Ok now I'M lansing heritage-worthy... still can't believe it

[brad347]

I was jealous of another member's L-300 craigslist score, and lo and behold, I just got back from a 2.5 hours' drive in a rented pickup truck to bring home my new-to-me 4345s! I got a really great deal on them. I never would've been able to afford speakers like this without a little persistence and good luck.

They're all there, except the 2245H's need refoaming and the 2308 lenses seem MIA.

But the grilles are there, and the guy assured me that all drivers were working, sans the refoam issue. He wasn't aware that there were ever supposed to be horn lenses! :D

The guy was a real nice guy. I don't like to get into a lot of haggling (not my style/not fun for me) but the listing asked for offers... I've been down that road before (bidding war), so I was loath to get involved, but I just e-mailed and asked him what he wanted for them. He said "I want them gone but I don't want to give them away." So I made him an offer that I thought would be way to low (but all I felt comfortable spending) just from the standpoint of "might as well make him say no." He accepted my first offer! It was low. Honestly, for the kind of money I paid, I didn't even ask to hook them up to test them.

He was a real standup guy, promising to honor my offer even if he got offered more. And I'm sure he did get offered more. But he stayed true to his word, which too few people do nowadays.

I was hoping to one day find a deal on some L-300s, which were way out of my range, and then I came across these.

Had to rent a truck and drive way out to the sticks, but once I get them up and running with the proper lenses and refoamed bass drivers, I bet it will be all worth it.

Jubals will now become bedroom speakers, and my 4408s will be sold on to finance the refoam, probably. I wouldn't risk doing it myself.

Anyone have any recommendations for refoaming in the North NJ/NYC area? :)

No pics yet... they're still out in the truck (with my eye on them out the window) waiting on my friend to get here to help me unload them (way too heavy for me and my wife to handle!) For now, until they get running, they have to get relegated to a tight spot in my music/instrument room but I'll try and snap a few pics later or tomorrow. A couple snags in the blue grilles, a few normal marks on the cabs from wear-and-tear, and of course the aforementioned foam and lens issues. But overall they look pretty nice.

Thanks for listening to my happy story.

[Earl K]

Great story !

Looking forward to some pics !


<> cheers

[eso]

Excellent!

So, what was the damage?

eso

[speakerdave]

. . . . they're still out in the truck (with my eye on them out the window) waiting on my friend to get here to help me unload them (way too heavy for me and my wife to handle! . . . .

I know you'll enjoy them.

I think they're also too heavy, because of their size, weight and lack of handles, for two men to move around without risk to themselves or the speakers. I suggest renting a refrigerator dolly for the safety of the backs and speakers.

[brad347]

I think they're also too heavy, because of their size, weight and lack of handles, for two men to move around without risk to themselves or the speakers. I suggest renting a refrigerator dolly for the safety of the backs and speakers.

That's good advice. We've actually got 4 people! Though the guy selling them and I got them into the truck, just the 2 of us. But man it wasn't easy work!

The catalog scan in the library says they weigh 246 lbs each, and I believe it.

[brad347]

Excellent!

So, what was the damage?

eso

5 benjamins! plus 75 bucks to rent the truck, and gas.

[eso]

5 benjamins! plus 75 bucks to rent the truck, and gas.

¡Score!

[hjames]

I just got back from a 2.5 hours' drive in a rented pickup truck to bring home my new-to-me 4345s!
They're all there, except the 2245H's need refoaming and the 2308 lenses seem MIA.
But the grilles are there, and the guy assured me that all drivers were working, sans the refoam issue.
He wasn't aware that there were ever supposed to be horn lenses! :D

5 Benjamins! plus 75 bucks to rent the truck, and gas.

WOW!! That's a most awesome score - congratulations!

[BMWCCA]

Ignoring the price paid (you suck! ;)), might I suggest a furniture dolly like the ones sold at Lowe's for about $20 with the carpet on them. I moved my 4345s myself out of my van and up a ramp into the house (had to build the ramp). Didn't want my wife to hate them before they even got in the house! I laid them on their backs on corrugated cardboard sheets and slid them off the van load sill onto the dolly and strapped them, carefully, with motorcycle tie-downs using heavy cardboard to protect the corners. I also later installed Lowe's casters under the 4345's plinths to make them more mobile for housekeeping purposes.

