Sold Date: December 7, 2016
Start Date: December 2, 2016
Final Price: $360.00 (USD)
Bid Count: 4
Seller Feedback: 2866
Buyer Feedback: 64

SS: Still Sealed
Label: Universal
Catalog Number: U2 13
Product Condition: M/ Mint

You're bidding on Side A of U2's "The Best of 1990 - 2000" Original Master Lacquers which were cut from master tapes provided to Classic Records by Universal for the planned, but never released LP reissue.

Side A Tracks:
1. Even Better than the Real Thing
2. Mysterious Ways
3. Beautiful Day
4. Electrical Storm (Willian Orbit mix)

In the early 2000’s Classic Records was pursuing U2 management to allow a Classic / U2 reissue series.  The pursuit was unsuccessful but lead to Classic’s being helpful in persuading the U2 production team to use RTI for plating of anniversary editions of “Rattle and Hum” and “Best of 1990 - 2000, when the opportunity arose.  In fact, Classic delivered the lacquers along with its own to make sure the parts got into the plating bath as quickly as possible.  Gary Salstrom, now plant manager at QRP in Salina KS, was at that time the head plating man at RTI and a big U2 fan was excited to process U2 lacquers cut at Bernie Grundman’s just before Classic lacquers were cut.  The plating was very successful and parts were sent to Europe thereafter for reissues of both albums thereafter.  Years later, when Classic got all of its lacquers back the U2 lacquers were included probably because they had been sent to plating in the same box.  As such these gems have been unearthed and present a rare opportunity for someone to own them.

One of a kind original master lacquers cut from the original master tapes and used by Classic Records to produce stampers that pressed their vinyl reissue editions.
Here's how it works: In real time, the master tape was running along with the cutting lathe cutting the groove modulations in the master lacquer.  The master lacquer was then electroplated and produced a Master plate used ultimately to make stampers that press vinyl records.  Once the master lacquer has made its metal master it can still be played like an LP and represents the CLOSEST transfer to the original master tape used to cut it! A "lacquer" of an LP is simply the original 14"-diameter, nitro cellulose-coated aluminum disc that the LP mastering engineer "cuts" with a heated stylus assembly from either the master tape, or in the case of a "direct-to-disc" recording, literally from the live microphone feed. If any mistake is made when cutting the lacquer, it must be thrown out and a new one started. The lacquer is then used to start the plating process for making standard PVC LP records, and then stored for possible future use. Lacquers are actually playable on a standard phonograph system if trimmed to 12" in diameter to fit the turntable, as they are a "positive" of the recording, just like the final finished LPs that come from them. HOWEVER, they are VERY fragile, as nitro cellulose is a very soft material. The process of hand trimming the 14" processed lacquers is very delicate and can result in small chips around the trimmed are which generally does not affect playback using a standard cartridge. While fragile by nature, processed lacquers are the highest-fidelity source of the music except for the original master tape itself.  The sound of lacquer is as close to the sound of the master tape as you can ever get - with the least amount of information lost in the transfer and the highest fidelity.   For these special sets, the master lacquers have been delicately trimmed down from 14" to 12" in diameter so that they can be played back on any modern turntable.  Each disc is single sided and perfectly flat for playback sound that is nothing short of breathtaking. This is a rare opportunity to procure a collectible that will only grow in value over time!

Each lacquer is sealed and packaged in a white jacket to preserve their collectibility.

ULTRA RARE item... Good luck!

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