ChrisK

A good friend of mine recently bought a Thorens TD 150. He sent me the following link to check out. You may find it informative. http://www.theanalogdept.com/thorens_dept_.htm Good Luck, Chris

My Cornwall's were originally raw birch treated with tons of Linseed oil and furniture wax. Over the years they turned a kind of unattractive yellow. They also had water stains (potted plants), paint overspray and various other blemishes on them. I bleached and sanded the heck out of them. Then had them professionally stained and satin finished for $60 each. Before the refinishing they would have been about a 4 as far as looks go, and after about a 9+. You can see them by clicking the link below. Regards, Chris

He was warned not to leave his seat. He still kept it up while seated. It was very funny to watch. As far as the Lakers vs the Refs goes, that is a very loaded issue. On both sides. Regards, Chris

I tell you, it was hysterical. He looked like Col. Nathan R. Jessep from A Few Good Men screaming at Tom Cruise. I would loved to have heard the conversation along with the video. Go Lakers! Chris

Here is how my 299(A) broke down price wise - Scott 299(A) from eBay $180 repairs, rebuild and shipping - NOS Valves $230 (incl. new faceplate and 2 knobs) 2 NOS Telefunken 12AX7's (eBay) $30 (2 originals tested almost new) 2 NOS Telefunken 6U8's (Upscale Audio) $90 4 NOS Russian Military EL84's (Upscale) $60 1 new cabinet from Marc $20 1 stripping and plating of the metal cabinet top $80 (done by Puff Puff in Los Angeles to match the faceplate) It is nearly pristine in appearance and dead quiet. I cannot emphasize how happy I am with the performance of this amp. $700 is a steal in my opinion. I'm guessing it's going to be good to go for another 20-30 years at least. Regards, Chris

Happy Brithday Craig! Have a double cheesebuger on me and add it to my friend Josh's rebuild tab. Fries too! Speaking of double cheeseburgers, do you have IN-N-OUT Burger up in the Great White North? The best! I know where I'm going for lunch today! Once again, Happy Birthday NOS! (Does NOS stand for Nasty Old Sonofabit*h?) Chris

Joshnich, "Permanent loan" is an oxymoron and so are you for doing so. Sorry, just kidding. However, I do believe all "Heritage" Klipsch speakers share the same date codes. Try this link.... http://home.earthlink.net/~ivol/klipsch_cornwall/klipsch_date_codes.htm Regards, Chris

Just to clear something up... My "used to be" unfinished, raw, nude, bare nekked Cornwalls DO have veneer. The veneer was unfinished, but it is veneer just the same. Maybe they were some sort of special order. Possibly "builder" can clear things up. Could it be that plywood almost by definition is always veneered? Chris

Finally moved my Scott 299 into the house for a run around the block with my Cornwall's. Since I got it back from Craig, it's been relegated to the garage system 'till the cabinet was finally refinished. Ya know, WAF and all. BTW, how come most women can't appreciate the beauty in a rack full of glowing tubes? I much prefer the look of my Scott with the cabinet off. Anyway, Craig asked me to report how it sounded compared to my Cary 300SEI. So hear goes.... Volume & Power - The Scott wins hands down. The Scott is far more "effortless" than the Cary. I never would have used that description before this comparison. You can hear a difference. Detail - The Cary gets the edge here, but not by a lot. There is more space in the sound. Imaging - Almost a draw since I can't seem to get my Cornwall's to do much of this. However, in the garage with the Scott hooked up to a pair of Dynaco A-25's, there was imaging galore. Soundstage - Once again the Cary gets a slight nod. Versatility - Gotta go with the Scott. The tone controls are very cool. I know most purists cringe at the thought, but you can really have fun with them. If you want more bass from John Paul Jones, no problem. If you want to hear Monk's chops better against 'Trane's horn, go for it. Can't do that with a Cary. Overall - A draw. That's why they are both staying in the rack. If I want to walk around to the sounds of Janis or Jimi, or fill the house on weekend mornings with Dvorak or Heifetz, I hook up the Scott. For late nights with some wine, the wife and Miles or Cassandra...or, with some herbal enhancement, the wife and the new 30th anniverserary Dark Side of the Moon, I'll go with the Cary. Life is good. Thanks Craig. BTW, my best buddy Josh told me he bought a 299 on eBay today and it's already on it's way to you. Just how many of these things have you rebuilt by now? Regards, Chris

