Need help w/ newly scored 4333's

Hi guys, this is my first post at this site, but I've been lurking for a time and recognize quite a few names from other audio sites.

Anyway,

I recently scored a pair of 'cosmetically challenged' but intact and functional 4333 monitors. It looks as though the previous owner had used them in the garage and bumped and scraped them up some.

The biggest problem with the appearance is that the prior owner brush painted the cabinets an oil-based white over the original 'utility grey' color. I'd like to remove the white paint, but am not too thrilled about the old grey color either. Suggestions or how to remove the white and/or grey??

Secondly, the previous owner also apparently refoamed the woofers, placing the new surround flange on the outside of the cone - is this correct for this woofer, or should the surround be on the inside?

Lastly, I'm not sure what to use to power these big guys...

Here's what I've got on hand --

Pioneer VSX-9700s...supposedly the last of the 'good' Pioneer black plastic HT receivers..

Onkyo TX-4500... a vintage 60wpc receiver

Fisher 500c tube receiver

Complete Dynaco system, ST-70, Pas2, etc...

Will any of these amps/receivers do the job? As you can see, I have a taste for vintage amps, but will do 'whatever' to get the most from these 4333's...

Jay

a photo showing the coat of white paint

Disclaimer, I am not a professional, all subsequent hints or allegations are from personal experience/ hard knocks (some say to many hard knocks :duck:)
The original grey paint will be tough to get off. If the box is the professional plywood you could probably Jasco paint remove the white paint (after stripping the cabs of everything, that Jasco paint stripper is mean stuff, remember lots of ventilation and gloves). Just be careful of how deep you go. You probably could get through the grey stuff too, but if the original paint was not damaged badly by the previous owner, you might want to just strip back to the original paint, sand it and respray it. The original JBL paint is pretty tough and I bet the new paint will come of it pretty easily leaving the original paint open. It really depends on how it looks after the paint stripper(eveness, chunks of missing original paint etc). It will still look cosmetically like crap probably ( I havent had any success striping back one layer of paint to a previous layer and having it look presentable) but you would have a better, smoother base to start painting from. Plus you would keep a good tough base coat intact.
Alternatively you could try sanding down the old paint until it feels and looks smooth(palm sander, jitterbug, several abrasive levels). This is a lot of work and it will be difficult to judge how it would look until after a coat of paint gets on it.(for instance if you burn through the white paint and have splotches of gray paint, they may look different after coats of primer or paint).
Either way you probably would want to use some kind of primer/sealer before respraying the paint coat and remember to sand between coats if time allows. I made the mistake of not doing this once and a dissimilar section of paint made my cover coat bubble up.
You might also want to consider a clear coat of polyurethane at the end as well. It comes in different levels of gloss.
Just some ideas.

I forgot the baffles, they look pretty good and if you can I would stay away from stripping them. If you are okay with the baffle paint, maybe just tape them off and deal with the rest of the cabinet. If you want to paint the baffle as well, I dont know the original color of the baffle, but I understand the JBL monitor blue is being brewed on other threads http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...&threadid=1107

If the baffle or for that matter the entire speaker, is without brush marks, runs drips etc, you may be able to sand , prim and paint. carefully taping off the foilcals and after everything removed.
Bonne chance, looks like you have some great speakers to work with. :)

You've got the exact same 4333 format I started with. Personally I wouldn't give those enclosures two minutes of trouble. Build new enclosures the same size internally, dump the top and bottom "shelves", make all the edges flush and round the side edges, mount the array off center.

*****

Oh! And buy a can of blue baffle paint from Bo. :yes:

:cheers:

Quote:

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Originally posted by jay
Secondly, the previous owner also apparently refoamed the woofers, placing the new surround flange on the outside of the cone - is this correct for this woofer, or should the surround be on the inside?

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Not necessarily... Giskard oughta know for sure, but I think only the LE15A (consumer line) had an iteration with front-mounted compliance. Did the 2231A...? :hmm:

We pondered the merits / detractions of an improper face-mounting of the surround on another thread, but other than opinions, no-one had any fact.

On the amps, I don't know first-hand the ones you list. Note the 4332 was biamped - a configuration I like, but not necessary unless you really wanna install different networks.

From the photo I would say these are 4330s, however the number on the L-Pad plate might say 4333. If so, these are from the transition to the 4333As, and 4333Bs that we know with the "flat-front" design.

My first "restoration project" studio monitors were a pair of 4320s that had been poorly spray painted dark brown and had banged up cabinet corners. I decided to restore these, so, after removing the drivers and all hardware, I sanded them down to show most of the original gray, restored the broken and damaged cabinet areas, filled and sanded these all down to a smooth surface, and painted them with a special gray enamel to match the original gray color. You can see one of them in my icon photo at the left. (lower right)
If you really don't want the original utility gray finish (which I think it beautiful), you could sand and prep your cabinets and apply a walnut veneer. Then painting the baffles the JBL blue would seem appropriate.
I'm not sure this combination was ever correct for the year of your speakers though. I would research that point first, but I'm a stickler for authenticity, and that really isn't necessary in order to have a pair of nice JBL studio monitors that please you.
Best of luck...and keep your questions, progress and photos coming.

Tom

1975 L300 Summit

As for power, I have powered these with a Crown 75 wpc DC 150, 155 wpc DC300A, and a modified PSA-2. McIntosh 2205 and 2255 @ 250+ per side. Lastly a Carver TFM 35X {also "rated"at 250 per side, my least favorite}. IMO whatever your musical preference and listening environment, there is no such thing as too much power, used with caution, the Tube Dudes will disagree, but the amps you listed will not work the big JBL's near potential!

I have to agree totally with Giskard. The time and effort spent on refurbishing these enclosures will more then exceed the cost of new boxes.
If you want perfection then seek out a good cabinet maker and specify what you want.
To totally re furbish these boxes is DEFFINATELY more costly and time intensive then to have new ones built.
"Labor of love" is the term I use for that which is not worth repairing but you want to repair. Certainly they can be brought back from the dead, but what is the price?
Absolutely great components, mount them to some new wood and sit back, relax and enjoy them. You can find all the info you will need right here to do them right.
Many before you have walked this path and a few of us are here.
I think I can speak for us all in saying, spend your dollars wisely, pay yourself you hourly rate and soon you will see a box you are tossing your money thru.
Now, if you are just looking for a color and fair representation, a can of bondo and some spray paint will do and get you out quick and cheep. I know this from experience, living in Monticello, NY, a religious retreat!