Good luck! I, too, bypassed the L300s I always wanted and went for the 4345s instead. I don't regret it. The money spent is a distant memory and the enjoyment continues every day of my life.

[brad347]

might I suggest a furniture dolly like the ones sold at Lowe's for about $20 with the carpet on them.

Yes! We used one of those. The four of us (2 guys and 2 girls) plus the furniture dolly made it up my five steps and into my house.

I'll get around to pics later. I've been up since 730 this morning, and I have a gig tonight that starts at midnight, and then I have to get up to return the rental truck by 9AM.

I need a nap!

Thanks everyone. I'm too stoked. Still can't believe it really happened.

[eso]

Ignoring the price paid (you suck! ;)), might I suggest a furniture dolly like the ones sold at Lowe's for about $20 with the carpet on them...

If those are like the ones they sell at Home Depot don't waste your money. The casters have hard wheels and the pivots don't work under any reasonable load. If you have hardwood floors you will damage them.

If you look for a local carpet/flooring supply house you can get real furniture dollies with good soft-wheeled casters that work under heavy loads. They cost a few dollars more but I find the cheap Asian import dreck from the home store chains to be a complete waste of money.

eso

[brad347]

OK here are some pics... kinda.

These are crammed in a real tight space for storage right now in our "spare bedroom" which is really just my gear storage closet.

Once I get the woofers refoamed and the proper horn lenses, I'll break 'em out and make room for them in the living room.

Due to the tight space and the enormous size of the speakers, I wasn't really able to get any good angles. But at least this proves that it really happened. :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/IM000068.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/IM000067.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/IM000066-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/IM000069.jpg

[Titanium Dome]

Congratulations! That's an excellent acquisition, and you should be happy for a long time. :)

[JBLAddict]

wow, what an incredible bargain.....just one of those stories. So, what was the MSRP on these back in the day, around 3k/pr? which would be about 11-12K today...

[JuniorJBL]

Nice score!! They look in pretty good condition.:D

[Uncle Paul]

Congratulations, and thanks for sharing the story and pix!

Kudos also to your mega speaker friendly wife, may she be an example to spouses everywhere...

[Beowulf57]

Casters...unless you're on shag carpet, try these (get the largest size):

[brad347]

Congratulations, and thanks for sharing the story and pix!

Kudos also to your mega speaker friendly wife, may she be an example to spouses everywhere...

Not to gloat, but she also made the trip with me both times (they wouldn't fit in our vehicle the first time, so we left a deposit and went back the next day with the rented truck).

She even claimed to be excited about the speakers, too. :blink:

When we got them into our place and saw how enormous they look inside our not-large pad, she just laughed.

[perchdog]

super awesome :applaud::applaud::applaud:

i am the jealous one !!!

[super440]

Nice!!!!!!!!:)

[boputnam]

They're all there, except the 2245H's need refoaming and the 2308 lenses seem MIA.Whoa... Lucky you.

Your work has just begun. Read all you can here, and realize these are not "plug-and-play" - they take some careful set-up and tuning. Do not short change that or you will be making a big mistake.

That said, looking at the pics (beauties!! :bouncy:) you need to re-surround those 2122H's too. Those surrounds are shot.

Please, PLEASE come back here as you get these up-and-running. There is a wealth of experienced users here that can save you from months of struggle.

[brad347]

Whoa... Lucky you.

Your work has just begun. Read all you can here, and realize these are not "plug-and-play" - they take some careful set-up and tuning. Do not short change that or you will be making a big mistake.

That said, looking at the pics (beauties!! :bouncy:) you need to re-surround those 2122H's too. Those surrounds are shot.

Please, PLEASE come back here as you get these up-and-running. There is a wealth of experienced users here that can save you from months of struggle.

Thanks!

Any ideas on what I should search for to find some of this advice you're mentioning? Besides the model number, of course--

I will do the 2122Hs as well, as per your advice. I'll do those next. I'm in no huge hurry to get these running right away-- it can be a medium-term project for me.

I appreciate all of your help and advice-- however, I don't think there will be "months of struggle." I am more than happy to learn as I go, and if it takes months, it takes months. :) I ultimately don't want to 'waste' the potential of these wonderful speakers, but I also don't intend to lose any sleep over it one way or the other. Too many other important things in life for that! I'm OK with a bit of a 'journey' but I'm always excited to learn from the experiences of others. I'll certainly do some reading.

Any nudges in the direction of any documents, possible search strings, generalized advice, etc. is very welcome. Thanks again.

[brad347]

The refoaming of the 2245Hs has started!

Since my kits are in the mail from Rick Cobb as of tomorrow (should have them mid-week) I decided to have a go at removing the old foam.

I finished this stage for one of them. I'm proud to say that step went very well. I managed to get every trace of old glue and foam off the back of the cone. I also managed to save the old gaskets (they pried off rather easily with a razor blade) and I got the frame/basket very clean of the old foam, as well.

I was actually mildly surprised at how well that stage went. Working with my Q-tips to get the glue off the back of the cone was tedious in some spots that were obscured by the frame, but working carefully with a bright LED pen-light and good overhead lighting I actually made rather short work of it. Patience was the key.

I've currently got that driver stored face-down with cardboard support to keep the cone in its 'normal' position to protect the spider (seemed like a good idea to me). Maybe Tuesday I'll tackle the other one, and hope the kits come Wednesday.

Glad I got the encouragement on this forum to try this. I have no idea if the removal of the old surround or the installation of the new one is the "hard" part, but I'm optimistic.

[brad347]

Casters...unless you're on shag carpet, try these (get the largest size):

Got 'em tonight-- largest size! Said they could move stuff that was many times the weight of my speakers, so I should be good. Thanks for the tip.

[JBLRaiser]

The refoaming of the 2245Hs has started!

Since my kits are in the mail from Rick Cobb as of tomorrow (should have them mid-week) I decided to have a go at removing the old foam.

I finished this stage for one of them. I'm proud to say that step went very well. I managed to get every trace of old glue and foam off the back of the cone. I also managed to save the old gaskets (they pried off rather easily with a razor blade) and I got the frame/basket very clean of the old foam, as well.

I was actually mildly surprised at how well that stage went. Working with my Q-tips to get the glue off the back of the cone was tedious in some spots that were obscured by the frame, but working carefully with a bright LED pen-light and good overhead lighting I actually made rather short work of it. Patience was the key.

I've currently got that driver stored face-down with cardboard support to keep the cone in its 'normal' position to protect the spider (seemed like a good idea to me). Maybe Tuesday I'll tackle the other one, and hope the kits come Wednesday.

Glad I got the encouragement on this forum to try this. I have no idea if the removal of the old surround or the installation of the new one is the "hard" part, but I'm optimistic.

as an excellent mode of working the surround into place. Here are some examples from Target. http://www.target.com/b/180-7890707-5345613?node=161457011&AFID=google&CPNG=Dining&LNM=lazy_susan&LID=14589938&ref=tgt_adv_XSGT0692

[brad347]

might just have to get me one of them spinnin' contraptions.

Edit: for $3.50 shipped, I just bought a set of bearings so that I can make my own quick-n-dirty lazy susan.

[brad347]

Here's where the first 2245H stands right now:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000071.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000072.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000074.jpg

[boputnam]

Here's where the first 2245H stands right now:

From where I sit, it is going very well.

re: set-up. What I meant is they will at-first sound really good. Then, you tweak this, EQ that, new amps, better crossover, re-tweak. It is endless fun.

However, you will benefit from being able to measure their acoustic response in the room. An RTA is necessary for this, and run Pink Noise - notch those frequencies which rise above the flat response of the Pink.
:dead_horse:

[Regis]

Just caught this thread. Awesome deal-e-o! You've got a superb pair of speakers for a meager amount of cash. Yes, they are huge, but 4345's?!! You were wishing for a pair of L300's and look at what you've got now. Congratulations on your great score. I'm glad they went to someone that is going to enjoy them!

[brad347]

Well, I pulled the other 2245H today and it isn't looking good.

On this one, the surround is rotted all the way around. How can I tell if I need a complete recone or not?

What should I be looking for?

The cone does look to have a slight tilt to one side. I'm not sure if this is a deal-breaker or not.

[BMWCCA]

The cone does look to have a slight tilt to one side. I'm not sure if this is a deal-breaker or not.Of course it's a deal-breaker. You'd better sell them to me for what you paid for them immediately. I'll gas up the truck.

Seriously, if you're considering paying for a re-cone anyway, and you've already ordered your Rick Cobb kits, you have nothing to lose by doing the re-surround yourself. Spider is probably crooked from sitting in the same spot with bad surrounds for a while. Go anti-gravity and rotate the 2245 180º after installing the surrounds and see what you get. :dont-know:

[brad347]

yeah, I'll give it a shot.

I was wondering if anybody here had any special voodoo tricks for situations like this. :bouncy:

I'l certainly try the "rotate it 180 degrees" trick.

I did the 'aaa battery' test with the speaker laying on its back, and it needed "help" on one side to excurse all the way.

To me, that doesn't look promising, but this is my first rodeo with this kinda stuff, so what do I know.

Any idea about what a recone with a correct factory kit should cost with this, just in case?

[grumpy]

...special voodoo tricks for situations like this.recone it. Oogah Boogah.

~$300 last I checked.

[brad347]

Yeah. Rough. $300 would back-burner this project for a minute.

I'm going to try the re-surround and see how I come out. Nothing to lose trying.

It's possible that the foam hadn't been completely detached for long. We'll see.

[brad347]

OK, I got all the surround off the second 2245H, and I have to say I'm somewhat more optimistic. It seems to behave exactly the same as the other one which had 90% of its surround intact when I pulled it.

Visual inspection doesn't show anything wrong, except a slight tilt of the cone on both drivers with no surround in place. Spider looks the same on both-- it dips in slightly with the speaker on its back, and out slightly with the speaker on its face.

New surrounds should get here tomorrow or the next day, and I'll begin that step to see what I can do. Thanks again for all the help.

[grumpy]

It'll be a good/worthwhile learning experience... if nothing else, that the folks
that do this for a living do -earn- their money.

I keep looking at your avatar and expecting that the purplish-blue "light" in the top is a
flash reflection, but wonder how cool would it be to rig an old cat-eye tube up to glow
with increasing sound amplitude behind an acrylic 077 lens :nutz:

[brad347]

It'll be a good/worthwhile learning experience... if nothing else, that the folks
that do this for a living do -earn- their money.

Yep! I like learning experiences. I'd love to try my hand at a recone, but it will have to be on something besides a JBL of course, unless I wanted to use an aftermarket kit which I don't.

[boputnam]

Of course it's a deal-breaker. You'd better sell them to me for what you paid for them immediately. I'll gas up the truck. :applaud:


Seriously, if you're considering paying for a re-cone anyway, and you've already ordered your Rick Cobb kits, you have nothing to lose by doing the re-surround yourself. Spider is probably crooked from sitting in the same spot with bad surrounds for a while. Go anti-gravity and rotate the 2245 180º after installing the surrounds and see what you get. :dont-know:+1. Nobody looses an eye, so this is a permitted exercise.


recone it. Oogah Boogah.That is the only proper solution.


Visual inspection doesn't show anything wrong......and tells you nothing meaningful.


(there's) a slight tilt of the cone on both drivers with no surround in place. Spider looks the same on both-- it dips in slightly with the speaker on its back, and out slightly with the speaker on its face.I suspect they have both been mounted in the same position with no rotation for almost a generation. The fatigue to the spider is non-repairable (you could rotate them 180º as was suggested, but you'd have to wait a generation for them to resettle. That sucks... :banghead: ) You will need a recone. Period.


