JBL L220 restoration

Long story short,

own my 4311B since I was 14 or 15 (and it's a long time now!), I recently got back into music listening and upgraded my old setup with some vintage components, a beautiful Gyrodec along with an Audio Research SP9 and a couple weeks ago also got a tube amp, chinese Aeron AP-890 with twin KT88; before building stands for the 4311B they were off couple books off the floor, let's say 4-6 inches tall, nice deep and tight bass but weak mid-highs so I put them on two chairs to find out and the voices, along with the switch from solid state to tube amp came out so much I had to use the pads on the speakers to pull them down (which proves the pads still work!) but bass is not what it used to be, I realized that these speakers can't sound the way I wish in my apartment and am thinking to buy an used pair of L220 which are off the same source as the AR, the Aeron and the Gyrodec, they need being restored, I listened to them and they work but I have to go back to make more tests, foam needs being replaced but the urgency, for me, is also the look of the cabinets, the ex owner had kind of a mania to paint his speakers with varnish and they look kind of ugly to me, the front is in a black finish and I seem to remember also the sides have been given a lick of paint, I'd like your advise into restoring them to the original matte look.

I am trying to link two pics here and wait for your input.

Grazie


Giovanni

http://i68.tinypic.com/98gfw5.jpg

http://i68.tinypic.com/1zgltj.jpg

_{The heavy coats of varnish (or whatever that is) are a problem. You'll have to remove everything including foilcals and strip/sand everything down.
The good news is that at least the thick coating has protected the veneer from the elements.}

I checked with an Italian company and to remake the foam to the woofers and subs would cost a couple hundred euros, I can get the L220 for about 1.000 euros so a total of 1.200 plus shipping for the foam remake, I will go and listen to them before I take any decision but am wondering if they will give me a scene which I can't seem to get out of the 4311b, I know they are totally different but after I heard at a friend's how the scene is reconstructed off of his tiny, compared to the L220, Sonus Faber and a quad mono biamp I am just curious if the change will be so noticeable from my actual system (Audio Research SP9 - Aeron AP-890 push/pull KT88 and JBL4311b at approx 20" off the ground) to the L220 before I decide to hit the deal.

Suggestions welcome


Giovanni