The Scotch 290 was introduced in 1958 as their first Triple Play (TP) tape that allowed a 3600′ tape on a 7″ reel. These tapes are characteristically VERY thin and are especially suited to slower speeds. Due to the thin oxide layer, this tape has an over 8 dB deficit in S/N ratio that can only be overcome by using DBX or Dolby noise reduction. This tape was somewhat popular in the 1960s and early 1970s but are difficult to find in good condition since older machines were often rough with tape handling and many examples have splices, stretches or crumbling. They were often used to make long playing mix tapes for background listening, as you could get 3 hours on one side of the tape at 3-3/4ips with a standard 7″ reel! Notes:

• As with any thin tape, extra care must be taken when handling as it can easily stretch or crumble under stress – especially with TP (triple play) tapes.
• This is a formula that has withstood the test of time. It is amazing to consider that you can make a high quality recordings on a 60 year old tape, but this is indeed possible.
• Tapes of this vintage have a tendency to shed oxide more than modern tapes. This is not a sign that this tape is degrading, it should be considered normal.
• The general quality of these tapes increased over their production run as general improvements were made, particularly with oxide shedding and smoothness.
• Record levels must be set very low to avoid distortion.
• Available Refurbished: Yes, you can buy refurbished reels of 290 in our store.