Led Zeppelin II MO Monarch RL SS Bothsides Ludwig Monarch Pressing LP Vinyl VG++

$

1,200

Led Zeppelin II LP Vinyl RL SS Both sides Ludwig MO Monarch Pressing VG++ to EX

This is the best sounding Robert Ludwig version of this album I’ve ever owned or heard (I’ve owned about 30 of them). The MO/Monarch pressing is the most sought after out of all the plants the records were pressed. It is the one with the very small runout area on side B.

With Near Mint condition copies selling for $3500 and up, I have prices this low IMO, to make sure the buyer is happy with their purchase.

Media: VG++ to Excellent

Very little background noise in the quiet parts, none can be heard in the norm volume parts. I tried my best to take photos of the few surface blemishes with my iPhone 14 Pro but they just didn’t show very well and there just aren’t very many. The labels are in Excellent condition suggesting it hasn’t been played very much.

Cover: G+ to VG-

There is a seam split at the top. The binding has some peeling off. But other than that pretty good for being 54 years old.

Inner Sleeve: EX

Matrix: ST-A-691671-MO

RL SS on both sides

Δ13933-X

US 1st pressing, featuring Robert Ludwig's "hot" mastering on both sides. These were withdrawn early because the high bass levels caused low-grade cartridges to mistrack, leading people to return the album on the belief that it was defective. Another engineer was then hired to recut a much less "hot" version of the album, and that is the far more common version.

Labels include "MO" suffix (indicating Monarch pressing) and "Mfg By Atlantic Recording Corp., 1841 Broadway, New York, N.Y.". On all matrix Side A and Side B there is "MR" in a circle that identify a Monarch pressing.

Review:

I finally found a copy I could afford and the seller graded it very conservatively. Just as reviewers say, it’s fantastic and definitely lives up to the hype. I’ve played it at least 5 times since I got it and I Must say, it’s not the Massive difference I thought it would be compared to the 2014 Remaster. I feel like they must’ve used Ludwig’s notes for the remaster because, of all the remasters, Zeppelin 2 is dramatically hotter and punchier than the rest of them. But this RL is most definitely my listening copy from now on, since I paid so much for it. It’s definitely the most I’ve spent on a record, so I’m gonna get my moneys worth out of it :).

No shipping to China or Russia