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This is a vintage Scott 299B that
has been rebuilt and modified to better than new status by Rick Warren
with replacement and upgrade of all coupling caps with the more refined
and transparent Russian Military grade film/foil capacitors. These are
highly sought after caps and are used with the goal of retaining some
of the vintage warmth while providing an open sonic picture into the recording
without any rolloff or over-sweetening of the presentation
In addition, this Scott has gone through the much needed Selenium Rectifier
replacement, something that is required on all vintage Scott amplifiers,
the 299B included.
This unit has also had the Full BIAS Mod allowing adjustment of individual
output tube BIAS giving more control and allowing the amplifier to operate
closer to spec which results in more optimal operating points.
The Scott 299B is a much admired member of the Scott vintage series as
it has quite robust output iron. In addition, as in all Scotts, the 299B
employs tube rectification with a 5AR4, something that arguably allows
the vintage amps to have a more liquid tone compared to modern counterparts,
as solid state diode rectifiers can sometimes lend a more metallic cast
to the presentation. Most modern tube offerings do go to SS rectification
for COST reasons as it is cheaper to implement. Many of the most musically
satisfying designs are now heading back to tube rectification, in both
amps and preamps.
WHY VINTAGE TUBE AMPLIFICATION?
With so many tube amps coming out of the woodwork, one might ask WHY VINTAGE?
Why mess with outdated designs with tone controls, filters, and 40 year
old parts? The answer lies in the music. Quite simply, there is very little
in the modern amp bracket at this cost that sounds as musical and lifelike,
surely nothing solid state without getting into very high dollars, and
even then, something of the tone and harmonic richness seems to be missing.
Vintage tube amps brought up to spec convey the essence of the music with
TRUE high fidelity in the best sense of the words as the music's emotion
seems intact, something missing from some well-known current amplifiers.
NOTE: All pictures at right open
to FULL SIZE
Scott 299B Options
- Russian Military Film/Foil Coupling
Capacitors
- Replacement of Selenium Rectifier
- Line Stage Plate Resistors Replaced
- Full Bias Mod - Fixed Bias w/Instructions
- All resistors checked - out of
spec replaced
- 4 Russian Military 7189/EL-84M
- 4 12AX7 (2 EH 12AX7LPS | 2 Sylvania
)
- 2 JAN Philips NOS 6U8
Contact...........................kelly
Holsten
Please email with any questions - This amplifier is owned and brought
to spec/modified by Rick Warren.
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