'Bout time somebody talked 'bout country music. My favorite type is alt country, especially Texas alt country. Love those guys with 3 names. Jerry Jeff Walker, David Alan Coe, Ray Wiley Hubbard, Willie F****n Nelson, Willis Alan Ramsey and Robert Earl Keen just to name a few. The 2 name guys aren't bad either. Buddy Miller, James McMurtry, Steve Earle and on and on. I also listen to Lucinda Williams, Alison Krause, Emmylou, Ricky Scaggs, Merle, Doc, etc., etc. If you get the chance give a listen to KPIG radio out of Freedom, California. It is imo the single best non-jazz or classical music station in the freakin' world. Go to their website (kpig.com) and take a look at their playlist and you'll get the idea. Low or no compression and no nonsense jocks. I read in either US News or Newsweek that KPIG was the number 1 most listened to radio station on the web before all the bs happened with the recording industry last year. I subscribe to it now through Real Networks to hear it and I HATE paying money for what would normally be free. Anyway, I'm going to go spin Lost Highway's Hank Williams tribute album "Timeless" on my turntable. Its a very cool record. Pale blue (almost see-through) vinyl with one record of original Hank songs and another record of contemporary artists doing the same songs. Regards, Chris

Gotta agree on the Music Hall (MMF) tables. While I was waiting for my Clearaudio Champion TT to be shipped, my retailer loaned me a Music Hall MMF 2.1. I almost canceled my order for the Clearaudio. The MMF sounded great. As a matter of fact, very soon I will looking for a used MMF 5 to employ in a second system for my bedroom. BTW, the Clearaudio does sound better, but definitely not $1,500 better. Good Luck, Chris

Like these? 6SN7GTB Sylvania "Chrome Top" 6SN7GTB Raytheon "Tall Chrome Top" Both sound pretty good. In fact, the Sylvania's might be the best sounding out of all my 6SN7's. Including various VT-231's and other "rare" 6SN7's. Regards, Chris

Got one for my Scott/NOS Valves 299 from Marc and the finishing job was subpar. Marc immediately refunded me the cost of having the wood pieces stripped and refinished. Now, it looks fabulous. I went ahead and had the metal screen stripped and plated the same color as the faceplate. I'll post a picture soon. Marc, maybe you could offer different colors for the screens? Regards, Chris BTW, I am a little worried about all the heat that the wood sides will be exposed to over the long run.... We'll see.

C&S As we say in LA, DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE, what's up with the 'tude? "LA yuppie tastes"? What the freak does THAT mean? And what about the very quotable, "I think the tongue is rather up his cheeks." Do you read this stuff before you press submit? It sure doesn't appear as such. As my 87 year old mother (Whom I very sadly dropped off at the airport this morning to go home to San Francisco.) often says, "If you don't have something nice to say, keep your pie hole shut! There you go. I'm shutting my pie hole. Have a very nice day, Chris

C&S, Who pissed in your Cheerios? We are lucky to have a regular poster like Allan. His knowlege of jazz (and music in general) have contributed enormously to this board. Me thinks your post went a wee bit over the top. Pulling out the "R" card? Do you expect to be taken seriously? Please, take a pill....no, take 2. Regards, Chris

kj, I wouldn't worry about the cabinet value. There is an aftermarket cabinet available for about $40 in any color you want. The big unknown is always what tubes are inside and what shape are they in. These units polish up very nicely with a little bit o' patience and elbow grease. If you are considering using Craig to restore this one or another similar piece, consider this my strongest recommendation to do so. My 299 sounds and looks wonderful. Regards, Chris

mOOn, You can get TONS of information on vintage tuners at - www.fmtunerinfo.com There are some very good deals available on eBay for some excellent tuners. I have 5 different tuners right now. 1 Accuphase T-101, 2 Sony 5000FW, 1 Sansui TU-717, and a Scott 350. Sorry Ryan, while I love my Scott 299, the 350 is the weakest of all of my tuners, albeit not by a lot. The Accuphase is the best of the lot with the Sony's and Sansui right behind (barely). Right now my Dynaco A-25's are singing DSOTM from one of the 5000FW's through my fully "Craiged" 299. If I could only find some herb......LOL! Chris

Craig, Still waiting for the new 299 cabinet to be refinished, but I snuck the little SOB into the house for a little spin around the block with my CW's. WOW! Very impressive little piece of equipment. I don't care how much ridicule I receive, I like the tone controls. You can really have fun with them. However, I do have a question. Before I buy a tt, what cartridges will work well with the phono stage in a 299? I'd like a sensible balance between noise floor and volume. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks, Chris

