Altec Valencia Help Needed
Hi,
This is my first post here. I just acquired a set of Altec Valencia 846A's. They sound fantastic and the wood is in excellent shape, however, the grills are another story. One is nearly destroyed beyond repair, the other is intact, but the cloth behind it is faded and has finger holes pushed in them between the lattices. It is very doubtful I could repair the one, some of the pieces are missing and the grill cloth is also tore. I maybe able to mend them with some balsa wood possibly and new cloth, but the plastic looks as though it has hairline cracks. I would like to get these repaired or if possible replaced so at least they both look alike. I've read where some have used just grill cloth and foam backer rod or using metal lattice. Now my main problem is how can I get to the grills from behind to try a quick repair? I've taken off the back, removed the four large screws to the woofer, but it seems stuck? How do you remove the grill on these? I need to be explained like I was a four year old, because I'm afraid I'll end up with no grills. I read they are pressure fit and slide into the cabinets....ok, so I try to squeeze them together or is there a trick to it? I need to make these look nice for the very important WAF. These sit banished to the garage until I can fix the appearance, then they will take their rightful place in my living room. Pictures on how to remove the grills would be outstanding and a service to numerous people.
Thanks in advance,
Dan
Sonofaguns foam grilles are VERY nice.
I recently received a Pair of his grilles for my L200's, and they are really nice. The 846B used a different grille than the 846A, and to the best of my knowledge, they are flat rather than rounded. They may be a nice way to satisfy the WAF, but they won't look original. Look in the Altec library to see what the 846B looked like. And make sure that they will mount in your 846A's should you decide to try them.
The colored hue you see is the (bug) screen
It helps keep dirt and things from getting to the voice coil gap.
The phasing plug is actually at the back end of the driver. If you removed the cover(only if you are careful and confident what you are doing!!!), you would see either the diaphram(or a "plastic" loading cap). If you get to the diaphram and were to remove it(remember the "if it aint broke rule), you would see the phasing plug.
Altec used 2 types(at least to my feeble mind), the tangerine phasing plug, and the "circumfrential" (mispelled I think but you get the idea). The latter(I not going to mispell it twice) is a metal cone shaped and has some smallish holes cut out of it.
Hope this helps. No matter what phasing plug it has, they both sound good.
Hope you DON'T open it up unless you have to repair them. And if you did, send them to Bill Hanaschack at Great Plains to have it done right. He is a old
Altec engineer and employee, the last of the GOOD ones!
Ron