This PR99 arrived on Friday, 22 May 2006, in a sturdy flight case weighing in at a considerable 38kg. The machine proper tilts the scale at barely 19kg. So, at least it was well protected during its 1,600km voyage from Bry in northern France almost on the Belgian border.
The seller, somewhat reluctant in his communication, runs an events business. As it happens, the bulky PR99 had been replaced by some cheapish digital recording device and thus became superfluous to requirements. In retirement, the machine sat for a number of years in a warehouse – inside its flight case and largely ignored if not neglected.
Once safely delivered to its new home, a quick glance at the tape guides and heads showed minimal wear. Though the flight case has been around the block a few times, the machine’s housing shows no signs of bumps, scratches, or other evidence of rough handling.
All toggle switches, rotary knobs, and push buttons are intact and, apparently, functional. Thankfully, the lettering on the fascia remains pristine – always an important consideration.
When buying vintage gear, outward appearance is an important consideration: lots of blemishes often point to the careless handling of equipment by previous owners.
The first order of business is to free this PR99 from its heavy-duty flight case. And then to source a new head cover. The ‘B77mkII’ one that somehow found its way onto this machine must go.
The first batch of parts has been ordered. Work is set to commence mid-June 2026. To be continued…
