299 and Manta CHEAP in Philly CL

[Altec Best]

Yup! Heading down now... maybe we'll meet. :-)

I didn't go.I was going to pick them up for a board member.But he wasn't sure if he needed them so I didn't go.I'm glad to see another board member snagged them though !

I already have some 299's and love them 30 lbs. monsters ! They are loud as stink and can handle lots of power!

[Panomaniac]

I had my eye on them, but wasn't sure I needed them. Thanks AB. Glad to see that Gearfreak got them. Horns too?

[gearfreak]

Thanks all.

w/horns. Alas, diaphragms are bad on both.
Was happy @ 2 bills and not planning on plunking down for new phragms, but you know how it is standing there.
Of course we agreed on a discounted price.
So now I get to figure out what next, and reshuffle the stable of things for sale.

Eckle states re the 299A series:
Newest Altec high frequency driver. Has good sound of 288 with 2? times the power handling. Costs less. Use this unit whenever possible. When rebuilding older 288s or 291s, use its diaphragm.

I now have both 288 and 299 bodies.
Any opinion(s) on whether there would be a sonic difference assuming same phragms used?
(lower power, not SR use)
25884 (8)/25885 (16) from GPA would seem to be the current production option.

* Sonics aside, the 299 is desirable (to me) over the 288 due to the 299's 3 and 4 lug mounting options.
** Interestingly, these MRII564II have a serial# space on the label but it is not populated. Maybe none do?

[Altec Best]

The (25884) is the 8 ohm 299 and the (25885) is the 16 ohm 299,is this what your asking GF ? It looks like a lot of crud in the gap.A simple Diaphragm replacement may not be sufficient GF.

So the original part# for the 299-16A is the (25885)

[gearfreak]

The (25884) is the 8 ohm 299 and the (25885) is the 16 ohm 299,is this what your asking GF ?

No. Pano mentioned his are now 288's, with new GPA phragms, so wondering what pn he got from them in order that they cause them to become 288s. (could be: 23763)

For certain on the crud.

So what happens when I unscrew this 'top plate (?)' (the plate which the phragm mounts to, i.e. the 3 sunken bolts showing in the pic).

I imagine, things come out of alignment?

[Altec Best]

Understand what you mean now. OK part # for a 8 ohm 288 is 23763 and the part # for a 16 ohm 288 is 23834.

Here is GPA's listings for their 288 Diaphragms.The 299's are 25884-25885 for 8-16 ohm respectively

[Panomaniac]

My drivers are 291-16K and the 'phrams that come with them are 21531 Symbiotic.

The new 'phrams are GPA 23834. 16 ohms Aluminum. I asked Bill at GPA if the 291 and 288 motors are the same, he said yes, same thing. Only difference is the diaphragms. Putting this 'phram in makes it a 288-16K

So maybe one of the 288 'phrams listed above can turn a 299 into a 288.

[Panomaniac]

Oh, and FWIW I just took a lot of surface rust off some hand tools with a soak in white vinegar. Worked great. The vinegar bubbled on the rust and some actually just fell off. The rust was easy to take off with a rag.

It might be a way to clean your diver.

[gearfreak]

Cool, thanks. I will have to try the vinegar approach and see.

For now, they'll go on the shelf for a little while. At least until I figure out/learn if I can (realistically) further disassemble for cleaning. Don't want to jam a working phragm in there and ruin it with gunk.

[gearfreak]

At least until I figure out/learn if I can (realistically) further disassemble for cleaning.

Alas, looks like this won't be the case, would have to be sent in for work.
Will get around to posting the set for sale unless/until I see another single around for reasonable price.