Help identifying a record | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Is my record legit or nah??

Let It Be – The Beatles (found in the shed) it plays perfectly all the way through cover has some damage but it was in a shed for 20+ years (im guessing)  

SIDE 1:

AR 34001 
(JS 17500)
Reproduced for disc by PHIL SPECTOR
Recorded in England
MFD. BY APPLE RECORDS, INC.

SIDE 2: 

AR 34001
(JS 17501) 
Reproduced for disc by PHIL SPECTOR
Recorded in England

^^^ That is what is written on the label aside from the songs and title

Etched into the record on Side 1 is “Phil + Ronnie”  and “JS-17,500 ^-12 #3” (^-12 as in an exponent) 

Etched into Side 2 is “Phil + Ronnie” and “JS 17,501 ^-22” (^-22 being an exponent)

Also the apple is red??? I thought it was supposed to be green???

If any record genius can tell me when/where it was pressed that’d be great!

Ron Nasty said
Welcome to the forum, @Neely.

The Red Apple US Let It Be  is a well known variant, but was also heavily counterfeited.

Three questions:

Is the sleeve a normal sleeve or gatefold?

Does the Red Apple only appear on the label or does it also feature somewhere on the sleeve, and if so where?

Is there anything else etched in the run-out area of the vinyl?

The last is the most telling as there should be two words you haven’t mentioned that are on legitimate copies but absent from most counterfeits.

  

It folds out and has photos of them in the studio

The red apple is also at the bottom on the back

Nothing else is etched into it except cursive writing that is so small i can’t read it

Ron Nasty said
Cursive letters is right, they should read “Bell Sound”, which is where the US master was cut by Sam Feldman.

Side 1:

Side 2:

There should also be either the letters “IAM” in a triangle, an asterisk, or something a bit like a rifle, which indicate the pressing plant (Scranton, Pennsylvania; Los Angeles, California; or Winchester, Virginia.

If you can find the “Bell Sound” and one of those marks then it’s likely it is a legit copy.

  

Now that you tell me what it is i do see “Bell Sound”

What do you mean by “There should also be either the letters “IAM” in a triangle, an asterisk, or something a bit like a rifle, which indicate the pressing plant (Scranton, Pennsylvania; Los Angeles, California; or Winchester, Virginia.” I dont see that. But i do see an arrow thing. —–|> Like that

Ron Nasty said
Could it be this…

…which is officially described as a rifle for some reason (I suppose location rather than likeness)?

That would have it as a 1970 pressing done by Capitol’s plant in Winchester, Virginia.

Without seeing it in person, I’d be 90%+ confident it’s genuine by your description of it, but the only way to be certain would be to have an auction house or memorabilia dealer look at it.

It’s difficult without handling it to be sure because it was pressing that was counterfeited in large numbers.

It’s in the right sleeve though, it has the Red Apple logo instead of the Green in the right place on the back cover, and Feldman’s etching in run-out seem right. The “Bell Sound” etching is the important one.

  

That’s probably what it is them 🙂 i don’t want to sell it… i was just curious. Thank you for your help