Reel Man

Someone recently found a Korina or Birch one of these in a thrift. Damn.

My thread on my AR-3's. It will give you an idea of the hurdles/ups and downs, as well as a few things I would have done differently.

Yes, I've been playing with an AR-3 speaker on the right, and an AR-3a on the left. At the moment; I'm preferring the 3a. It's tweeter does a better job on xylophone notes, and it has better bass volume. I read the Stereo Review article on the 3a, and it stated in a comparison between it and the 3, that one could made to sound marginally better than the other, with the pots on certain material(with the original cloth-style woofers). The mid on the 3 is actually a bit TOO loud, especially in comparison with the un-restored 3a mids, but that is an easy fix. The 3a bass is much louder, and warmer(probably because of that volume), but a bit flabby, and the 3 is better defined, but inhibited sounding. I'm thinking the acoustic seal is a bit too loose on the 3a, and a bit too tight on the three, so I'll have to fiddle with both of them in the upcoming months.

A post with the covers on. I ended up experimenting with hydrogen peroxide, watered down, exposed to the sun, then lemon juice( it was recommended for nylon clothes), neither of which worked to reverse the fade, but while they soaked, I did give them a microfiber wash-cloth treatment, which did clean them a bit. They're a smidge darker than the pictures, but they look pretty good in the sunlight.

This is also an option. https://www.fatquartershop.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=%2358+-135L

This is also available, but I haven't found a supplier who doesn't charge a price that didn't make me gasp. I elected to stick with my original covers. https://www.wendellfabrics.com/mellotone-acoustic-fabrics/

I didn't have much luck finding 18 count linen recommended in the AR-3a guide last year for my 3a's; I ended up getting some VERY reasonably priced stuff on Amazon; tighter grained/threaded than factory, but at this price, I'm not complaining. I bought Ivory, but may get light beige. https://www.amazon.com/Needlework-Embroidery-Stitching-Rose-Flavor/dp/B07C8GKLRQ?pd_rd_w=x2kUT&content-id=amzn1.sym.d7105005-1122-4ebb-804b-fda01cf6b56f&pf_rd_p=d7105005-1122-4ebb-804b-fda01cf6b56f&pf_rd_r=ZH86BP2PJK64WFJFHDM9&pd_rd_wg=Wmv2P&pd_rd_r=b7199e62-97ad-45f9-af01-5d8264462070&pd_rd_i=B07BLPWPQ7&ref_=pd_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_t&th=1

As big a pain as it is to remove mortited speakers, I wouldn't replace the pots with the AR style ones. The rock wool is hard on the copper bits in them; my wipers broke into pieces. I used the L-pads I bought in 2017 when I rebuilt my AR-3 speakers over the last year, as well as poly capacitors, as I don't want to tear into these again for as long as possible.

Yes, I worked on them the week ending labor day. I touched-up the black paint, and it's very surreal seeing how nice they look now, and hearing the nice sound coming out of them. I still need to hook up my EQ in the other system, as I'm to used to using one. I left a card with my name, Roy's, and the gentleman who re-worked the cabs in the cabinet, with a date on it, so when it's restored in 30 years, they'll find it.

We tend to treat these speakers as Holy Objects, when to the typical workers, it was another set they needed to finish up/get out. One of my AR3-a speakers has a few nails sticking out inside, because the board on one side was not symmetrical with the other side. Oops, well......the cloth will be glued on, anyway...

Update! I eventually asked my friend about re-finishing the speakers, and he quoted a quite reasonable price. He got them in May, and surprised me this morning with them. They look great; we were both pleasantly surprised.

Pretty common on AR-3 woofers; I've never seen any mention of repair. Mine seemed to wrinkle after the acoustic seal was breached.

Unless you have similar test equipment that was used to determine the frequency response when they were new, you'll have to speculate. It was a pretty easy decision to get both mids and tweeters done, as only one worked on mine. These are OLD speakers, and this can be a restoration in the truest sense. Since you are going to be tearing into these fairly substantially, I would just go ahead and have the mids and tweeters serviced, but that's up to you. Masonite is readily available in big box hardware stores, I would cut a circular piece bigger than the hole, use sealant, and fasten with wood screws.

