stored in a dry place.  

Conclusion:
Obvious been looked after strong/top end of grade and could easily pass as low EX.  Marks Causing Notable Issues: Side A, Band 2, 9 O'Clock - 1mm feelable mark which causes a click for 12 rotations.  Please see arrowed picture attached. Grading System From 20th Jan 2024 I Will be using the Goldmine Grading System as follows:

MINT A record that is in perfect condition and has never been played. I will only use this grading if the record is sealed. Near Mint (NM or M-) The record appears to have never been played (or has been played very few times). The record has no visible signs of wear or damage. The cover has no creases, folds, seam splits, cut-out holes, or any other noticeable defects. Excellent (EX)

(PLEASE NOTE: I have elected to use EX as opposed to Goldmines VG+. In the interest of clarity, I will not use the VG+ grading to represent a top end VG)

A record that has been played but is still in excellent condition. Defects are of a cosmetic nature, not affecting the actual playback as a whole. Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK". The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. Spindle marks may be present. The cover/box may have slight signs of wear and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation, or cut corner. In general, if not for a couple of minor things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. Very Good (VG) The record has obviously been played. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound. Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of covers and will show obvious signs of wear and tear. Good (G) The record has obviously been played. A record that has been heavily played and may skip or repeat. There may be noticeable noise or distortion on the recording. The Sleeve has obvious marks, tears and rips. Grading Definitions / Terms Not all of the below will be present in my listings (as some would result in damage so severe it would render the record useless) but I thought they were worth exploring. 

Audio Tick - a light click that can be heard at a low level. Likely the result of a light scratch. Potentially accepted by the listener if not overly persistent. Click - Clearly audible and likely the result of a feelable scratch. Pop - Deeper in tone and more explosive than a click. Potentially temporary and related to dust and/or static. Does not reoccur over continual rotations and likely random, occurring sporadically. Hiss - Existing in the background and likely the result of many plays/uses coming from multiple hairline scratches. Likely to be fairly consistent and more audible in quieter sections/thinner orchestration. Crackle - Unlike hiss, crackle appears to exist 'on top' of the audio and is likely to be less persistent and more sporadic. Skip - the needle leaves the groove as a result of a mark/scratch, resulting in interrupted playback. Needle Stick (Skip/Loop) - on top of the skip, the record loops endlessly as damage prevents the needle from proceeding. Groove Wear - This is a really tricky one (and could provide the answer as to why a visually great record sounds terrible) to spot. By definition when a piece of metal comes into contact with a piece of plastic there will be some wear and tear. Each time a record is played it will diminish minutely in quality each time. This was amplified by old fashioned, heavy (or worn out) Stylus. There's a great video on YouTube which references a book called "From Tinfoil To Stereo" which, at a microscopic level, shows the groove of a record at the beginning of it's life, lightly chevroned and, after 50 plays with a heavy stylus, looking like car tyre tread. So, although a record may have spent it's life in a cherished collection and look mint, the only way we could see if there was groove wear, and a serious reduction in sound quality, is through play back.

Visual Vinyl (ordered by least to most serious) Skate Marks - Light marks across the grooves (but importantly not deep enough to cause audible issue) from poor handling. Look worse than they are. Scuff (light) - A glancing blow that is unlikely to be serious enough to cause any major playback issues. Hairline Scratch (Singular) - Very light scratch that may result in 'ticks' or nothing audibly at all. Hairline Scratch (Multiple) - could be the result of extensive use and often seen under bright light. In minor cases, may result in some crackle, in major, visually compromises the shine of the record, potentially dullening the surface and causing major hiss on playback. Scuff (Heavy) - More than a glancing blow, wider than a scratch and may cause ticks or clicks. Scratch - Heavier than a hairline and may be heard of playback. If 'feelable' potentially serious enough to result in more than a tick/click but skips or skip/loops. Tramlines - I borrow this term from the excellent LondonJazzCollector blog, scratches which fall in the direction of the groove. Often hard to spot and can cause major issues as the needle follows the scratch as opposed to groove resulting in skips. Polythene Transfer - Again borrowed from the LondonJazzCollector blog. Mottled, cloudy impressions exist on the vinyl as a result of being in contact with poly lined sleeves (likely under pressure). The blog advises to avoid such examples because of of the potential for transfer to the stylus. Ringburn - My term, I name this in honour of the old issue with Xbox consoles where, if knocked and the game was in play, I assume the disc lens scratches a perfectly circular scratch all the way round... Mentioned here out of novelty (as I'll never list one), I assume this is caused by a worn stylus (or a vinyl LP being played on a Gramophone?). Essentially the information on the disc has been completely worn away and when the needle passes through it, all you hear is static (or the same sound when you auto drop the needle on a 12" but you forget you loaded a 10") Sleeve/Box/Label Foxing - The Sleeve has been exposed to damp at some point in it's life and has mottling, or even rust like, marks present. Ringwear - The record has likely been stored with other records stored on top of it, creating pressure and transferring the outline of the record to the sleeve. Spindle Wear - The level of shiny Marks marks around the spindle hole. Small levels of spindle wear likely indicate a small amount of play and vice versa. BB Hole/Notched/Clipped - Likely more cosmetics than anything. A Clipped or notched sleeve (where a part of it is missing) indicates that first time around, the record was unsold and returned to the distributor. The same reason could be why there is an off centre hole drilled through some, or all of the layers; sleeve, inner and record.

Postage ***UK POSTAGE £4.50*** International Combined Postage No LP's Approx Equivalent Weight Europe Zone 1 Europe Zone 2 Europe Zone 3 World Zone 1 World Zone 2 World Zone 3 1 LP 500g £12.15 £12.45 £13.65 £17.90 £19.80 £19.85 2 LPs 750g £13.05 £13.40 £14.50 £20.35 £22.60 £22.45 3 LPs 1kg £13.65 £14.05 £15.20 £23.00 £25.55 £25.15 4 LPs 1.25kg £13.90 £14.45 £15.95 £24.95 £28.35 £28.95 5 LPs 1.5kg £13.90 £14.45 £16.75 £26.35 £30.85 £28.95 6 LPs 1.75kg £14.05 £14.85 £17.40 £27.75 £32.35 £31.45