Altec Model 7 rebuild worth it?

I don't know if this is the correct forum to post, but here is my question.

I just picked up a pair of Altec Model 7 loudspeakers. 3-way w/ 12" woofer, very nice 4" midrange sealed in a 6.5" cast frame, and average tweeter. Both midrange drivers need reconing at a cost of $40 ea. from GPA. One of the 12" woofers was refoamed properly, but not with the correct gray Altec surround, and the other needs it, at a cost of $40 each from GPA. The tweeters are fine except missing the foam diffuser, no problem there. The walnut cabinets need refinishing, but that would be a fun project for me.

Is the sound of these speakers good and worth the $160 investment to rebuild the drivers? I think they look pretty cool and refinishing them would be a labor of love. I don't know what they go for on the used market, so if I decide not to keep them I'd like to recoup my investment. What do you think of their sound? Is it worth it?

$160 investment is hardly what I would call 'substantial' ... I'd get to work!

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Originally Posted by lowpoke

$160 investment is hardly what I would call 'substantial' ... I'd get to work!

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$160 to GPA plus $40 for my cabinet rework is substantial to me, especially if the speaker is only worth $150 on the used market, in case I decide to sell it and recoup my investment.

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Originally Posted by lowpoke

$160 investment is hardly what I would call 'substantial' ... I'd get to work!

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An all cone system usually sounds linear and smooth......:)
easy on the ears...I like a break from ragged :crying:sounding
horns anyway.................

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Originally Posted by mjcmt

I don't know if this is the correct forum to post, but here is my question.

I just picked up a pair of Altec Model 7 loudspeakers. 3-way w/ 12" woofer, very nice 4" midrange sealed in a 6.5" cast frame, and average tweeter.

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The A7 is supposed to have a 15' woofer. If in good condition, a repro usually doean't bring more than $100 unloaded. If you can sell them. Sad as they are good sounding.

Model 7 != A7 ...

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Originally Posted by grumpy

Model 7 != A7 ...

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You wish it was the A7 (if you got room for two extra refrigerators):D

Actually, it seems the Altec A7 that we all know and cherish have nothing in common with Altec's Model 7

http://audio-database.com/ALTEC/speaker/model7-e.html

Would I spend time, money and energy restoring an A7 with original cabinet? You bet, even though reselling is limited. As for the Model 7, I think I would let it go to speaker heaven... ;)

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Originally Posted by grumpy

Model 7 != A7 ...

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Let me clarify. I picked up Model 7 bookshelf speakers, not the A7s. The Model 7's are a 3-way with 10" woofer in a 12" frame, 4" midrange in a 6.5" frame, and a 2" cone tweeter w/ metal dust cap.

I did some more research and found out that GPA doesn't have anymore reconing kits for the midrange. The cone is very thin corn material, so the more I look at it I think I may be able to get by with refoaming them. On closer examination, one of the woofers has been reconed and is slightly different material from the typical factory one. I think I will have them both refoamed to match the surrounds. I will be taking them into the 'Speaker Doctor', which does top notch work, plus local to me in Charlotte, NC to have them look it over. They have purchased product in the past from GPA to repair Altecs and are the ones that mentioned that GPA no longer has the very thin parabolic cones available for the mid and said they would have to cut another product to retrofit into the Altec mid. GPA never told me that.

I decided it wasn't worth putting any money into the speakers so I got rid of them. I didn't mind refoaming the midranges, though one off the cones was a little deformed. The deciding factor was that one of the woofers had been reconed and it did not match the original Altec woofer. The reconed one was heavier thickness, different in color, and didn't have that Altec textured gray look. When you tap on the reconed woofer it had a deeper and duller sound. So off to speaker hell they went.

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Originally Posted by mjcmt

I decided it wasn't worth putting any money into the speakers so I got rid of them. I didn't mind refoaming the midranges, though one off the cones was a little deformed. The deciding factor was that one of the woofers had been reconed and it did not match the original Altec woofer. The reconed one was heavier thickness, different in color, and didn't have that Altec textured gray look. When you tap on the reconed woofer it had a deeper and duller sound. So off to speaker hell they went.

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..."So off to speaker hell they went." :hurray:You did the right thing not to fool around with that junk. I have seen many prestigious Western Electric woofers rconned with strange looking trash, And the "Un-wased," uninformed buy this junk..

As for the mid range unit__ one with a "deformed" questionable, quote " thin parabolic cone" with foam edge__ those speakers in original condition are capable of superb performance from 100 Hz well into the very high frequencies thanks to the extremely small cone mass and the "Curvilinear" cone shape which mechanically reduces the working cone diameter inversely related to ascending frequency to a limiting "two inch diameter" at which point, the voice coil mass takes over & rolls off the HF end typically around 8,000 Hz.

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Originally Posted by mjcmt

Let me clarify. I picked up Model 7 bookshelf speakers, not the A7s. The Model 7's are a 3-way with 10" woofer in a 12" frame, 4" midrange in a 6.5" frame, and a 2" cone tweeter w/ metal dust cap.

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Whoopsie. My brain registered A7 not 7. I WAS wondering why someone would hesitate to spend $160 bringing some A7s back to life ;)