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Vinyl: Led Zeppelin 45 RPM Test Pressing Road Case (From Classic Records’ Archive) STILL SEALED from Classic Records Reissue
Label: Atlantic
Catalog Number: RTH 3001-45
Box Condition: VG+/ Very Good+
EXTREMELY RARE & HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE ITEM!
The most collectible Classic Records Rock Test Pressing Road Case Set -- ULTRA RARE!!! This Road Case will increase in value in years to come as ONLY 1 Classic Records Archive Set is in existence!
This auction is for a STILL SEALED, UNOPENED and NUMBERED 1 of 1 Classic Records Archive* Test Pressing Boxed Set of the Classic Records Led Zeppelin Audiophile 45 RPM Series Complete Recordings. This Road Case has special significance and collectibility because it comes from Classic Records’ Archive. Test pressings are highly collectible and are from the first stamper. Approximately less than 20 exist depending on the title. Test pressings reflect the closest you can get to the lacquers and hence have a special collectible value and store of value.
This set, like the original production set, consists of 48 single sided 12" test pressing records housed in a special Classic Records Road Case.
RTH 3001-45 includes 48 test pressings total:
SD 8216-45 Led Zeppelin I (4 Disc Set)
SD 8236-45 Led Zeppelin II (4 Disc Set)
SD 7201-45 Led Zeppelin III (4 Disc Set)
SD 7208-45 Led Zeppelin IV (4 Disc Set
SD 7255-45 Houses Of The Holy (4 Disc Set)
SS 2200-45 Physical Graffiti (8 Disc Set)
SS 2201-45 Song Remains the Same (8 Disc Set)
SS 8416-45 Presence (4 Disc Set)
SS 16002-45 In Through the Out Door (4 Disc Set)
SS 90051-45 Coda (4 Disc Set)
These 45 rpm sides were cut at the same time as the 33 rpm discs and as such DO NOT represent a remastering that is different from the 33 rpm LP's approved by the Band. Further, there is no additional artwork or extra recorded material of any kind. Each 45 disc is packaged in a white jacket. All records have test pressing labels and are pressed on Classic's proprietary 200g Super Vinyl Profile for maximum playback fidelity.
There box is slightly torn on top as shown in the image, but otherwise in excellent condition.
Since the mastering is exactly the same as the 33 rpms and the jackets and label art are the same authentic reproductions, why would anyone need the same material on 45 rpm discs? The answer is simple - you should be more kind to your cartridge by letting it play 45 rpm discs and reveal all the nuances that are nearly impossible to retrieve from a 33 rpm disc. The information in the grooves of these 45 rpms is EXACTLY the same as in their 33 rpm counterparts. To prove it is very easy - think of the lathe as it is cutting a lacquer, the cutter head doesn't know what speed the platter is spinning as the cutter blindly moves up and down back and forth carving the grooves. The difference is that at 45 rpm the same signal is imprinted over a longer distance and hence the "stretched" out groove is easier for a cartridge to traverse which allows the cartridge to give a better read on what is carved. The sonic difference can be quite remarkable, especially if the music is complex as with Classical music or dense as is often the case with Rock. Rest assured that you have never heard Stairway to Heaven until you've heard it at 45 rpm! This is as close to the master tape as we are able to get with an LP and as such is extremely special although requires you to change sides more often than with a 33 rpm disc. If you are a Led Zeppelin nut (you know who you are) then this set is essential - if not then go listen to some Barry Manilow!
The CR Archive was one of the few things Acoustic Sounds did not acquire as part of the deal to buy Classic in 2010. Still intact, in its entirety (with only a few holes) sits the CR Archive which will be offered exclusively on this shop by special arrangement with Michael Hobson. Each piece has an official Classic Records Archive Sticker on it and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity hand signed by Michael Hobson personally to assure authenticity and enhance the collectibility over time. Typically, only two archive copies, most often from the first stamper, were added to the archive. In the case of the Led Zeppelin 45 rpm Archive Road Case, it is reported that Hobson personally selected the copies of the records that went into the editions by listening to 1st stamper pressings to determine when the “stamper” was in the “sweet spot” and pressing the best sounding records. Hobson, was only able to to find the best pressings in the run for this one particular set - sad really but it means that this “archive” set is the absolute best of the best…..priceless!
Hobson maintains a personal archive of 5 copies of each release which we are trying to convince him to allow us to offer as well! This is not only a unique opportunity to own a piece of Classic Record's history but also the chance to have some of the best pressings (close if not the equal of Test Pressings) of Classic's various issues over time.
Further, his set has not been moved from the climate controlled air-conditioned storage for all these years. This unopened box set is in the factory sealed outer carton as shown in the pictures.This box will be shipped in another outer box with careful packing to ensure that the road case and its outer box are kept in new condition.
EXTREMELY RARE --- Good luck!
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