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View Full Version : 4350's - My Pride and Joy



saeman
10-22-2006, 12:23 PM
I found this pair about a year ago and drove from Chicago to OKC to pick them up. After getting side tracked on a lot of other projects I have finally completed the restoration. I have a noisy pot on one side but will get it cleaned and re-install the foil cal and they'll be complete.

Like others I have restored this pair too had smashed in corners, gouges in the veneer and stains everywhere on the finish. The removable bases were destroyed. I had all of the woofers serviced but since there are no 2230A white cones on the planet I had to leave them and just clean them up. They now look pretty fresh and near new. I'll likely upgrade the caps in the 3107's but will otherwise leave this pair as original as I can.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone out there who owns or knows of any other early pair of 4350's. This pair was likely from the first few weeks of production in late 1973.

saeman
10-22-2006, 12:25 PM
more pics

mech986
10-22-2006, 07:23 PM
:cheers: YOU DA MAN!!
Gads Riessen, those look better than factory new!!!

Will you have a restoration thread on this with any pictures? If I wasn't so far away (Los Angeles), I'd hire you to refinish all my JBL's.

And coming from a cheap Chinese sumbitch, that's saying a lot! :bouncy:

Bart

edgewound
10-22-2006, 07:29 PM
Wow, Rick...

Those are gorgeous. Your woodworking skills are definitely concours.

:thmbsup: :thmbsup: :thmbsup:

Chas
10-22-2006, 07:38 PM
Beeautifull! Get those capacitors changed out and you'll never look back!:p

John W
10-22-2006, 07:56 PM
Wow, those are really something. You must have a friend in the veneer business. :applaud:

Titanium Dome
10-22-2006, 08:31 PM
The veneers look fantastic.

saeman
10-22-2006, 09:02 PM
Thanks for the kind words guys, much appreciated. If doing this way a chore I wouldn't do it. I work for a living like most everyone else and chopping wood is my outlet - takes me away from the job - always has.

No photo documentary on this pair. I did the same job I do to all the beaters I find. Mill off the bevel front trim. Cut out all corners front to back 3/8" x 3/8" and installed new wood, glued and brad nailed in place (solid oak which is hard, machines to clean sharp corners and is hidden by the veneer). Then cut out all back edges 3/8 x 3/8 and install new strips of baltic birch (since it shows this will blend in with the existing top/sides/bottom and is barely visible). You can get this far in one decent day of work. Glue on new front trim, slap on new veneer (bottom/sides/top), cut 30 degree trim bevel, sand, oil, rub, rub, rub.

I get most of my veneer from Oakwood Veneer (Detroit area) www.oakwoodveneer.com (http://www.oakwoodveneer.com) which has been mentioned on the forum quite a few times. I do buy from them regularly and they treat me very fair. This particular veneer is their AA Premium walnut, not the big $$$ figured I have used a few time before. I simply asked for a very light color (which is most representative of that used by JBL) and also asked them to select me a couple matched sheets that had somewhat wild grain and good steeple. The pictures with the flash make it look more wild than it really is up front and in natural light. Anyone buying veneer should give these guys a try. I get next day delivery being in the Chicago area.

Thanks again - Rick

Ken Pachkowsky
10-22-2006, 11:44 PM
I rest my case....

Stunning..

Ken

yggdrasil
10-23-2006, 03:48 PM
Fantastic again Rick.

Your dedication to the 4350's are amazing. Tracking down old beaten speakers and putting them in great shape.

I bet that small kitten isn't so small even if it looks so small beside that 4350.

saeman
10-23-2006, 06:53 PM
Hi Johnny: Nice to hear from you - are you burried in snow yet. I'm going to Deutschland in Jan to visit a forum friend of mine - come on down and we'll have a JBL get together. That small cat in the pic is the tamer of the 3 we have. We have two younger ones that we got near 2 years ago to replace two that we wore out after 17 years - or they wore us out! They're Abysinians and are high speed low drag all day long. It's in their nature to seek high ground and spend only minimal time on the floor. They take turns sleeping in a small fruit basket on top of the frig. Consequently the tops of my big monitors are not safe.

