smoking environment - speaker effects

[lodoc]

I used the search for 'smoking', 'smoking environment', 'cigarette', and 'cigarette smoke'. Nothing useful came up. So I apologize if this has been covered ad nauseum in prior posts.

As a car restorer hobbyist and long-time 'gearhead' I know what havoc cigarette smoke can play on electrical connections in the automotive environment. What effect does a smoky bar environment have on 20+ y/o JBL's? I have an opportunity to purchase a set of speakers for my shop that appear dusty,dirty and smoke-penetrated for their entire life. Any thoughts on what is generally required to make them fully functional (and maybe pretty)?

Thanks to all responding and hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend

[boputnam]

Greatest risk would be they have been overdriven, or otherwise abused. Bars have a tendency to dwell in their own space, if you get my drift, and it can be loud for extended periods.

Besides that, getting 'em "pretty" may be your greatest challenge...

What are they?

[lodoc]

They are 4628B's within driving distance. Perhaps to replace the 4612B's now providing more than adequate sound reproduction in my shop.

Ok - here's the ebay link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

If they are worthy of acquiring there are four and I have been lead to believe by the knowledgeable folks on this forum a pair would fit my needs. So another pair is available for others - sharing is good. Pretty is not req'd for my application as body shop dust will cover them soon enough.

[johnaec]

I don't think there'll be any problems with the 4628B's, especially since they don't have foam surrounds on any of the drivers. Now if it were a pair of near-field 4401's a chain smoker had on his console that'd be a different story.

The 4628B's are a real step up from the 4612's in the low end - you can get some serious bass out of those! I say go for it. Just be sure to get a guarantee all the drivers work - club environments can work drivers pretty hard, especially HF.

John

[Titanium Dome]

Those bad boys have been cooking up near the 12 ft. ceiling for a while, plus being assaulted with the cumulative effects of tar and nicotine. If the gunk is just on the outside of the cabinet, that's not too much of a problem. If really intense smoking created an accumulation on the inside, then that's an additional problem.

Cigarette smoke contains, among othe things, cyanide which sometimes corrodes sensitive components. Tar and nicotine will of course gum up moving parts such as pots and actually have a "diode effect" in some cases.

Soft or porous materials absord or accumulate the 10% particulates in gases produced by smoking, so foam, plastic, damping material, cardboard, MDF, cable sheaths, etc. will all be loaded with the wonderful odor of stale smoke. Speaker cones that absord too much (or are coated with tar and nicotine) will have subtle changes in density and mass. Accumulated tar and nicotine will damp a metal driver. (Studies on acoustical agglomeration have, as a side benefit, described this in stunningly complete and coma-inducing detail.)

If you're bothered or disgusted by the odor of stale smoke, you'll have a very hard time eliminating it. The use of TSP (tri sodium phosphate) on washable surfaces helps, but you'll never get the smell out of absorbant surfaces without special effort, like removing the damping material, sealing the insides of the enlosures with Kilz, replacing the old damping material with new, etc.

OTOH, as this is going to be in a large work environment with its own smells and high ambient noise, then don't give any of this a second thought. They'll be adequate for that type of installation as is.

[speakerdave]

All this seems like much ado. Speakers for a body shop--you may have found the perfect ones--you won't need to worry about wrecking clean speakers. Buy them and hook them up. Make sure the fronts of all the speakers are covered with a grille cloth and vacuum it once in a while. Maybe tape some plastic over the input panel.

David

[Audiobeer]

I wouldn't think that the cigarette smoke will bother the drivers. I'd rather have cigarettes attack my drivers then the dust from the fillers and the dust from your abrasives. I have 4 speakers in my shop for years that have had laquers, Acrylics, Polyurathenes, dust from all woods known to man, tobaccos from all regions of the world and of course cigarettes! For your use no worries!

[Zilch]

Bottom line: buy 'em.

They're what we WANT you to have in your shop.

[Use your 4612's at home.... ]

[boputnam]

Buy them and hook them up.

I agree with David - those are gonna be great. You won't believe your ears...

Plus, having been up high, at least you can be sure they've not been gutted for parts...

[lodoc]

OK - appreciate all the input. It sounds like the unique characteristics of these speakers will make them less susceptible to the harsh environmental effects they've suffered and I'll put them through in the future. And I won't have to worry about finding the right oil for a walnut veneer....

Let the bidding begin. Anyone in the area interested in the 2nd pair?