Beatles 2014 mono LPs going out of print...*

Amen, brother.

And no cheating on stereo Only A Northern Song. Sync the tapes, finally. No protools!!

 

This might be generally true, but I'm dying for a AAA Abbey Road.

 

there are millions of copies out there for you to choose from

 

1) The market is bloated with the reissues.

2) May be, but you need a bit of a break, at least until 2019 and for me I need much more than a AAA, it has to be a good AAA and I don't see that happening.

 

That could easily be arranged.

 

I wouldn't mind a Capitol box a la the US Albums CD set.

 

Why not both? If any band has a demand for both stereo and mono copies on the shelves, it's the Beatles.

I would personally prefer stereo in an either or scenario, though

 

Yep. And I may do exactly that. But I love the mono set and I think they if they do the same to Abbey Road it could be something special.

 

You've got the lathe? Let's go!

 

You bring the tapes then and we make a party out of it, my open reel may need some dusting.

I had more in mind buying just one of the millions of AAA Abey Road already pressed and easily available everywhere.

 

Get a good original, doesn't need to be very early preferably a UK one but there are other good ones. An early Australian is not bad at all either but the UK is still better.

 

Why? The mono AAA set is amazing

 

I'm not yet expert at navigating the original UK pressings for this album. There may be millions, but a NM original fetches $300 on discogs.

Any advice of what pressing might be cost effective with original sound intact?

 

Come to Florida. I found a VG+ misaligned Apple copy last week for about $20. WTF??

From my research, the original -2/-1 matrix was used for many years, and then Harry Moss (HTM) cut reissues for awhile. So pretty much any UK version from the 70s should do. The mid-late 70s ones should cost less than $30.

 

The first version with the misaligned apple on the cover definitely might cost you a bit less on ebay but not far from that. The next one that is still considered a first press has the apple aligned on the cover but is missing the listing for Her majesty (on the record label AND the cover) might go for 1/3 of that, then the ones missing it on the record only, those are probably the best value for a first pressing. Then you get the ones that have listed her majesty from probably the late 69 and 70's I have not personally heard those but they should still sound excellent.

What I believe to be the first Australian pressing have a black and gold Stereo sticker on the cover. It is a very good pressing that sounds very close at a fraction of an early UK but it is marginally not as good. You are in the US which adds ridiculous postage costs but if you can get hold of a good UK I thoroughly recommend it. You may have to get used to the idea of accepting some imperfection but the sound will make up for it.

 

I hope you can see why a new AAA pressing for $25 would be handy ;-)

I've heard a needle drop of the UK '69 on my home system, so I do know how good it can be!

 

I know just the mention of a repress elicits strong feelings. "No, there wasn't supposed to be a repress! I was lied to! I paid too much! I better sell some of my multiple copies soon!"

 

The HTM -6, -4 re-cut is very very good too.

I have both that an the original, it's really hard to tell a difference. The re cut has slightly more low mids

 

You'll get what you paid for (not in the case of Peppers mono) I know the temptation for a $25 brand new shiny press, it is almost irresistible but it is not worth it. As someone else mentioned you'll be able to get easily a decent condition, early 70's UK for $30, it is unlikely to be as good as a first press but the difference would be small. Unless record companies change the way they've been doing things, that early 70's pressing will still beat in tonal balance, dynamic range and frequency response any reissues.

 

There have been a lot over the last several years, but to be fair, many of those have been grey market releases – kicked right in at 2010 and will happen to Beatles albums eventually.

 

I have at least three legit copies of KOB released in the last few years. Let's see...
There's the mono version. The Blue vinyl stereo. The Music On Vinyl 2 LP w/ bonus tracks. Plus I used to have that 50th anniversary edition on Blue Vinyl in the box set. Not to mention the Classic Records versions. Didn't MOFI do it too?
But I am steering off topic. My point is there is a market for Beatle LPs. If they release them, we will buy.

 

FYI, the misaligned apple cover is not THE first UK version. It’s just A first UK version. There are a number of iterations of outer jackets, inner sleeves, and labels which - while of varying degrees of commonness - were all first issues and were relatively common at the time of release.

 

I think you should read the whole post instead of the first two words as in the post I clearly pointed out "three" different first presses and I call them exactly that.

BTW: there is only one first not two or three, like when people say the first impression is the one that counts and you can't give a second first impression.

 

Fair enough. But your post is still a combination of accuracy and inaccuracy.

The short answer was look for any UK pressing in good play condition with -2/-1 matrices - regardless of cover, label or inner sleeve variation.

 

Perhaps you care to explain how he is going to find it when the vast majority of sellers do not indicate the matrix number and most instead make reference to the lack of her majesty listing and the extra variations on covers. Asking every single seller to tell you the stamped number in my view is not a practical manner and it serves very little purpose as it does not tell you whether it comes from a tired process

I stand by my post that described the differences and the cost that goes hand in hand with those differences and it is better advice than just saying to look for -2/-1 which would have been in use for quite a long time and later records won't be as good. The versions I pointed out with the mistakes are the early ones and records containing those mistakes are going to be the earliest pressings obtainable and will also be the closest in quality to the original lacquers. With those parameters anybody reading this can make an informed decision so yes the covers and labels do matter.