Mold On JBL 4311 Woofer

[120ti]

Long-time lurker, first-time poster, here.

I can buy a pair of these speakers for a low price (under $100/pair) , but I'm concerned about the condition of the woofers, as the systems have been stored in a damp basement.

There are tiny white spots of mold on the surrounds - the spots brush off, but leave a slight residue behind.

Also, the woofer cones have some discoloration - probably from being in that humid environment, and the foam that covers both tweeter faceplates is crumbling.

Any thoughts on what to do, here?

[rdgrimes]

1st, pull the woofers and look for mold inside the cabs, which would be a good reason to scrap the cabs. The woofers may or may not be in need of a re-cone, but surrounds are a sure bet. I don't think the foam around the tweeters is a big deal.

[grumpy]

Actually, the surrounds are probably OK, if you are happy picking off mold
from the goop in the cloth accordion surrounds. The Aquaplas coating can turn yellow,...
if that's a bother, there are folks here who have happily painted them white again...
there are pics and stories here somewhere.

The foam pads on the tweeters are available can be replaced with a little care.

Cautions about mold, in general, would be up to you to follow. If mold doesn't
bother you, the cabs are shot, and most of the drivers work, it's easy money
to part them out for at least a bit more than your cost going in.

[120ti]

Thanks for the information, it's appreciated.

I wouldn't be able to access the interior of the cabinets without buying the speakers, so I'm stuck with evaluating them as-is.

The mold looks like it's limited to the surface of the surrounds - little white spots, right on top of the "goop".

The cones aren't terribly discolored - just a lack of uniformity to their color that had me concerned.

I'm also happy to learn that the tweeter faceplate foam can be replaced.

I'll probably give them a try, and if the cabinets turn out to be bad, I guess I can always part the drivers out.

[Fred Sanford]

Thanks for the information, it's appreciated.

I wouldn't be able to access the interior of the cabinets without buying the speakers, so I'm stuck with evaluating them as-is.

The mold looks like it's limited to the surface of the surrounds - little white spots, right on top of the "goop".

The cones aren't terribly discolored - just a lack of uniformity to their color that had me concerned.

I'm also happy to learn that the tweeter faceplate foam can be replaced.

I'll probably give them a try, and if the cabinets turn out to be bad, I guess I can always part the drivers out.

Tweeter's rings are available cheapest from JBL directly, only a couple of bucks a piece.

je

[bigyank]

Thanks for the information, it's appreciated.

I wouldn't be able to access the interior of the cabinets without buying the speakers, so I'm stuck with evaluating them as-is.

The mold looks like it's limited to the surface of the surrounds - little white spots, right on top of the "goop".

The cones aren't terribly discolored - just a lack of uniformity to their color that had me concerned.

I'm also happy to learn that the tweeter faceplate foam can be replaced.

I'll probably give them a try, and if the cabinets turn out to be bad, I guess I can always part the drivers out.

Welcome to the "club". As a fellow PA person, I say grab them, take lots of pics and open them up. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Yank

[120ti]

Thanks, everyone, for all of the advice & suggestions.
My son and I picked up the speakers, and they're now installed in his dorm room.

The white spots came off with Windex on a soft sponge. He's going to leave the tweeters as they are, and maybe replace the foam rings down the road.

The cabinets looked good after a little lemon oil, and the corners are excellent - no dents or dings at all.

He's using them with an Adcom power amplifier, and they sound fine, even with an iPod source.

Thanks again, to all who helped.

[JBL Dog]

Long-time lurker, first-time poster, here.

I can buy a pair of these speakers for a low price (under $100/pair) , but I'm concerned about the condition of the woofers, as the systems have been stored in a damp basement.

There are tiny white spots of mold on the surrounds - the spots brush off, but leave a slight residue behind.

Also, the woofer cones have some discoloration - probably from being in that humid environment, and the foam that covers both tweeter faceplates is crumbling.

Any thoughts on what to do, here?

If there's mold buildup on the surround of the driver, you likely have a much worse problem on the backside of the cone. Before you make the purchase, pull the driver and inspect it.

Honestly, I don't know why you would want to put anything in your home that has a known mold problem. You're asking for trouble, IMHO.

[robertbartsch]

Mold is not good and it may have compremised the cone/surround material.

Anyway, killing mold is diffucult too. I would suggest getting a sun lamp bulb from a Depo store and using it from one or two feet away for 15 minutes at a time. Do the front and rears, as needed.

...mold hates sunlight and this is a good way to kill it without applying harsh cleaning liquids that is hard to predict the outcome.

Normal non-sunlight spotlight bulbs do not have the same light spectrum so this would not work, I believe.