The Beatles Abbey Road UK Apple LP Thread

I know some of you prefer the MFSL LP, others the Japanese CD or PRO-USE LP, still others can't wait for the SACD or DVD-A. This thread deals with the UK LP only.

THE BEATLES ABBEY ROAD PCS 7088
Side one YEX 749, Side two YEX 750

While IMHO I think all UK Abbey Road LPs sound great (except for the last digital version), some prefer early pressings. Others swear by the 1978 version. If you have more than one pressing look up your MATRIX numbers and tell us which you like best. Tell us whether your cover is laminated, is there a bar code on the back cover, or if it came from the blue BC-13 box.

As per grooves:
If you want to know how original your UK EMI pressing of anything is: there are 3 codes:

First at the 6 o clock position there's a matrix # with a -. -1 is first lacquer, -2 is second etc. at 9 oclock is the mother number 1,2,3 etc. and on the right is the stamper code which uses the letters G R A M O P H L T D as a code (Gramophone Ltd). G is 1 R is 2 etc. with D being 0. So if your UK Beatle album has YEX whatever # -1, and a 1 at 9 o clock and MHG at 3 o clock, it's the first lacquer, first mother and stamper # 471 made from that mother.

I know I have 4 copies but I have misplaced one. I'll post my findings later when I have compared all 4.

 

I do not own a digital copy or a BC-13 copy- mine are from various pressings from '69 into the 70's. All have dark Apple labels except as noted.

1- My wife's 1st week of issue copy, black inner, laminated- Side 1 is a -2 with a 5 OG stamper, Side 2 is a -1 with a 3 RG stamper. Clean and good bass.

2- "Misplaced" Apple copy- some say these are first pressings-the disc in mine has high numbers so it may be a mix 'n match- Side 1 is -2 and 5 MTG Side 2 is -1 and 10 APD. Sounds similar to #1.

3-My "Played only once" NM copy- Side 1 is -2 and 3 GOD. Side 2 is -1 and stamped 3 HL. Very quiet and clean. I don't play this one at all.

4-My regular play copy- Side 1 is a -2 and 4 RLO. Side 2 is -1 and 7 RAP. Can't really hear much difference from #1.

5-1973 French Press- Side 1 is a -2 Side 2 is a -1. Some folks like these- my copy looks great but is lower in volume and a bit noisy.

6-Circa 1974 UK 2nd press with light green label and white inner sleeve. Side 1 is a -2 and 6 POH stamper. Side 2 is a -1 and a 3 PLR stamper. Sounds good, maybe not as clear high end.

As you can see some of this doesnt make sense. I have dark apple copies with higher stamper numbers than my light apple copy. They must have made tons of stampers from the beginning. I like my wife's copy best, even though it's been played a lot, although they all sound great except for the French one. Maybe someone with a BC-13 copy can hear something more dramatic...

 

BC-13 UK box: YEX 749-6, 750-4

The mother/stamper numbers I'm not sure about but this is what I see:
side 1 9 o'clock: 5 but nothing at all at 3 o'clock
side 2 9 o'clock: 1, 3 o'clock 6

As far as sound goes I've only played it a couple times. Didn't seem outstanding to me but not bad either. Main thing I noticed is the vinyl noise. I prefer to listen to my Pro-Use copy.

 

YES, I forgot to warn. Later pressings such as the one from the BC-13 box may not have all 3 code/numbers (lacquer-mother-stamper). In fact some do not use the code letters and have the stamper number uncoded. That is why I suggested you give a little extra info if known.


PS. I think this is going to be a fun thread.

Six Abbey Roads, way to go xios.

 

My favorite is the misaligned Apple
side 1 is -2, PRL, three different numbers at 9 o'clock 1,9,2
side 2 is -1, looks like PUD so?, 9 o'clock 3

BC-13 laminated
Side 1 is-4, GG, 9 o'clock 5
Side 2 is -3, PR, 9 o'clock 2

BC-13 later edition
Side 1 is -5, nothing at 3 o'clock, 9 o'clock 4
Side 2 is -4, nothing at 3 o'clock, 9 o'clock 3

Now the intersting thing about the later edition BC-13 version is that the dead wax at the end of side one is more than twice the size of the earlier versions of the LP.

 

I won one of these off of Ebay with the same numbers -6 & -4. I wasn't particularly bowled over by it.

