LED ZEPPELIN - LED ZEPPELIN 1

A rare and highly sought after copy of this 1969 UK STEREO 1st pressing and corrected A1/B1 matrix variant on the coveted UK red & plum ATLANTIC label, 588171

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1 588171 A//1 with  stampers "1" and "4 3" at 9 o'clock and 9.30 o'clock respectively

Side 2  588171 B//1 with  stampers "1 3" and "3 2" at 4.30 o'clock and 5 o'clock respectively

Note that on each side the second "8" has been crossed out and a replacement "8" hand etched just above the cross out

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent. Completely flat and still retaining a beautiful glossy sheen with no obvious marks at all...just beautiful vinyl. It's only under a bright light, and even then when tilted at the right angle, that just a few wispy hairlines and couple of small, very light paper scuffs come into view (and even then you have to look hard), but these are strictly surface only, non "feelable", and completely non intrusive. Beautiful vinyl both sides.

The red and maroon labels are excellent+. Pristine, in fact, apart from a few very light spindle trails on each side adjacent to the centre hole - again, you need to look hard to spot them. 

The laminated (both sides) MacNeil outer sleeve is excellent.  All edges remain firm with no scuffing, and that includes the spine where all writing remains perfectly legible. Each corner remains a well defined right angle with barely any rubbing and the iconic front side art work is completely intact with a rich, vibrant appearance - very impressive. There is the occasional 1cm surface laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the bottom edge and spine (eight in total) but these are very superficial and barely noticeable, and there is just a little vertical laminate lifting on the front side adjacent to the spine edge - nothing really. The reverse side is similarly impressive, retaining the deep colouration and rich vibrancy of the photo and with all writing perfectly intact. There is no unwanted writing, names, dates, or doodles. The only minor blemish is a 2cm diagonal laminate crease in the bottom right hand corner - completely non-intrusive. A solid "excellent" condition sleeve.

Finally, the quality of the audio is excellent. There is wonderful tone and clarity throughout and with no distortion, even on the higher frequencies and at higher volume. No skips or nasty pops and no clicks either. There is just the hint of a little background static/crackle but this is very mild and non-intrusive and only really noticeable at the beginning of each side. Just sit back, turn up the volume, and enjoy each and every track on this timeless classic - a great, great listen, with much of the audio quality being simply mindblowing  - this is where vinyl really comes into it's own, providing "in your room" audio quality which simply knocks spots off digitally remastered CD's...the guitar solo in the middle of "You Shook Me" is, for me at least, as good as it gets - turn up the volume and lose yourself in audio and rock perfection!!.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. GOOD TIMES BAD TIMES

2. BABE I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU

3. YOU SHOOK ME

4. DAZED AND CONFUSED

Side 2 :

1. YOUR TIME IS GONNA COME

2. BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE

3. COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

4. I CAN'T QUIT YOU BABY

5. HOW MANY MORE TIMES

Comes with die-cut white inner sleeve which remains in excellent condition. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a solid excellent (at least) copy of this rare and sought after 1969 UK 1st pressing rock classic - a "must" for any serious rock vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 63 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for  : UK £5.00, continental Europe £9, and Rest of the World £13. 

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler