JBL C40 Harkness Looking for Info and a Match

[Johnny_Law]

Hello all,

My name is Ryan and I am a new audiophile with a budding JBL passion. I started with a pair of L26s that I restored and recapped and love. I then picked up a pair of J220As which surprised me. But then I stumbled across something amazing - a Harkness. As far as I know, it sat untouched in a California garage for 50 years.

I am looking for any and all information I can find on it. History, specifications, finish, etc. How do I check out the health of the drivers & crossover? What's the best way to refinish the cabinet? Any other tips & tricks?

I've been searching and reading threads about these speakers and have found some good resources:

http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1957-c40/
http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/catalogs/1957/
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?16372-N2600-crossover
http://www.jblproservice.com/pdf/Network%20Schematics/N2600.pdf
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/my-vintage-jbl-c40-harkness-score.208482/

Most importantly, I'm NOT looking to sell. I'm looking for a mirrored match to go with it.

I did look at the drivers, it is a two-way with the 15" woofer with the shiny metal dust cap and the bullet tweeter. I haven't yet pulled them to check serial #'s. The crossover is the N-2600. And they work!

I will take more detailed pictures, but here's what I brought home:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IZ2bHL3UbZA/VprfYETS4eI/AAAAAAAAIcw/qBaUAhOtMBA/s912-Ic42/IMG_20160116_151116859.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4NCL5gU9Bzs/VprfbTUiebI/AAAAAAAAIc4/uQhOwK2Mg9g/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160116_151134118.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YPltsBlOHUU/Vpre-6XyItI/AAAAAAAAIco/aNjEA4Pywjw/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160116_151159546.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gt7EKS9jSwY/VprfePIxiGI/AAAAAAAAIdA/BonGtHABZBM/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160116_151147268.jpg

Thank you for all advice and/or thoughts in advance!

Best,
Ryan

P.S., I also found out we have a family friend close to JBL which is very cool. My girlfriend's mother is good friends with a daughter of John Edwards, http://www.audioheritage.org/html/people/edwards.htm.

[audiomagnate]

I have one but I don't want to sell it and mine is mahogany anyway. A perfect cosmetic match is going to be hard to find, maybe build a period mono system around it. It's no surprise that it works as nothing wears out on JBLs of this vintage, although the capacitors might be out of spec but if it sounds ok I would keep them stock. I love the look of that grill cloth. There is an upgrade path (add a potato masher mid/tweeter, there should be a spot for it on your baffle) if you want to make it sound even better. Enjoy, I think the Harkness is the coolest looking speaker ever made. A little Howard's restore a finish and some 0000 steel wool might bring the cabinets back, but as my dad used to say, "if it ain't broke don't fix it."

[BMWCCA]

P.S., I also found out we have a family friend close to JBL which is very cool. My girlfriend's mother is good friends with a daughter of John Edwards, http://www.audioheritage.org/html/people/edwards.htm.

Nice find and a good contact. Perhaps he can help determine if what you have is genuine JBL or a home-built cabinet. My guess from the chopped-up back is that it was either home-built or butchered at some point. Sounds like you have the 030 load. Even the D130 should sound great in the loaded horn enclosure.

[SEAWOLF97]

as my dad used to say, "if it ain't broke don't fix it."

as we used to say at Intel , "if it ain't broke , fix it ..till it is" :)

[Johnny_Law]

Thanks guys. Yes this seems like a mirrored match will likely be a hell of a white whale to track down but I'd love any leads if anyone has them!

This cabinet isn't bare wood, it seems to have a clear coat like a lacquer or shellac on it, which is chipped, spider webbed, and in rough condition, so maybe I'll strip it and decide whether to re-lacquer. I'd love to figure out of the lacquer was an original finish, but first I suppose I need to figure out of this is a kit.

How could I figure out whether or not it's a kit? It doesn't have any JBL Harkness badges anywhere, bare plywood on the back, and the inner baffles seem to be real wood or plywood and not particleboard. Another odd thing is that the 075 is in the upper right corner which doesn't seem like the correct orientation from what I've read - it seems like it should be in the upper left.

The 075 does have some kind of discoloring on it ... I'll need to see what it is and if I can clean it up easily. I had forgotten to mention in the first post, now edited, but the big cone has the aluminum dust cap which doesn't have any dents. Do the surrounds fail on these? I'm wondering if I'd hurt anything by pulling the mounting panel to look at the drivers from the back.

About John Edwards, at least if I got good info from my gf's mother, he has passed. I'm not sure how much his daughter knows, but I hope to meet her and ask.