I do have an early issue YEX 749-2 and 750-1. I'll have to check it later to get the specifics. While it's not in the best condition, it has awesome sound. Even blows away my Mo-Fi which is in better condition.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the Pro-Use copy?

 

Around the mid 80s in Japan, Abbey Road was re-mastered for CD (before the 87 official EMI CD) and LP. The HIGH quality LP pressing was part of a series called PRO-USE. I have one and it does sound terrific. JMO.

 

That's right, BC. The Japan-mid 80's cut does sound fantastic!

 

If push comes to shove, I would probably be happy with any of my four copies. However, once you’ve tasted the best, it’s very hard to go back to anything less than perfect.

1. (1969?)
Side 1: 749-2, 9 o'clock: 4, 3 o'clock: RHR (272).
Side 2: 750-1, 9 o'clock: 9, 3 o'clock: GTL (198).

2. (mid 70s?)
Side 1: 749-4, 9 o'clock: 3, 3 o'clock: GRO (125).
Side 2: 750-3, 9 o'clock: 2, 3 o'clock: AR (32).

3. (1981?)
Side 1: 749-6, 9 o'clock: 1, 3 o'clock: 178.
Side 2: 750-4, 9 o'clock: 1, 3 o'clock: 5.

4. (1982?)
Side 1: 749-6, 9 o'clock: 5, 3 o'clock: 10.
Side 2: 750-4, 9 o'clock: -, 3 o'clock: 67.

Copies 1 and 2 are laminated, copies 3 and 4 are not. Copy 4 comes from the BC-13 box. Copy 3 was bought sealed in 1982 (probably shrink wrapped by US importer) and white inner sleeve has 1181 printed at the bottom (Nov81?). I hate to tell you but there is a loss of presence, resolution, natural tone in the vocals, and power (bass and drums) as you move chronologically. Copy No. 3 has been played only 2 or 3 times and let me tell you….that silent background does wonders. Still IMHO, first pressing IS KING.

 

Only one pressing for me:

Side 1: 749-2, 9 o'clock and nothing else.
Side 2: 750-1, 11 o'clock and nothing else.

It does have the misaligned apple on back cover and a dark Apple label which I thought was the sign of a first copy. But maybe not....

However, it is a good, clean NM pressing that frequents my TT often.

Thom

 

I have 3 1st press - 1 aligned & 2 missaligned all with early numbers all 749-2 , 750-1 and 1 R , 1 RAG ,another with 1 MML, 9 AAP, and lastly 6 HLR ,1 AHP . I don`t think the sleeves have much relevance .I also have 2 MOFI ( box & Individual ) & just got a pro use from ebay last week. No reissues other than a 1989 digital horror story ( bought in my naive early days of hifi) so I can`t comment on the BC13 era . My mintest 1st issue wins by a noticeable margin .There isn`t much difference between the 3 early pressings other than surface noise due to condition - I`d be happy with any of them. I find the MOFIs good but too "wobbly" in the bass , the Pro Use is a good in between with great quiet vinyl and clarity and bass more like the 1st issues ,but the separation on the 1st issues is the best of the bunch and they have less of a "character" and sound more like I imagine the master tape would sound. I`m listening through some big ish old Tannoy monitors not dissimilar to the ones the album was apparently mastered through.
As a side issue does anyone who owns the Pro use read Japanese so they can tell me what all the technical stuff in the leaflet says! Is it deffinately 1/2 speed mastered ? Any other info greatly accepted.

 

OK, everyone, here are mine. Probaboly too much info, but better mre than less.

1978 press: (purchased new in about 1978, or just slightly earlier)

Aligned Apple on back laminated (though less than my 2 earlier pressings, discussions of which follow) cover. No Her Majesty on cover or label. The seams which hold the LP together are part of the back cover. In other words, when the cover was one piece, before it was folded into the cover, the the foldover flaps were part of the back cover. Non-pinched spine, so that the spine info is easily read. white inner sleeve, with curved corners, with "PATENT NOS. 1,125,555" on the lower, rear right corner of the sleeve and "MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN" on the lower, rear left corner of the sleeve.

Side 1 matrix: YEX 749-4, with AH at 10:00 and 2 at 4:00.
Side 2 matrix: YEX 750-2U, with LR at 4:00 and 7 at 10:00

My "first" "original" press. Purchased about 1-2 years ago.

