Sold Date: April 9, 2017
Start Date: March 30, 2017
Final Price: £420.00 (GBP)
Bid Count: 3
Seller Feedback: 58
Buyer Feedback: 8

Ravel Piano Concertos

Performed by Samson Francois with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, conducted by Andre Cluytens

Columbia blue/silver label, Cat No. SAX 2394

Matrix / Mother / Stamper:

Side 1: YLX 1046 - 1 / 1 / P

Side 2: YLX 1047 - 3 / 1 / G

Very excited to be able to offer for sale this highly sought after and rare LP that comes in such staggering and fantastic condition.  I have play-tested many Classical LPs but I have never come across one that sounds as good as this one.  Full play-grading details are below.

The record comes on the light blue and silver Columbia label.  It also comes in the original cover and inner sleeve, both of which are also in great condition.  My apologies for the lengthy description but this record is in such condition and of such value that a long and full description is warranted.

Please, no time-wasters.  The condition of this record is such that it can only deteriorate if it is posted half-way around the world and back again, therefore losing significant value.  If you want to personally examine it a viewing can be arranged at Oxfam Books & Music in Bedford but there are no play-checking facilities at the shop. 

Note: the photos are not 'stock' photos.  They are of the actual record and have not been altered or enhanced in any way.

Condition

The Record - Play-Testing

I have play-tested this on a Rega RP6 deck through an Arcam FMJ A19 amplifier and AKG K240 headphones.  The volume was set at 45 with a possible maximum of 100.  Had it been any louder it would have been uncomfortable.  This is the most assured way to play-check Classical vinyl as even the faintest background noise can be detected.  Please bear this in mind when reading the following description of how it sounds.  

Side One - There is no background noise on the run-in, which is highly unusual.  Track 1 - some background crackle that varies from barely audible to just light during the very quiet passages. Between tracks 1 & 2 - A quiet crackle can be clearly heard.  Track 2 - A quiet background crackle can be heard during the quiet opening piano solo.  The crackle becomes fainter as the track progresses and more instruments come in.  This crackle gets louder but nowhere near intrusive at the end of the track. Between tracks 2 & 3 - a quiet crackle can clearly be heard.  Track 3 - A crackle can be faintly heard behind a loud intro then varies between being very quiet to slightly louder.  Run-out - a light crackle can be clearly heard.

Side Two -  Run-in - Again, no background noise which is almost unheard of. Track 1 (the only track!) - Throughout the track a background crackle can be heard, which varies between very faint and very light during the quieter passages.  Run-out - Just a very light crackle

Footnote: when I had lifted the tone-arm I could still hear a faint crackle through my headphones, which I believe to be static.  It is therefore entirely possible, or even inevitable, that some of the faint crackle that I heard was just static. 

There were NO 'clicks', NO 'ticks', NO 'pops', NO 'skips' and it certainly does NOT jump.  It is genuinely in Excellent plus condition.  To grade it as Near Mint I would need to hear no background noise at all.  I would suggest a clean on a professional standard machine will eradicate most, if not all, of any background noise.  I merely gave it a spray of L'art Du Son and a very, very gentle wipe with a new microfibre cloth to remove any dust before playing.  Of course this will not clean deep into the grooves or remove enough of the static.

The Record - Visually

Inspected under a strong 35w halogen lamp (which shows up every possible flaw), Side one has a 1cm x 3cm area of faint and barely visible sleeve withdrawal lines that are only visible under the lamp.  There are also 3 further 1cm long sleeve withdrawal lines that are similarly barely visible.  Side two just has just the one 4mm long sleeve withdrawal line that is barely visible, even under the lamp. The record also retains a fantastic 'unplayed' gloss and sits as flat as a pancake with no warping.  Visually, it is comfortably in Excellent plus condition.  To grade it any higher I would need to see absolutely no marks on the playing surface and/or labels.

Labels   Both are clean and unmarked with no spindle trails (please see photos).  They are absolutely Mint.