[BMWCCA]

The 075 does have some kind of discoloring on it ... I'll need to see what it is and if I can clean it up easily. I had forgotten to mention in the first post, now edited, but the big cone has the aluminum dust cap which doesn't have any dents. Do the surrounds fail on these? I'm wondering if I'd hurt anything by pulling the mounting panel to look at the drivers from the back.

The aluminum on the 075 can corrode just as any aluminum in the elements will. The D130 has either no surround material or the folded pulp cone edge has black "dope" on it if it's a later version. No foam to worry about, at least. Sure, take it apart and get some pics. What I don't understand is the plywood back with the enlarged hole and then adapter plate to make the JBL crossover fit. That seems odd for a factory build.
:dont-know:

[Horn Fanatic]

What I don't understand is the plywood back with the enlarged hole and then adapter plate to make the JBL crossover fit. That seems odd for a factory build.
:dont-know:

I agree. There would also be the screws on the back used to capture the two small panels used to secure the N1200 style network. With the over sized hole such as it is, the two panels could never be attached. As we all know, the typical hole that allowed access to the old style network connections, was also the same size hole that accommodated the newer can, such as the one in the photo.


This is what a typical C40 rear panel looks like, although the 1958 C40 rear panel drawing detail I have does not show a separate removable network access panel. It does show two holes for a three way configuration. One for the newer can, and a detail of the hole and two panels for the N1200 network, as in the C40 technical note page.

http://www.hifido.co.jp/photo/09/319/31987/j.jpg

http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1957-c40/page1.jpg

(http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1957-c40/page1.jpg)

[Wagner]

There were more than a few FACTORY builds of the C40
Some examples have a split back panel, some do not and some have a split back where only half of it is removable.
There was also more than one factory version of the front baffle and countless homemade versions as well.
All plywood construction was dropped around 1962 but I have seen exceptions (they used up the material on hand)
I have owned 5 C40 cabinets, all 5 where factory and all 5 were different (well 3 and 2 were, as 2 were a pair purchased at the same time) My other 3 were stray singles
I owned one all plywood pair and one half and half (plywood and particle/early style MDF board) The particle board versions seem to also have the thinner veneer when compared to the earlier all ply versions
The odd man out was an all plywood box as well, very early probably around 1957
There are some inconsistencies with internal bracing and glue blocks as well

Mirrored pairs are difficult to come by. The C40's introduction and production run coincided with and crossed over the MONO to STEREO era.
By the time STEREO was the firmly established form, the C40 was no longer a favorite in large format box style for domestic use (big ass low boys)
The standard version of the box places the drivers to the right when viewed from the front, with the 175DLH in the upper right corner of the baffle . The opposite placement (and box obviously) was a special order proposition.
Most folks making the transition from MONO to STEREO just bought a second "standard" cab and that is what you will find 99% of the time. (drivers to the right of the "scoop")

It took me 5 years to find a second single cab with left driver placement to make my last pair mirrored.

As for your finish, if it is factory, it will strip easily and the veneer underneath it is world class and cleans up extremely well (especially on the "blonde" boxes). I do suggest chemical stripping and clean up using acetone versus aggressive sanding as the veneer, although fairly substantial is still not especially thick although more so than much later Black American Walnut veneered cabs synonymous with the '70s and forward JBLs

A single strip with paint remover followed by a liberal acetone wash and you will be amazed at the smooth tight grained and hard veneer you will find underneath (if in fact your box is factory). I had one cabinet that after an acetone wash was so nice it was practically finish ready and required only the finest of sandings.

They were really beautifully made.

I find it intriguing all the current interest in the "001" system and the C40 as of late. Years ago, when I first started collecting and restoring them (and coming here to read), they were "pooh poohed" as being an under performing "budget" system. Nothing but negatives, comparisons to the big brother 375 and just generally dismissed as a speaker suited only for collectors.
It can't do this, it can't do that, it can't make bass etc etc etc ad nauseam
I knew then and I know now that those folks were full of shit (or had never actually heard a pair)
Maybe they don't measure well, but they sure as hell sound good
Now everyone seems to love them.

I regret selling my last pair but was forced to due to financial necessity.

From what little I can see of the joinery in your photos, your box is factory. The mounting plates, hole blocks, front baffles and back boards were often cut by the owners to facilitate whatever their particular loads may have been (what they could afford) at the time.
These boxes and speakers were NOT cheap (inexpensive) by any means!
That was the beauty of what I call the "real" JBLs. You could even have them cut a board to accommodate whatever driver you wished (JBL of course) if you could not or did not want to do it yourself.