Mis-aligned Apple on back laminated cover, which is made of thicker card stock than my 1978 press and has more lamination. No Her Majesty on cover or label. The seams which hold the LP together are part of the front cover. In other words, when the cover was one piece, before it was folded into the cover, the the foldover flaps were part of the front cover. Pinched spine, so that the spine info is not easily read. No original inner sleeve came with this record, but I had a spare black inner from a Japanese AP series LP which I put inside the cover. AP black sleeve is similar to UK, with a hole only on one side of sleeve so that only one side of the label can show through. texture is different though. UK is rougher. Both have curved corners.

Side 1 matrix: YEX 749-2, with OGR at 3:00 and 6 at 9:00.
Side 2 matrix: YEX 750-2, with ATA at 2:00 and 1 at 9:00

My "second" "original" press. Also purchased about 1-2 years ago.

Aligned Apple on back laminated cover, which is made of thicker card stock than my 1978 press and has more lamination, equal to my other "original" copy. No Her Majesty on cover or label. The seams which hold the LP together are part of the front cover. In other words, when the cover was one piece, before it was folded into the cover, the the foldover flaps were part of the front cover. Pinched spine, so that the spine info is not easily read. Again, no original inner sleeve came with this record, but I had a spare black inner from a VG UK Abbey Road LP (which I sold) which I put inside the cover.

Side 1 matrix: YEX 749-2, with GRO at 12:00 and 3 at 6:00.
Side 2 matrix: YEX 750-1, with GAR at 10:00 and 1 at 4:00

Final comments. The vinyl is thinner on my 1978 press. Both my orig. presses have thich vinyl. The label on the "original" presses is also much darker green, so dark in fact that some of the black print info (i.e., "side 1") is hard to read.

That's it folks!!

 

Thanks Peter for your detailed description. How about the relative sound of each pressing?

It looks like my first pressing is closer to 72 than 69. Missaligned Apple from eBay...I'm coming to get you honey.

 

The 1978 pressings beats the others. Not by a lot, but it's there. I also forgot to add the width of the run-out grooves (both sides) are narrower on the 1978 LP, than on the others.

 

Why do you say that? 749-2, 750-1 iw what the first pressings were.

Same here, I hadn't compared the 78 copy before just the original and 80's versions.

 

You are right!
I don't know what I was thinking.
I must have confused the mid seventies pressings with the 78.
In any case, I still think those 749-2, 750-1 are THE best.
THANKS MIKE.

 

How did I miss this thread?

The best Abbey Road to my ears is the 1969 original UK pressing.

I have several UK pressings, ranging from the original through to the 90s DMM pressing and to me the -2/-1 pressing is the best.

I quite like the MFSL pressing, as well as the UK version pressed in France (c.1973) although others here on the Forum may not be so keen. I have a mid-70s light green label laminated sleeve -4/-3 press which sounds pretty good but I'm not sure if it's from 1978. It may be that the original BC13 copies in '78 were in laminated sleeves but I wouldn't know as my BC13 box set dates from the early 80s.

 

I believe the YEX is Stereo, and XEX is mono. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Correct

 

Hi Kipper...
How about giving us full MATRIX info with approximate pressing dates for your copies.
Your information could serve as a guide for people trying to approximate their UK Abbey Road LP date of birth.

THANKS

 

Has anyone heard of a -2/-2U pressing? Check this out:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2561996407&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOAB:US:6

Maybe it's the super-rare first pressing with side one pressed on both sides?

 

Looks like a hybrid to me.

 

Howza bout Abbey Road on open reel tape? (or any Beatles recordings on open reel tape for that matter?) I was just thinking if The Beatles themselves recorded their actual music onto open reel tape, then why not use the same medium for playback on your hi fi system for the best sound quality?

Are the UK Beatle reels better sounding than their US counterparts?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3352846024&category=432

 

My experinece (I had a small collection at one time) is that prerecorded reel to reels aren't close to the vinyl. I remember its been mentioned around here that they were duped from tapes that are many generations from the master. All I've seen of the UK tapes is 3.75 ips and that's not good. There are 7.5 ips US tapes but still, they're just not as good as vinyl.

 

I borrowed an original from my Mums partner . It sounded good but a bit scratched up. He just asked for it back (boo) however he gave a gave me an immaculate late 70s copy as a Xmas present (hooray). Let's get to the point all I ever cared about is the best sound quality & this Xmas pressie copy is the best . The 2012 reissue was a disappointment (I had no problems with any of the other Beatles 2012 reissues)