I'd love to try my hand at a recone, but it will have to be on something besides a JBL of course, unless I wanted to use an aftermarket kit which I don't.Yeah, probably not gonna happen. Kits used to be nearly impossible for us civilians to get - with the restructuring changes at JBL corporate, they will be scarcer still.

[perchdog]

FWIW,
I am in the reconing camp myself. Yeah it costs a bit of money but you are also dealing with a super nice set of speaks. No doubt time does take its toll on most equipment, why not let the pro's handle it and get these up to best possible working condition right off the bat.
Personally I think of it this way, just pretend the money is coming from the pot which you would pull from trying to upgrade to level far below where you at now.
cheers

[shaansloan]

5 benjamins! plus 75 bucks to rent the truck, and gas.

Gadzooks Batman! That was the bargain of the century! Congrats on those lovely blue face beauties.... Many years of enjoyment headed your way! great score Brad!

[shaansloan]

The refoaming of the 2245Hs has started!

Glad I got the encouragement on this forum to try this. I have no idea if the removal of the old surround or the installation of the new one is the "hard" part, but I'm optimistic.

Be sure to use your test tone CD when drying the glue....if you ordered from Rick Cobb, he usually sends them in the pack...you wont be sorry for the trouble.... Shaan

[boputnam]

Be sure to use your test tone CD when drying the glue....+1

[brad347]

Received Rick Cobb's kit today.

Man, what a nice package. I can see why you guys recommend him so highly. The product is top-notch.

The foam looks, feels, smells, and tastes more 'correct' to me than the foam on the 122a pair I had done by the authorized JBL service center in my area.

I read the instructions twice and then dove in. I kept a pile of Q-tips and a dish of warm water nearby, got a AAA battery with clip leads taped to each end, and got to work.

The battery worked great for lifting the cone to give me plenty of room to apply the glue with a Q-tip. I used my instincts on how much glue to apply, and it turned out just about right, I think-- enough that a thin bead of glue just barely squished out in most areas, and not in a few, when I pressed the foam and cone together.

I let the glue 'tack up' for a minute or so, and then I centered the cone to the best of my ability above the surround, and disconnected the battery. The cone 'plopped' down in approximately the right spot, then I finessed the surround into position to center it best I could by eye.

I then proceeded to apply pressure behind the cone with two fingers, pushing down in a "star" pattern like tightening the lug nuts on the wheel of a car. When I had covered pretty much the perimeter of the driver and had it good and stuck together, I re-connected the battery to raise the cone again. Then I used my thumb and forefinger to go all the way around the cone, pressing the surround and cone together around the circumfrence.

Then I disconnected the battery again, and flipped the driver over onto its face.

Then I took an LED pen light and went around the back of the cone, inspecting to make sure there were no gaps. Found one little place that didn't look quite as tight as the rest, and mashed it down good.

Then I turned the driver face-up again and set it aside to cure.

Then I did the other!

Went fairly fast and painlessly. Each one took about one side of the LP issue of the Zombies "Odessey (sic) and Oracle" worth of time to do to this point.

They're now sitting aside to cure for a bit. Glue is already starting to dry clear as I type this.

Think I might go to the drugstore to pick up a syringe, as it might be nice to carefully put a little bead of glue all the way around the gap between the roll and the cone for good measure. Rick Cobb's instructions recommended that as a final step.

Here's where they stand right now:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000075.jpg

[brad347]

Eschewed the syringe, and instead opened the second bottle from Rick's kit to where the opening was only very small-- I punctured the tip with the smallest jeweler's screwdriver I had.

This allowed me a great deal of control, and I got nice looking beads around both surrounds to seal everything up real good.

First one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000079.jpg

and then the other!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000080.jpg


When that glue dries clear, that should look real nice.
Time to take a break for lunch and let this set up for awhile.

[brad347]

Waited for my bead of glue to dry nice and clear, and then I proceeded to fire up the 30 Hz test CD and glue the surrounds to the frames. :)

All's well so far, without a hint of trouble from either driver. Knock on wood, but the drivers centered themselves without a hint of rub so far. Not finicky or picky at all-- I literally felt like I could not have misaligned them if I tried.