Great speaker, one of the best, enjoy!

Thomas Wagner

[BMWCCA]

I find it intriguing all the current interest in the "001" system and the C40 as of late. Years ago, when I first started collecting and restoring them (and coming here to read), they were "pooh poohed" as being an under performing "budget" system. Nothing but negatives, comparisons to the big brother 375 and just generally dismissed as a speaker suited only for collectors.
It can't do this, it can't do that, it can't make bass etc etc etc ad nauseam
I knew then and I know now that those folks were full of shit (or had never actually heard a pair)
Maybe they don't measure well, but they sure as hell sound good
Now everyone seems to love them.

All duly noted, and agreed, but what the OP has is the 030 system.
I know that one well, including all its attributes and weaknesses. I've had 030s in the house for nearly sixty-years, though mine are in C37s, not C40s. Very capable system as long as you're not demanding a lot of low-end performance and you have an EQ to bend the hole in the mid-range. That's how I got started on Soundcraftsmen Pre-amp-EQs. I particularly love how they sound with acoustic guitar music. I've even played a Gibson EB-O bass through mine!

[audiomagnate]

If you're sure it's lacquer you may be able to bring it back with steel wool and some more lacquer.

[Wagner]

If you're sure it's lacquer you may be able to bring it back with steel wool and some more lacquer.
If it real nitrocellulose lacquer you can skip the steel wool..................that's the beauty of lacquer
Just wipe it down, smooth out any rough spots with fine sand paper and shoot it

PLEASE DON'T USE STEEL WOOL on anything related to or near and around speakers, speaker cabinets, PHONO cartridges or just "hi-fi" in general

You may get away with it for ages, but I can promise you that one day it will bite you in the ass

Aside from that, steel wool is not the best option for wood work anyway, especially with light finishes, use brass wool

[Johnny_Law]

Thank you all very much for offering advice here. Wagner, thank you especially for such a great response.

I am not sure which particular clear coating is on it, just that it is a clear hard coating. There appears to be wear down to and through the veneer in places, but I won't know for sure until I can strip the coating.

I looked underneath the cabinet and did find holes which I imagine were for feet at some point, although I didn't get any feet. But my suspicion was that if this was a kit, it may not have holes for the feet?

I will follow up this week with pictures of the drivers and of the inside of the folded horn, hopefully something will provide further clues regarding its origin.

Best,
Ryan

[Wagner]

Thank you all very much for offering advice here. Wagner, thank you especially for such a great response.

I am not sure which particular clear coating is on it, just that it is a clear hard coating. There appears to be wear down to and through the veneer in places, but I won't know for sure until I can strip the coating.

I looked underneath the cabinet and did find holes which I imagine were for feet at some point, although I didn't get any feet. But my suspicion was that if this was a kit, it may not have holes for the feet?

I will follow up this week with pictures of the drivers and of the inside of the folded horn, hopefully something will provide further clues regarding its origin.

Best,
Ryan
The holes should be backed by "T" nuts on a factory (or well built DIY) box. Hard wood legs are available that are ALMOST exactly the same dimensions as the originals first used by JBL. They were wood long before the cast aluminum "stiletto"s became available (assuming you even want those).
So, my point being that wood ones would be accurate and get the job done while you search for the ever hard to find cast legs.
There are some "work around" cast legs out there, but they are not as accurate as the off the shelf wooden ones you can still buy today AND they require that you put some additional holes in your boxes to mount. Some guys like them, I don't....................and, they are expensive.

If I am going to blow well over a $100 and up on legs, and stilettos to boot, I'll suck it up and hunt down an original set (hard to find and VERY expensive unless you are incredibly lucky) before I sub in a less than original looking set AND have to drill holes. The only issue other than cost(s) for the originals is that they are often pitted and discolored due to age and the minty ones have a habit of staying with their original boxes.

The only problem I have encountered (with the current production wood legs) was staining them to match as the wood used is very hard and doesn't take stain readily.
Any good hardware or wood working store will have them. The height is correct, only the OD at the top is slightly smaller (you'll never notice it unless you hold an original next to a new one)
You'll have to buy new threaded studs too, they're wood screw threads on one end and machine threads on the other for the "T" nuts (again, readily available at any good hardware store) as the thread type and pitch are different. Very inexpensive.
The brass end cap and disc that actually touches the floor is better made from back in the '50s but that is to be expected; the new ones are still a pretty damn good option and match.
The originals had a sooth metal disc, the new ones have the white nylon insert built into a metal shell to protect a wooden floor.
Once installed on the cabinets you'll never know the difference

Thomas

[audiomagnate]

Right, no steel wool, use a "swooge":

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?36641-Refinishing-vintage-JBL-s-an-alternative-to-the-Howards-route&highlight=lacquer

[Wagner]

Right, no steel wool, use a "swooge":

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?36641-Refinishing-vintage-JBL-s-an-alternative-to-the-Howards-route&highlight=lacquer
Nice work!
As for the steel wool, I was referring primarily to the use of it between coats, applying wax as well as for smoothing and burnishing lacquer (and other finishes) like the plastics, ie: "Varathane" and the like
It is also often suggested when using strippers
Just best (my opinion) to avoid it all together with anything audio and I try to avoid it in general although sometimes it's the only practical solution for removing paint etc from carved or figured pieces

It can also cause spotting later on when used with light or clear finishes on lighter colored wood; you can never remove 100% of the almost tiny microscopic specs of metal, even with the best of tack rags, and over time they can (and do) react and become visible; sometimes in an aesthetically pleasing way, sometimes not

And NEVER use steel wool during any step if you are using ANY water based finish product (with the possible exception of paint)

I love shellac too. Was the go to finish used by the furniture industry for ages until nitrocellulose came along. It's only weakness is alcohol. It will also craze and crack wildly after about 100 years! :) Makes for a beautiful patina if the wood has survived injury
I have two Victrolas and one old Grafonola, all originally finished in shellac. Two of the machines' cabinets I was able to restore by just touching them up with a thorough cleaning and a VERY LIGHT film wipe with a wiping varnish to just smooth things out.
The beauty of the worst one of the bunch (which I had to refinish as it needed many spot repairs) was that the all original shellac finish was easily removed with a rag wet with denatured alcohol

Amazingly effective and preferable to harsh strippers and a lot of fine sanding. My only message here being that if you do choose shellac (real shellac like you used, FANTASTIC! :yes:) take care to avoid allowing your beautiful finish to come into contact with any product containing alcohol

You mixed and applied your flakes with denatured alcohol as the vehicle I assume, yes? I ask as I am curious if some chemist has come up with something new.

If you want a gloss finish, like many of the old Victrolas had (and furniture too) you can spray natural shellac easily, even with a modest gun or air brush.
It goes on and flows well; spraying it is a JOY

[Johnny_Law]

Finally made some time to pull the back off, unroll the grille, and snap some pictures to hopefully find some clues. Anyone's sharp eye catch anything tell tale?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mUros4FgktE/Vr7TE-_8QaI/AAAAAAAAIyM/0DbeRr47rOQ/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160212_223347054.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VORiXZe6eL8/Vr7TFuunvMI/AAAAAAAAIyM/IyG_XVUvhQY/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160212_223421405.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gZdusVmdi1g/Vr7TPB-UT5I/AAAAAAAAIyQ/wNdZN-jMyQs/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160212_223401648.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w8CPM8lZ5LY/Vr7S_k_MUvI/AAAAAAAAIyM/S2PIVR97fZA/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160212_223724968.jpg

[srm51555]

Anyone's sharp eye catch anything tell tale?



Looks to be a very nice McIntosh mr67 tuner in the backround.

[Johnny_Law]

Looks to be a very nice McIntosh mr67 tuner in the backround.

Very sharp eye! It's a semi-dead and cosmetically challenged MR71 I'm trying to breathe life back into, along with a dead C24 and MC502, to go in a nice Barzilay stereo cabinet which came from the same wonderful people as this C40.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hosuDw3BTic/VrlavuicsEI/AAAAAAAAIrk/KBkFNeu5lIY/s800-Ic42/IMG_0480.jpg

Maybe it'd be more of a challenge to identify the car. :p

[Johnny_Law]

The good news is that I've acquired another 030 load (075, D130, and N26) and another 'blonde' C40 cabinet!

The bad news it that the cabinet needs some work - among other things, it needs veneer work. It'll also need the corners fixed as well as multiple dents, and one side re-glued. (Thank you Greyhound shipping!)

Does anyone know the best veneer to use that will match the original 'blonde' C40 Harkness?

And how are they held together? I'll likely need to re-glue one side.

