I was just given a pair of Altec Fifteens by a friend of mine, and I'm trying to get them looking and sounding their best. Unfortunately they are lacking grilles, and one of the knobs as well as the knob faces are missing from the MF/HF controls, and the veneer on the edges is shot. But I have a number of questions, both in regards to appearance and electronics.

First off, I know that finding replacement grilles for them will be practically impossible, so I will likely build my own frames and just cover them in cloth. I know that the originals were foam but I've already concluded that it won't be cost effective for me to try to recreate the originals. But I have a question regarding bases - it appears that the speakers once had recessed strips of MDF, probably 1" high, that they sat upon, and which no longer exist. Were they glued on? And in lieu of them, would a isolation cone system installed on the bottom be a better system or would it color the sound negatively? Or would 1" rubber feet be a better solution? I have yet to decide if I will use them on the hardwood floors of my living room or in my garage on concrete.

Next, regarding the crossovers - although the components are mostly in spec, I am replacing the resistors and capacitors with new ones, and also I am going to remove the smaller inductor and flip it sideways to prevent EM distortion effects. It seems odd to me that they were mounted so closely and in the same orientation - was crossover design in those days unaware of the effects of inductor mounting isolation? Also, I am planning on using Jantzen capacitors, any pros or cons in this regard? I'm assuming they will be superior to the originals, which are bulging and one is even showing signs of leaking. Also, I will be replacing the original wire hookups with binding posts that I can use banana plugs with, I don't think anything larger than 18 Ga. wire will fit in those original push button terminals. Also, both dust caps have been pushed in, so I am replacing them. The surrounds are in good shape though, and the diaphragms on the compression drivers were apparently replaced by OC Speaker in the not too distant past.

Next is a matter of dating them. I have perused the catalogs on the forum and it appears that they are about 1978 vintage. I loved the fact that the 1978 catalog photos were taken in Dana Point Harbor, someplace I am quite familiar with, in fact, my friend who gave them to me grew up in Dana Point and I in San Clemente. But the photos in the catalog show the ports on the Fifteens to be mounted below the woofers to the right, while on these they are mounted between the horn lens and the woofer on the left and the crossover controls opposite them on the right. Would that indicate a later model, perhaps a series II or something?

Also, even though I'm not planning on selling them, what would their value be? The drivers appear to be the original 802-G's, and having been serviced they appear to be fine. Cosmetically there are some scratches but I will likely sand and re-oil the boxes. The grilles will cover the edges so I won't need to re-veneer them, although I want to keep them from being too thick so I will have to design them to fit as flush as possible. I may try to recreate the original bases if that is recommended. I'm assuming they had a slot in the rear for the wires to exit. Plus if anyone knows where I might get a replacement knob or knob faces LMK. Sorry this post is so long, and TIA for any info regarding them, I appreciate it.