Cover   The cover is made of thick card and is front-laminated.The only defects are as follows: a 5mm surface 'nick' on the front where the laminated has come away (see photo); a 4mm split at the bottom of the opening; some light 'foxing' on the front top of the cover; some surface 'scoring' of which some haas got very slightly soiled; a faint hint of ringwear and some discolouration due to age in places.  The spine and the non-opening edges are sharp and well defined.  Comfortably in Very Good condition at least and aside from the tiny aforementioned split.

Inner  The poly-lined inner has a lot of creasing but that is all.  It is otherwise intact and undamaged.

Grading (Record / Cover):

EXCELLENT + /  VERY GOOD

Grading Guide - Important!

I visually examine all records under a strong 35w halogen lamp, which shows up ALL defects.  Most sellers do not do this and, as a consequence, records graded under other sub-standard lighting, including normal room lights, will appear in far better condition than they really are.  I grade my records according to the Rare Record Price Guide (with the addition of the Near Mint grade), which means, to me, as follows:

Mint - Must be sealed or I must have evidence that it has never been played.

Near Mint - Totally unmarked, no scratches, not even faint 'hairlines' / sleeve withdrawal marks or any other signs of play.

Excellent - No scratches, just signs of having been played, such as the odd faint 'hairline' or sleeve withdrawal mark that is barely visible under a strong lamp, or spindle trails on the label.

Very Good - The first mild scratches have begun to appear, but only very, very few.

Good - More scratches than Very Good and more severe, but I am confident that the record will play through with no problems and will still provide a good listening experience.

Fair - The record may not play through properly with a chance of it jumping, or it will play with significant background noise.

Poor - It definitely won't play without skipping or sticking.

Below Near Mint I will use plus or minus with a grade to highlight fine differences.

I also sometimes play-grade records and the final grade is a combination of how it plays and looks.

Cover Grades

My cover grades are exactly as stated in the Record Collector magazine / Rare Record Price Guide as follows:

Mint: The cover and any extra items are in perfect condition

Excellent: The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing

Very Good: Normal wear and tear on the cover is acceptable

Good: The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration etc.

Fair: The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

All vinyl is dispatched using stiffeners and card mailers.

IMPORTANT - PLEASE WAIT FOR AN INVOICE BEFORE PAYING, PARTICULARLY IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE UK.  The postage costs given here are only an estimate - postage costs could vary according to where you live and I do not want to overcharge you. This item will only be posted tracked and signed.

As a rough guide postage will be as follows:

UK £15; Europe £100; Rest of the World £130

Please satisfy yourself with possible postage costs before bidding.  These could be quite high depending on where you live. However, I will try to ensure the postage is as cheap as possible.

We will not be responsible for import taxes - please be aware that these could be quite high so please check these before bidding.  YOU WILL NEED TO PAY FOR IMPORT TAXES.

Payment MUST be made within 10 days.  Failure to do so will result in an eBay unpaid case being opened unless you contact us beforehand.  NO EXCEPTIONS.  We are a charity.  Failure to pay DOES cost us money which is needed for life-saving projects.

This record has been donated to Oxfam Books & Music in Bedford, UK. We always have a small but excellent display of vinyl of all genres, as well as an excellent selection of CDs, music books and sheet music.  I have been successfully selling vinyl for Oxfam for 7 years on an almost daily basis, having valued tens of thousands of records in that time and sold just as many.  Please read these comments about my 100% rated eBay vinyl sales of all genres and formats for Oxfam Bedford:

"Fantastic item, well packed and fast delivery.  AAA+++" (Smash Hits Christmas 82 Flexi)

"Excellent" (The Users: Kicks in Style 7")

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"Quick delivery and nice item.  Recommended" (Massive Attack: Unfinished Sympathy 7")

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"Excellent item as described.  Many thanks." (Sibelius: Violin Concerto SXL 6953 - 23/6/16)

"MY FAVORITE SELLER PACKAGING WAS GREATEST ARRIVE QUICKLY SPLENDID CORRESPONDENCE" (Shipped to the U.S. -Ted Milton 7" Single - 27/6/16)

100% of the proceeds from the sale of this record will go to Oxfam GB.

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