Thanks!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-En1o_la0ZQQ/VvHiKaYMP2I/AAAAAAAAJBg/v5QCQPnK5DsMYAu55XPyZQOn91p5iPSrwCCo/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160321_220528994_HDR.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fv2fX-YEIIg/VvHiuhQmt9I/AAAAAAAAJBw/yGe5B8bDKf852ltsme0ejDrpHKdmaiegwCCo/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160321_220603491_HDR.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kJI0mTn9kr0/VvHiqlEDMoI/AAAAAAAAJBw/9WhB4PfqCXEHDGKRjYOTAs6BzpIX8-fFACCo/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160321_220554875_HDR.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vl0Yj9dQ6Qk/VvHiemSvKRI/AAAAAAAAJBo/pkc4OFLToPMHUoDjmj6UpNK_iHBNlb_jgCCo/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160321_220545582_HDR.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RqruE0OMjPA/VvHiGcTLrOI/AAAAAAAAJBg/YPyvqxCftVoRrWaGBcwkCxc81Z3BngDKACCo/s1024-Ic42/IMG_20160321_220622980_HDR.jpg

[Wagner]

Does anyone know the best veneer to use that will match the original 'blonde' C40 Harkness?
Birch or Maple, I've had them in both, finished off with a good quality nitrocellulose (if you want an original finish). Maple will probably be easier to find with some interesting figuring but either will present well.

Nitrocellulose will give Birch or Maple that "golden" tone, any of the water based clear coats (like a water based polyurethane) will dry leaving the wood exactly the same color as when you start (as in sanded and dry) so, if you go that route make certain you can live with the hue as is. The degree of change with an oil based polyurethane or similar is something you won't know until you apply it and will generally have more of a darkening effect than lacquer.

If you do want to go with an oil based clear finish I would definitely suggest you go with the "test in an inconspicuous area" first before you do your whole box. The degree of darkening from sample to sample can also be much more inconsistent with an oil based finish due to slower drying time and the way in which the wood takes the finish.

I prefer lacquer as it is more predictable and much much easier to repair or touch up later on if need be.
The degree of "toning" or darkening will also be more consistent from box to box, sans tinting, see below.
In other words, it's easier to get two different boxes to match.

Everyone has seen the pairs of JBLs that exhibit dramatic differences in appearance despite close numbers.
Not a bad thing if they are fairly similar in "color", but I have seen some that I wouldn't want to look at for long as the difference was so apparent.
But that is just the nature of an oil finish, it is capable of not only "enhancing" but exaggerating as well. Two boxes that appear virtually identical raw and dry can quickly turn to looking entirely different after an application of an oil finish-sometimes good, sometimes not so much.

The only totally consistent and predictable solution is book matched pairs, or if you are doing your own veneer work then you can grain match yourself (all of these observations with regards to using OIL based finishes on bare wood).

This also applies primarily to the large real estate "C" type boxes with the "blonde" or lighter finishes; with the well known and loved dark Walnut JBLs of the '70s era you basically get what you get and oil IS the authentic finish obviously, matching issues and all.

One thing I do know from experience is that on FACTORY built boxes with "blonde" finishes, the consistency between example to example and even YEAR BUILT to year built being 5 or more is amazing, so JBL (or whoever the contractor was) definitely used tinting for consistency. That option is available to you as well, but then that's a whole other story!
Still, after stripping them down to clean wood (boxes built years apart) the matches I have had have all been remarkably good, including grain and figuring; this would indicate to me that someone had quite the stockpile of high quality veneer/lumber and sourced it at roughly the same time (I can just see the piles of the stuff, SO BEAUTIFUL)

Lacquer also DOES NOT require any sanding or prep work between coats (if sprayed well) unless you are going for a high gloss piano type finish

Take a photo of how the grille cloth is tensioned and I can tell you if it's a factory build or not (need to see the hardware, should be two studs with wing nuts and washers, also show me how it is all attached); you cannot rely on front and back plate cuts as they were often changed by the end users to accommodate whatever loads they had (weren't always factory boards as most folks saw there was no point in ordering a "kit" from JBL when all it was was the board(s) and "blocks" you needed to facilitate the different driver sizes and to plug unneeded holes)

Unless someone was lucky enough to live close by to a JBL dealer who had all of that material "in stock" they were frequently fabricated with the results being owner skill dependent. Not all of the dealers did glorious quality work either as far as that goes

Another clue is how is the support bracket for a 175DLH treated? The factory structure will be in place even if you do not have or use a "001" load and I have seen few homemades that went the distance doing it as designed by JBL (short of Hal Cox quality boxes). On a factory build, the circular cutout to accommodate and support the "175" will be lined with a heavy felt ring.