Fini, One of the most enjoyable times of my life (not counting marriage, birth of children, first time, etc.) was at Game 4 of the WS this past October. We took Bart from the East Bay to a special Muni to Pac Bell. The excitement was fabulous. The first World Series victory in San Francisco in 40 years. Love the garlic fries, gotta have a Bratwurst and Anchor Steam. Go Giants! Andy, My family is from Chicago. In fact we moved to Santa Clara (50 miles south of SF) when I was 3. Been back many times. Gotta agree that the pizza back there is the best and the steaks too. Please don't judge Southern California's cuisine quality by what you find behind the Orange Curtain. That would be like judging Chicago's by what you found in Aurora. Chris

Allen, Never been to Joe Jost's, but it sounds like a great place. It's going on the list right after I get to Oki-Dog. Gotta agree with the stopover at Philippe's before a Dodger game. The only difference for me is that as a Northern California born and bred Giant's fan, the Dodgers are the only Los Angeles team left I haven't adopted. While I have become a big Laker, Kings, USC and UCLA fan, I just can't stomach the Dodgers. I've been here 20 years now and my nine year old son continually says to me, "Get over it Dad, you live in Southern California now." Can't do it. We go to 8-10 games a year and I still love it when they lose, especially to the Giants. It was particularly appaling to haul up to San Francisco for 2 of the World Series games last year only to lose those droids from behind the Orange Curtain. It still hurts to think about it. BTW, we usually go to a couple of Ice Dogs games each year. Ya gotta love their promotional creativity. Girls skating around in bikini's, throwing tee shirts to the crowd. The Hot Tub and "Beach" seats...great stuff. Chris

Allen, Thanks for the info on Oki-Dog. I'll be doing some recon later today. Sounds like they are very near Mo' Betta Meaty Meat Burgers. Hopefully they don't have the long lines one sees at Pink's. I realize we're way off topic here, but when you think about, Los Angeles really does have a very rich epicurean and cultural heritage. Some of my favorite locals only dives: Langers The Shack Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles The Pantry Apple Pantry Manuel's El Tepeyac Johnnie's Pastrami El Burrito Jr. Chiro's King Taco Philippe's I could go on and on... Chris

Oki-Dog? That one has slipped by me. Where might a person locate a review sample? This must be investigated...immediately. "Mike's Hockey Burger" is located at the corner of Soto and Washington. It has been there for over 40 years, operated by the Chitjian (sp?) family. Once or twice a week for the last 20 years, I or one of my employees picks up lunch for all of us there. The family that operates it are right out of Seinfeld. You could usually count on the mother or daughter answering your "How are you today?" with a terse "yeah right!, whaddayawant!". They would bicker and argue all day. But, the food is as good as any breakfast/lunch counter anywhere. Their Hockey Burger is a classic right up there with #9 Pastrami from Langer's Deli. Not to mention the place is so clean, you could eat off the floor. I've seen LA's Mayor, Police Chief, and many other famous local types there. Sadly, I was told last week that the Matriarch of the family died suddenly last week. Rest in peace Florence, we will all miss you. Regards, Chris

Andy, You can call Nitty Gritty and ask if they have any "factory seconds" for sale. It's been awhile since I bought mine. They might call them "B stock" or something similar. Anyway, the discount is pretty substantial and I could not find where mine was "blemished". BTW, Nitty Gritty is pretty close to OC. Trying to get my passport together to visit the Orange Curtain, Chris

Dean, Telefunken 12AX7's are sometimes available for less than people usually expect. For instance, I paid about $15.00 each for 6 of them in 2 different lots off eBay. They were semi-grungy looking and needed a little cleanup. I bought them because 2 different, highly respected techs (Craig "Double Cheese" Ostby and Mike Zuccaro) both told me that they very rarely test a Tele 12AX7 that doesn't measure new or nearly new. When Craig went through my 299 recently I included a bag of assorted 12AX7's for him to measure. Every tube (including 4 Tele's), except for 1 Amperex, tested extremely well. I'm starting to believe that the older, high quality 12AX7's have a very, very long usable life. BTW, I'm running 2 smooth plates in the phono section and 2 ribbed in the pre amp section of the Scott. Earlier this year I bought 3 Mullard CV-4004's that Allen speaks of from a dealer in Hawaii. They made a very noticeable difference in my EAR 834P phono stage. Regards, Chris PS Craig, just kidding 'bout the moniker. Do you remember that we were talking on the phone while you were ordering lunch at that well known health food restaurant? I shouldn't talk, they have a breakfast plate named after me at "Mike's Hockey Burger" across the street from my office/warehouse. You don't even want to know what's in it. It should be called the "Heart Attack Special". Regards, Chris