I've got them up running at a modest level with the 30 Hz tone, drying. After 10 minutes I went back and pressed the surround down one more time (again working in a 'star' pattern like tightening lug nuts on a car) on each driver. I may repeat this process again soon.

I'll go in the room with them every 5 minutes or so and check their progress.

Here are some pics of them right now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000082.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000081.jpg

So far, looking good!

After they're dry with no rubs, on go the gaskets and back in the cabs they go. Fingers crossed!

[boputnam]

Think I might go to the drugstore to pick up a syringe, as it might be nice to carefully put a little bead of glue all the way around the gap between the roll and the cone for good measure. Rick Cobb's instructions recommended that as a final step.I tried this once, but the result was no better (for me) than just using a damp fine art paint brush and smoothing-out the minor excess that comes from beneath the surround.


Eschewed the syringe, and instead opened the second bottle from Rick's kit to where the opening was only very small-- I punctured the tip with the smallest jeweler's screwdriver I had.

This allowed me a great deal of control, and I got nice looking beads around both surrounds to seal everything up real good.You learning all the experienced tricks!


So far, looking good!I'll say! :applaud:

This is a great docuthread. I'm considering destroy this thread and inserting the relevant posts into the existing step-by-step, with your permission of course, and only if it makes sense (when I re-review that thread).

[brad347]

absolutely. Whatever you want to do is fine by me. I'd be happy if my posts were useful to someone.

[brad347]

The first driver has about 3 hours of dry time on it, and the other is not far behind.

30 Hz tone is still going, all is still well. I just might be home free (knock wood).

The instructions say 3-4 hours to dry. I think it might be time for gaskets soon. :)

[brad347]

OK, 5 hours drying on one driver, and 4.5 on the other-- I took them off the 30 Hz.

I'm calling 'em DONE.

Gaskets installed. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000084.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jazz347/4345/IM000083.jpg

I am very pleased with how they came out. It is NOT hard-- it just requires a bit of patience and a willingness to take the time to do the job right. This is my first ever pair and I feel they came out, appearance-wise, as well or better than the ones I've had professionally done in the past.

Some things I learned throughout the course that might help someone--


Using a 1.5v battery to raise the cone helps a lot, both in cleaning the old surround material off and gluing the new one on.
Isopropyl rubbing alcohol dissolves the old surround material. I did not use MEK-- I actually used rubbing alcohol and a bunch of Q-tips. It seemed to sort of dissolve the old surround material, and it wiped right off on a Q-tip. Also worked on the gaskets-- on the gaskets a thin strip of glue was left behind, but it did not seem to hinder adhesion with the new glue at all. I did not see any glue left on the back of the cone after cleaning the old surround off, so... who knows? Advantages of alcohol is that it is VERY quick-drying, so it's pretty safe to use on the cone itself if you're careful (pour a few drops on a sheet of cardboard and watch what happens-- it vaporizes out of the cardboard near-instantaneously). Also, it's not as toxic as some other chemicals-- but I'm sure MEK works great, too. I just didn't have any on hand!
The glue left on the frame was easy enough to just rub off in my case. Took some patience but no toxic solvents necessary-- I could peel it off with my thumb by rubbing like an eraser, but I eventually folded a piece of paper several times and used the paper to rub it off. Took a little elbow grease but it didn't take much time at all.
My own personal "MVP" tool in this whole thing had to be the LED penlight. If you can find one of these, it gets down into tight spaces and you can REALLY inspect your work and see what is going on.


Hope that helps someone.

Thanks again for the encouragement to try it myself. I hope to never pay for a re-surround again. As someone mentioned on another thread, no matter how experienced someone may be, most of the time they're only doing it for the money. I took extra care because I knew I wanted these to come out extra nice. So in spite of my inexperience, I just might have done as good or better a job as a hired gun would've.

[hjames]

Congratulations - Looks like very nice work!
You are gonna be so happy when you get everything back together and have a chance to enjoy that system!

Kudos to you, making the best of a sensational deal!

[brad347]

They've now cured overnight.

