FS: Restored HH Scott 222C/D

This is the one I restored before the LK-48 that I did the thread about here, it's a great amp and has been trouble free. I'm asking $925 net on USAM and $800 net to me here for friends and contributors. It has a headphone out which runs off the 16ohm speaker taps with a voltage divider, but there's no mute for the speakers, so if you want to use both you'll have to make/buy an external speaker on/off switch or disconnect the speakers for headphone use. Here's my write up from USAM:

This is an early model 222D which still has the circuit found in the 222C and 8 separate control knobs as opposed to the 6 knob later version. The only thing that makes it a 222D is the silver "picture frame" face plate, otherwise it's a 222C. I still have 7 of the 8 the original brown "Pekalit" knobs, all but one are missing the brass cap, I'll include them with the amp at the buyer's request. I chose to use reproduction black knobs with silver caps to match the silver face with black lettering and toggle switches. The aluminum top plate of the amp had a fair amount of old corrosion which was removed with a dremel buffing wheel as can be seen in the overhead pic.
The restoration included replacing all multi-section electrolytic caps with Hayseed Hamfest reproductions, all old PIO caps were replaced with NOS Soviet K40Y-9 PIO and Sprague Orange Drops, all resistors were tested, and out of spec ones were replaced with Vishay/Dale metal film(or metal oxide in the power supply). The metal case K40Y-9's have all been covered in clear heat shrink to prevent any accidental shorts. The selenium rectifier, which always goes bad, was replaced with a modern NEC silicon bridge rectifier and the appropriate dropping resistor was added for the 12AX7 heater supply. A CL-80 thermistor was added to the AC line for current in-rush protection and slow warm up and to drop line voltage by a volt or two, to be closer to 1960's wall voltage. 2 bias pots were added, one before each balance pot, plus 4 test points, so that each power tube can be adjusted to the recommended individual bias. I will email detailed biasing instructions for the buyer, it's not complicated but you will need a multimeter which can read millivolts. The range of bias adjustment is fairly wide so that output tubes only need to be loosely matched due to the increasing rarity and expense of NOS 7189's. Craig of NOSValves used to recommend the Reflector 6P14P-EV, which are included with this amp, as more readily available replacements, and the new production Tung-Sol 7189's also do a very nice job if you're worried about power tube replacement in the future. The other benefit of the adjustable bias is that you can choose the operating point of the tubes, higher bias current for a richer, more "class A" sound, or lower bias for slightly cooler operating temperature(but still hot) and longer tube life.
The amp is totally silent in operation with my DIY 91db efficient single driver speakers and has a very low level hum with my 101db Altec 604E's, my understanding is that this is the norm for these amps and I have never heard the hum while listening to music on the Altec's even in quiet passages. It is a restored 60 year old tube amplifier which should offer quite a long life of trouble free operation and beautiful sound.

Asking price includes:
2 x 60's Telefunken(smooth plate, diamond bottom) 12AX7
2 x 60's Sylvania 12AX7
2 x 60's HH Scott branded 6U8A
4 x matched NOS Soviet Relektor 6P14P-EV power tubes
Your choice of an HH Scott branded 5AR4 made by GE or a Raytheon branded GZ34 made by Mullard at the Blackburn factory in Great Britain.

 

Anybody wanting an original mahogany case to fit this (and prepared to pay a bit of a premium to complete the sexy vintage package) - there's one listed in Canada:

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/650023193-h-h-scott-wood-case-mahogany/

The same seller also has a Scott tuner:

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/650022638-scott-lt110b-tube-tuner-factory-built-350c-tuner/

Discount for buying both.

 

I forgot to mention, I have the original vinyl covered "leatherette" metal case, but it's not very attractive and you have to take it off to bias the power tubes and these amps run really dang hot even with no case. I'll take pictures if anyone is interested.
That wood case @Biodegraded linked is way nicer and it's possible that sliding the metal grill off the top would give enough access to the bias pots.

 

My Spidey senses are telling me this amp likely sounds f'ing great and anyone needing a speaker amp around this power range would be hard pressed to do better anywhere near this price range (as long as you're cultured enough to already understand tube superiority.)

Disclaimer: I don't know the seller and AFAIK have never even chatted with them. This is just my honest and uncolored opinion.

SET amps get all the articles and discussion, but I'm firmly in the pentode camp for the speakers I use and I will give $50 to anyone who buys this amp and regrets it, as long as it's paired with speakers that are compatible.

This looks like it was meticulously restored and the wiring is just (chef's kiss).

Don't sleep on it, and don't let it get out of the family. If I had ANY NEED AT ALL for another speaker amp, this would already be on its way to me.

 

Maybe worth noting that with the recapped tone control section and Reflektor power tubes this amp has a leaner, more modern sound than the same circuit in the LK-48 I'm currently using as my daily amp(vintage power tubes, vintage tone caps), or that people generally associate with vintage tube amps. I have also run the 222 with 60's Telefunken 7189s and new production Tung Sol 7189s - both of these power tubes offered a more weighty and harmonically dense sound than the NOS Soviet tubes at the same bias point.
Different 6U8 phase splitters didn't change the sound in a noticeable way for me. I've been waiting on pairs of 60's Mullard and Amperex 12AX7's from Vintage Tube Services for a while, but haven't received them yet so I can't really speak to the extent that tube rolling might tailor the sound to the buyer's liking.
I'm happy for all the praise and recommendations but also don't want anyone to end up buying an amp they don't really like.

Edit: Also, if you want to pass on this one and wait for impressions from someone else, the LK-48 will go up for sale eventually once my next project is completed, might take a while because no good project amp deals have popped up around me lately.

 

I dropped the price to $875 on USAM, but $800 is already the bottom line for this amp, I think it's a good value and I need the funds for the next project.

 

Would love to hear some quick tasting notes after you've had some time with it. Very curious if it's as good as I suspect it is.

 

Although not exactly the same thing, I have two HH Scott 99 amps (mono integrated - 99c and 99d) from around that era - 1959 - use one per channel @22w each feeding Klipsch RP-600m speakers and to me sound fantastic. As an old mining guy with bad ears unfortunately can't describe nuances other than sounds good or not (is it ore or waste?). The 99s use 12ax7 input tubes and 6l6 output tubes. I suspect that the 222 sounds great. I kind of have too much stuff and also have the Aiyima T9 that people rave about, and to me, there is no comparison. HH Scott is a +.

 

Sold!
@shotgunshane @jexby please close, thanks all!