5 Attachment(s)
JBL 4343 restoration, progress and quite possibly a lot of question along the way
I've had these speakers for approximately two years now and they've been in dire need of restoration. Have not come around to it as they sound so darn good, and I didn't have any good substitutes to use while I put in the work until now.
I don't know everything about these speakers, but as far as I know these began their life in the JBL factory as the grey utility versions, they were then painted black with a blue baffle by Guido in Germany, but later left for Norway and was owned by Rolf. Rolf upgraded the speakers with what I think may be the charge coupled N3145 networks by 4313B on these forums. The networks were built by Guido. The crossover network does not have a passive section between the bass and mid, so they require active crossover. There was also an attempt to put American walnut veneer on the cabinets, but after some time the glue came loose and it has to be redone.
The drivers in these are 2235h for the lows and 2121H for the mid. Other than that they're stock with 2420 on a 2307 horn, and the wonderful 2405 for uhf. The 2308 lenses are also original JBL.
The idea is to restore the speakers into the beautiful walnut version. This is my first attempt at anything like this, so I'm sure there will be a lot of questions as the thread progresses. I also hope that people who see anything that doesn't seem right make some noise so I can correct it. I will spend a lot of time on this project as I want them to be in pristine condition when the job is done. These will be in my possession for the rest of my life and the thread can act as a fun resource for those who end up with them after me. :)
Attachment 67149
Attachment 67150
Pulled the veneer and getting ready to remove the crossover.
Attachment 67152
Closeup of one of the networks.
Attachment 67153
Removing the internal insulation and getting ready to remove the front trims and sand the whole thing down.
5 Attachment(s)
The 4343 restoration continues
The restoration is moving forward, albeit a bit slow. As I've said, I want these to be pristine and there are small blemishes which are time consuming to fix here and there. I was thinking about making new upper baffles, but are going to do my best to restore the originals.
Attachment 67352
Got the foilcals off using a heat gun, patience, spackle knife and a women's touch. They've been off before and unfortunately the job was not as gentle as mine, so they are probably due for replacement. Kind of sad, as replacements are expensive and lack the serial numbers... :( Got to think hard about what to do. They will be cleaned up and hidden in a plastic pocket inside the cabinets behind damping if they're replaced.
Attachment 67353
This tear out needs to be fixed, and I had to remove the original gaskets on the baffle to get to it.
Attachment 67354
I is the jiggermeister
Attachment 67355
Cut
Attachment 67356
It fits! Have glued it with expanding glue and will flush trim the thing later.