The mids have that white goo around the perimeter that gets less flexible after 60 years. The tweeters also tend to age. My mids and one tweeter had NO output, and Roy fixed them; he should be able to fix yours, as it's most likely age-related. You can just have him fix the non-working speakers; they will just be louder than the non-serviced ones. You'll also have to deal with the hole where the adjustment pots were located, or you will have no acoustic seal.

Since you got them for free, even if you spend at the limit on these, you'll be able to get your money back, at the very least. They can go for good money on Ebay, but I would be leery myself to ship these, as they are heavy AND delicate. There are a lot of threads on AR-3 restorations to sort through; I would do it differently had I known all the options. There is a link in my thread that I would follow if I ever do this again, as it has a VERY clean crossover setup, and it should apply to your speakers as well. This is also good reading, as the AR-3a speaker is a close relative. http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/acoustic_research/original_models_1954-1974/original_models_schematicss/restoring_the_ar-3a/

Nice find. They were made in 1962 or 1963, judging by the serial number. Your cabinets look to be in great shape( My finds were pretty beat up). The cost of the restoration can vary, depending on your obsession with the quality. The capacitors most likely need replaced, and vary from dirt cheap, to Oh My God, how much?( again, how obsessed are you?)Good quality, direct replacement pots are available from a member here(who will probably chime in), as well as cheaper L-pads(with a resistor mod). Now , your speakers....I was advised to put a moldy woofer outside on an overcast day to kill mold. One tweeter sounds like a definite candidate for repair(which Roy C does), but it will most likely be louder than the other one, so do you have the other one done as well? How about the mids? They are most likely producing sound at a much lower volume than originally (RoyC also fixes this). While the charge is quite reasonable , when combined together, it adds up quickly, and that's just the parts. While restored AR-3 speakers can go for big money, you may not make any more profit than selling them in their current state, so you'll have to decide .This is one of my AR projects. It will give you an idea of the work involved.

I'm familiar with that thread, and the other AR-3 threads you've posted, as you've commented on all my threads. If you were a little closer, I would probably have you do the cosmetics. If they were walnut, I probably would use touch-up makers and crayons, but mahogany seems to be pretty uncommon, so they should get some love. An unexpected cost I wasn't considering is a new amp, or a re-cap, as my newest amp is most likely a late 90's purchase, and Roy commented on an amp thread how many blown tweeters he's been getting from old amps. My Onkyo looks reasonable to work on, and I'll take off the cover soon to investigate, as I sure don't want to blow my new 3 and 3a tweeters.

I've been sparing with pictures, as I've used up half I can post. These are what the mid and tweeter look like after Roy works his mojo on them. AR speakers are kind of like Nakamichi decks - popular new, lots of parts, and a lot of support if you need servicing. Roy painted these; I wasn't sure the tweeter WAS painted at the factory, as it was so bare. I will Email my wood-working friend, and see what he says about matching the original finish.

A lucky week, apparently. Roy fixed all 6 of the speakers( Two 3A tweeters, two 3 tweeters, two 3 mids) I sent. Yay! While the heavy speakers are out, I need to repair the finish, as they are just too light not to do it now.

A pawn shop that doesn't use the internet, apparently. I got a pair of moldy, but original and complete 3a's at an antique store for $50. You would think if you sell things for a living....

The AR-3 mids and tweeters are with Roy, as well as a set of 3a tweeters. Fingers crossed.

If I hadn't already bought the L-pads, and separate 20uf and 4uf capacitors, I would have followed the wiring set-up in this restoration. VERY clean.

How paranoid should I be about the vent holes in my L-pads? I've seen older threads that used plastic electrical boxes used in open ohmite pots, but that would be a real pain to tear my stuff apart. I could also use more modern fiberglass, as I'm reading the old stuff is harsh on pots.