Installed drivers (180 degrees from original... hey, why not) and fired it up. They work great!

All drivers work fine. 2122H pair will be next up on the block for re-surrounding-- however the surround on both, despite being a little dusty, still looks perfect. I realize that due to their age a re-surround is still in order very soon as a matter of course.

I ordered a pair of the reproduction 2308 lenses from Kenrick Sound in Tokyo based on the recommendation of several people here and due to the fact that their maker is actually a member here and stopped by the forum when questions arose about his product.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for an original pair should I determine I'd like to have them, but I'm probably just going to enjoy the repros for the forseeable future, if they're satisfactory (no reason to believe they will not be).

It will take a week or two for them to wing their way over here from Tokyo, and then the fun with these speakers can really begin.

[4313B]

It will take a week or two for them to wing their way over here from Tokyo, and then the fun with these speakers can really begin.They're pretty damn fun.

Nice job on the refoams.

[jcrobso]

If alcohol works that is good, it's much safer to use!
Alcohol will burn, MEK will explode and the fumes can be toxic!:crying::eek:

[brad347]

I used 99.9% pure isopropyl alcohol that I bought at my local Mom n' Pop electronics shop. Not sure how well the drugstore 70% kind works-- but the 99.9% pure anhydrous stuff ate that old surround right up. Have lots of Q-tips on hand--it liquefies the old surround into a black goo that's easy enough to remove with Q-tips. I worked on top of disposable cardboard to protect the working surface from getting sticky stuff on it.

The 99.953% pure anhydrous alcohol I used literally vaporizes almost instantly. Great for not soaking/saturating the cone.

[JBL 4645]

Wicked they look wicked now play them and make it loud! :applaud:

[herki the cat]

I tried this once, but the result was no better (for me) than just using a damp fine art paint brush and smoothing-out the minor excess that comes from beneath the surround.

You learning all the experienced tricks!

I'll say! :applaud:

This is a great docuthread. I'm considering "destroy this thread" and inserting the relevant posts into the existing step-by-step, with your permission of course, and only if it makes sense (when I re-review that thread).

herki
Member-brad347's experience with Rick's kit & assistance, & the 99.9% pure isopropyl alcohol, are very all important to many of us planning identical driver repairs.

Regarding the plan: " I'm considering destroy this thread" and inserting the relevant posts into the existing step-by-step.....

I suggest not destroying any part of brad347's valuable experience....prefer not to stumble through the the learning experience he has carefully described avec soin. It would be most valuable to simply add all his posts in tact to the existing step-by-step thread.

For what it's worth... Isopropyl rubbing alcohol is 70% alcohol with the other 30% consisting of cosmetic oils, etc, & water. The 90% Isopropyl alcohol is 90% pure alcohol plus 10 % pure water. As you know, it is used extensively to prepare the human skin area for syringe injections as well as cleaning minor skin injuries. MEK vapors destroy foam almost instantly, & it is used as a solvent in cellulose based cements. Acetone is a less expensive, more agressive solvent similar to MEK. Both are just as flammmable as gasoline & require extreme care.

[brad347]

Got my replacement aftermarket lenses today from Kenrick Sound. They're very nice-- all plates on both lenses were straight and true with no waviness or curl. I can't imagine how they could be any nicer. They get an A+ from me.

It's also interesting to hear the system as it was designed, with the lenses in place. Needless to say it has taken these speakers to where they belong. The horn was a bit directional without the lenses--dispersion is greatly improved with them in place, and the whole system just tends to "work" better with them in place-- can't really explain it beyond that. Maybe it could be time-alignment related?

Anyway, I can't wait until I can afford to spend some quality time (and money) getting them properly amped in a bi-amp setup.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

[boputnam]

I suggest not destroying any part of brad347's valuable experience....prefer not to stumble through the the learning experience he has carefully described avec soin. It would be most valuable to simply add all his posts in tact to the existing step-by-step thread. That is the plan, but there is a bunch of riff-raff in there we might be able to excise and thereby focus the content. As I said, I need to look carefully at that and then review the potential issues with aggregating it to the other. I hope it works - this is a good thread.