Thomas

[Johnny_Law]

Well I moved those pictures to another album and I can't edit that post, so here they are again, or at least the most cringe-worthy:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rbqr8bsiJNU/Vv8l22ItA7I/AAAAAAAAJHU/S9X8PJ5L6DwALoGQzrVefzKIkw3l1byUQCCo/s1024/IMG_20160321_220622980_HDR.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kG3wN6hk1Vk/Vv8mCcSz3EI/AAAAAAAAJHc/8Q-gtg4z8VQ2eFKR8GTTl8ojzkn16XJpQCCo/s1024/IMG_20160327_153145374_HDR.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z3lBdiySfY8/Vv8mIGajCZI/AAAAAAAAJHc/jyXPGbPF204nyuyUaCOtnhLvf3pdRoK7QCCo/s1024/IMG_20160321_220528994_HDR.jpg

So silly me, I decided to cut my losses and buy ANOTHER C40 cabinet that was guaranteed to be in good shape. Of course, not only does this one show up the wrong finish, but also has been damaged in shipping on all corners, albeit not quite as bad.

Here are two of the corners:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JZcnguDbnhQ/V5bX1l6sv5I/AAAAAAAAJsc/afBzLnVJqE48q63gZnqolKOyg5JvD7UIwCCo/s1024/IMG_20160725_200140142.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ua7sJcz_ilg/V5bX616K1DI/AAAAAAAAJsc/LGP5sSPlZLU4QzwJbtTEdZulYT93G907wCCo/s1024/IMG_20160725_200117004.jpg

Greyhound denied coverage of my claim on the first because insurance "doesn't covered finished wood products", and the seller of the second has gone AWOL. :blink:

So here I am, now I have 1 complete blonde C40, 1 complete extra 030 load, 1 damaged blonde C40 cabinet and 1 damaged walnut C40 cabinet. Time to learn how to repair cabinet wood and how to lay down veneer.

In the meantime I've been busy scratching the JBL itch and have acquired a few other pairs of speakers ... and tonight will be picking up a 6260 amp. :D

[audiomagnate]

I'm cringing, but that looks repairable if you want to put the effort into it. Pipe clamps, wood glue, Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty and a lot of elbow grease might be enough to get them ready for some fresh veneer.

[Johnny_Law]

Thanks, yes that's what I imagine it'll take, but the 'bones' of these cabs are still good, I think, so hopefully I can succeed in the repair. Plus, at this point I'm out of a sizeable chunk of change and would rather make lemonade from lemons than let the $ burn and keep searching. Not to mention that I'm getting impatient and want to get a Harkness pair up and running!

[Johnny_Law]

I'm finally tackling this project, and I've made a sister thread over on AudioKarma. https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/trying-to-restore-blonde-c40-harkness-cabinets.895568/#post-14148566 I can edit my posts there, so I don't lose pictures like has happened here.

At this point I've got both cabinets down to the bare wood, ready for re-finish. Wager (Thomas) had great advice about nitro lacquer earlier in the thread, and I wish he was still around to follow up about the process. I've never done this before. Do I start with some kind of blonde stain, and then spray the lacquer? Or do I find a blonde-tinted lacquer and just apply that?

Would love any and all advice about what products to use and how to apply, to achieve as close to an original blonde finish as possible. Thanks in advance.

[bedrock602]

I'm finally tackling this project, and I've made a sister thread over on AudioKarma. https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/trying-to-restore-blonde-c40-harkness-cabinets.895568/#post-14148566 I can edit my posts there, so I don't lose pictures like has happened here.

At this point I've got both cabinets down to the bare wood, ready for re-finish. Wager (Thomas) had great advice about nitro lacquer earlier in the thread, and I wish he was still around to follow up about the process. I've never done this before. Do I start with some kind of blonde stain, and then spray the lacquer? Or do I find a blonde-tinted lacquer and just apply that?

Would love any and all advice about what products to use and how to apply, to achieve as close to an original blonde finish as possible. Thanks in advance.

I'm glad you stuck with your project. Can you post a couple of photos here as well, not the entire process, just showing the whole cabinets, front and back?

[Johnny_Law]

I'm glad you stuck with your project. Can you post a couple of photos here as well, not the entire process, just showing the whole cabinets, front and back?

Absolutely - when done? I actually ended up burning through a spot of veneer on the top of one, so I had to strip it off and will be laying down the new mahogany and bleaching it to match (just like the side). Once that's done, they will finally be ready for the blonde treatment.