I went just this morning to the glass shop to pick up smoked plate glass that I ordered to protect the tops of my new babies. I put the glass on them at about noon. When I came home from work at 7pm there were already a ton of fresh foot prints on the glass tops. I do JBL and the cats are my wife's. They're here to stay and I need to find new ways to protect my JBL's from their never ending mischief. If I leave a cabinet alone with a woofer removed, they're inside snooping around. When they were young I found one climbing the grilles of a pair of mint 4350's. After a 120db verbal explosion using every 4 letter word I know, I calmly told my wife that either their claws go or they go. Two weeks later the problem was solved.

You must have a new project going - have not seen anything new from you in a while. Let me know. Later - Rick

scott fitlin
10-23-2006, 07:31 PM
Wow, those look really incredible, very fine work, sir! They look brand new.

:)

Guido
10-24-2006, 03:24 AM
Unbelievable beautiful work!
Outstanding!
Stunning!
:bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy:

Fangio
10-24-2006, 03:27 AM
Rick, thats Lansing Heritage at it's best - that talent combined with the dedication to the big vintage JBL gems, and the financial capability to realize these projects. It's hard to top your kind of entertainment for us JBL nuts here. I'm sure very many readers worldwide would wish to have you in the neighbourhood. :)

saeman
10-24-2006, 06:34 AM
Guten Morgen: Where are you in Germany? I will be in your neighborhood in a few months. I could bring my ax and chain saw if you need some restoration assistance. I will be flying into Frankfurt and spending a few days near Stuttgart. I also plan to visit a good SAE friend in Bern. Let's have a bier and talk JBL. Rick

saeman
10-24-2006, 06:57 AM
In answer to a recent question - the black baffle is ORIGINAL on this pair of 4350's. My restoration was to the outside of the cabinets. The baffle paint is JBL's typical textured finish and I did nothing to it other than spend several hours cleaning marks and misc residue off the paint. I cannot duplicate that original texture and was scared to death of screwing it up. It cleaned up well and both baffles look near new.

JBL's first monitors like the 4320 were walnut cabs with black baffles - before they invented the JBL BLUE idea. It is my guess that some time in early 74 they split to the blue on walnut/black on gray color scheme. Up to that point all of their pro monitors had black baffles.

In support of this statement - I received a scan from Robh of an original Tech Note announcing the arrival of the New 4350 Monitor, dated January 1973. It clearly shows a walnut cabinet with white woofs and black baffle. I was fortunate to find this pair and I have not seen or heard of another. I have seen two pairs with white cone 2230A's on blue baffles (second variation).

Rick

Earl K
10-24-2006, 07:24 AM
Beautiful work Rick !

BTW, were you aware that at one point, some time back, "oldmics" had a few used 2230/135 cones ? They were in need of new surrounds ( and likely spiders ). Member "Thom" has a pair of 135(s) ( I do believe ) in his Flair ( somethings ?? ) .

There was also an older thread about a fellow who was selling his dads' ( I believe ) first generation 4350s . The 2230(s) had previously been reconed with black cones.



<> Earl K

saeman
10-24-2006, 08:04 AM
Hi Earl: Thanks for the info and your comments. I am on the hunt for a set of 2230A's and will hopefully locate them. Since it was a very short lived model they're not laying around in piles.

All of the 2230A's I have seen have 135A written in pencil on the inside of the cone. It would appear that JBL made a pro version of the 135A and called it 2230A. The 135A was used exclusively in the L71 Verona and as one of the components options for the L45 Flair. Neither of these models were big sellers. JBL likely had a bunch of 135A cones available. 135A's do come along from time to time when some clown has strip[ped out a pair of Flairs. Since I part-in instead of part-out these guys are sometimes my salvation. I have bought them strictly to rob the cones to restore 2230A's.

Regards - Rick

saeman
10-28-2006, 03:18 PM
A pic with my new cat proof tops. The stained glass hides the grain :banghead: but keeps the tops in mint shape. The cats come down the stairs, usually about 100 mph, and shortcut to their food in the laundry room, thru the bannister and over the tops of my speakers. Why can't they just walk around like everyone else? They will need to sit here for a while til I make room for them elsewhere. They do make goou stands for my rear surrounds but need to eventually be moved out of the flight pattern.

Rolf
10-29-2006, 12:57 AM
I have not made a comment until now Rick. I am stunned over your work.

Would you please take the trip over here, and finish my 4343's?

Compared to you I am a :banghead: (butt head)

Fangio
10-29-2006, 04:24 AM
Guten Morgen: Where are you in Germany? I will be in your neighborhood in a few months. ... I will be flying into Frankfurt and spending a few days near Stuttgart. I also plan to visit a good SAE friend in Bern. Let's have a bier and talk JBL.Under discussion via PM.
I could bring my ax and chain saw if you need some restoration assistance. Rick Uhm.. a scary thanks..? :blink: :D
No such tools neccessary currently, more gentle maintenance. Anyway, I'd suggest you take a break from wood dust and just enjoy your trip over here.

saeman
10-29-2006, 08:20 AM
I have not made a comment until now Rick. I am stunned over your work.

Would you please take the trip over here, and finish my 4343's?

Compared to you I am a :banghead: (butt head)

Hi Rolf: Thanx for your compliments as always. It's not likely I'll be coming your way any time soon but from a recent PM maybe you'll be coming to my back yard. I hope we get a change to talk.

It seems like everyone on the forum has their own little nitch in the JBL game and obviously mine is wood - but - I don't know a damn thing about running impedance curves, designing x-overs or reconing a woofer. I've read a gazillion posts by guys like Giskard, Ian, Widget, many others. who are talking so far over my head that I can't even make an intelligent reply. I'm equally impressed with all of these varied talents and they're all necessary to bring a project to completion.

If Scotty could beam me to Norway I'd enjoy spending some weekends working on your 4343's. Since we don't have one of those handy gadgets we'll have to continue sharing what we know on the forum.

Later - Rick

Rolf
10-29-2006, 08:32 AM
From a movie: " yea ... Lunch". Hope we will sometimes have one ..

Seriously ... it won't take long no before I have "dressed" my 4343's. Pic will come.


Hi Rolf: Thanx for your compliments as always. It's not likely I'll be coming your way any time soon but from a recent PM maybe you'll be coming to my back yard. I hope we get a change to talk.

It seems like everyone on the forum has their own little nitch in the JBL game and obviously mine is wood - but - I don't know a damn thing about running impedance curves, designing x-overs or reconing a woofer. I've read a gazillion posts by guys like Giskard, Ian, Widget, many others. who are talking so far over my head that I can't even make an intelligent reply. I'm equally impressed with all of these varied talents and they're all necessary to bring a project to completion.

If Scotty could beam me to Norway I'd enjoy spending some weekends working on your 4343's. Since we don't have one of those handy gadgets we'll have to continue sharing what we know on the forum.

Later - Rick

saeman
10-29-2006, 08:33 AM
I'd suggest you take a break from wood dust and just enjoy your trip over here.

Fangio:

No doubt I'll have a great time especially since I'll be visiting some audio friends while there. This trip is really for my son and I'm just going along to pay for everything and to make sure he doesn't try to drink too much beer. I told him a while back that I'd take him on a trip his senior year for doing well in school. He picked Germany and I didn't have any reason to disagree - so there we shall go.

I may bring a pocket full of saw dust and sprinkle it around every place we visit in Deutschland. Maybe it will grow into some 4345's or 4350's. Let's keep talking and hopefully we'll be able to arrange a get together.

Rick:bouncy:

Rolf
10-29-2006, 08:46 AM
Fangio:

This trip is really for my son and I'm just going along to pay for everything and to make sure he doesn't try to drink too much beer. I

No No ... beer is a MUST in Germany. ... Anything under a gallon(US) in considered :(

HaHa:)

billburgette
10-29-2006, 02:00 PM
The cat problem was easy for me. I put a towel on top of the speaker, put a piece of plexiglass on the towel, and rubbed the plexiglas down with some liquid silicone. (Copier fuser oil), super slicky stuff.

The siamese came running down the stairs as usual, stuck his head through the banister and did his typical jump onto the speaker. The look of confusion in his crossed little eyes was amazing as he IMMEDIATELY hit the speaker, made a wild kitty cat wail, and flew off the speaker at about twice the speed that he was travelling and wound up on the floor about five feet from the speaker.

The silicone was on the cute little pads of his feet and the floor was hardwood. The next five minutes were the funniest of my life. He had no idea why he was wildly spinning in circles on the floor but.....the good part......he never jumped on the speaker again. Easy fix and fun to watch. It's worth the wait.