Snow Posted October 17, 2018 Report Share Posted October 17, 2018 This is my first post here so excuse me if my questions have been answered before here. I have 2 pairs of AR3 speakers made between 1966 and 1968 one pair has mid range drivers that have a dampening disc on front and a rounded Alinco magnet the other pair has mid ranges that do not have the dampening disc and a much larger magnet that is flat. I was under the assumption that the mids with the larger magnets and no dampening disc were only put into cabinets during the first year/s of manufacture serial number 3k or less range. So did AR have special order types where one could get the older style or was it because the ran out of the smaller magnet types and used what they had on hand? Here a few pics of the two different types. Regards Snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted October 17, 2018 Report Share Posted October 17, 2018 Welcome to CSP, Snow... The fiberglass pad showed up very early in the game, but the large magnet version of the AR-3 mid was used until the rounded magnet version was introduced around serial number 30,000. Only the earliest ones had no fiberglass pad. Most were equipped with the pad. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted October 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2018 1 hour ago, RoyC said: Welcome to CSP, Snow... The fiberglass pad showed up very early in the game, but the large magnet version of the AR-3 mid was used until the rounded magnet version was introduced around serial number 30,000. Only the earliest ones had no fiberglass pad. Most were equipped with the pad. Roy Thanks Roy for the welcome and the information I wonder how the pair that have the large magnet and no disc wound up in cabinets with serial numbers in the 7k area then? I have a pair that are earlier and they have the disc. Like you I believe that they were only made for a very short period of time in the beginning serial #1k or less is my likely inaccurate guess simply because you rarely ever see them. And why the other pair with the rounded magnet with serial numbers in the 6k area have the smaller rounded magnet instead of the larger flat style both mid ranges are dated 1966 and 1967 I know that Polk and other companies used up stock until it was gone and it was not uncommon to see different style drivers in cabinets that had consecutive numbers I wonder if AR might have done some of the same? Perhaps they found an old pair in storage and decided to put them in later cabinets so they wouldndt go to waste. Regards Snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidR Posted October 18, 2018 Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 Are you the same Snow that used to post on the carversite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted October 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 Yes I am Regards Snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted October 18, 2018 Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 3 hours ago, Snow said: Thanks Roy for the welcome and the information I wonder how the pair that have the large magnet and no disc wound up in cabinets with serial numbers in the 7k area then? I have a pair that are earlier and they have the disc. Like you I believe that they were only made for a very short period of time in the beginning serial #1k or less is my likely inaccurate guess simply because you rarely ever see them. And why the other pair with the rounded magnet with serial numbers in the 6k area have the smaller rounded magnet instead of the larger flat style both mid ranges are dated 1966 and 1967 I know that Polk and other companies used up stock until it was gone and it was not uncommon to see different style drivers in cabinets that had consecutive numbers I wonder if AR might have done some of the same? Perhaps they found an old pair in storage and decided to put them in later cabinets so they wouldndt go to waste. Regards Snow Are you sure your 3's were not repaired along the way? Your crossovers may provide a clue. http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/acoustic_research/original_models_1954-1974/original_models_schematicss/thoughts_on_ar-3_schematics/ Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted October 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 Thanks Roy I will have to look. Regards Snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted October 18, 2018 Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 Are you asking because of value? I see those on EBay for sale so apparently you have gutted both pairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidR Posted October 18, 2018 Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 12 hours ago, Snow said: Yes I am Regards Snow Welcome Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted October 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 14 hours ago, lakecat said: Are you asking because of value? I see those on EBay for sale so apparently you have gutted both pairs. No. Do you see any mention of value? And yes these have been parted out hopefully this does not upset you but sometimes restoring something is so expensive that it makes no sense to do so in the case with the set of speakers that had mid ranges with the rounded magnet style the cabinets were trashed both mid ranges and both tweeters are dead and of course you would have to redo the crossovers the cost of repairing or buying replacement drivers and restoring the cabinets if even possible would be more then buying a nice working pair. The original AR3 is one of the very few speakers that if working properly and sold complete is actually worth more then the value of the parts by themselves. If this thread was about value I would never have parted them out then asked about it after the fact ? There seems to be quite a bit of inaccurate information out there online about the AR3 and AR3A and when the various odd components were used in them hence my reason for joining and posting this thread. Regards Snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted October 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 1 hour ago, DavidR said: Welcome Dan Thanks David If your still over at the Carver site say hi to everyone there for me Regards Snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidR Posted October 18, 2018 Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 42 minutes ago, Snow said: Thanks David If your still over at the Carver site say hi to everyone there for me Regards Snow I am not posting there. I no longer have any Carver amps but still have a BillD C-1 and (2) TX-11a and an 11b. RichP sold the site. Some very knowledgeable people here and it's strictly audio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted October 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 5 minutes ago, DavidR said: I am not posting there. I no longer have any Carver amps but still have a BillD C-1 and (2) TX-11a and an 11b. RichP sold the site. Some very knowledgeable people here and it's strictly audio. I see. I still have a Carver piece or two myself. Yes this site seems to be a wealth of knowledge. If I were to do a Karma/Giveaway here in this forum where is the correct Board? Regards Snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidR Posted October 18, 2018 Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 5 minutes ago, Snow said: If I were to do a Karma/Giveaway here in this forum where is the correct Board? Hmmmm, not sure. Maybe PM genek - the moderator and ask. I did a karma for some npe caps and I think I used the wanted/for sale forum IIRC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted October 21, 2018 Report Share Posted October 21, 2018 On 10/18/2018 at 11:51 AM, Snow said: No. Do you see any mention of value? And yes these have been parted out hopefully this does not upset you but sometimes restoring something is so expensive that it makes no sense to do so in the case with the set of speakers that had mid ranges with the rounded magnet style the cabinets were trashed both mid ranges and both tweeters are dead and of course you would have to redo the crossovers the cost of repairing or buying replacement drivers and restoring the cabinets if even possible would be more then buying a nice working pair. The original AR3 is one of the very few speakers that if working properly and sold complete is actually worth more then the value of the parts by themselves. If this thread was about value I would never have parted them out then asked about it after the fact ? There seems to be quite a bit of inaccurate information out there online about the AR3 and AR3A and when the various odd components were used in them hence my reason for joining and posting this thread. Regards Snow HI Snow and welcome. Not upset at all but found the question odd coming from a flipper. I also turn over AR's but have kept many but I love making them new again. I never gut them and have even bought empty cabs to restore. I have enjoyed the learning as I have redone them and Roy and others here have been excellent and unselfish mentors. I understand your location makes it tough for shipping also. You will be happy with what those mids will bring. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted October 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2018 11 minutes ago, lakecat said: HI Snow and welcome. Not upset at all but found the question odd coming from a flipper. I also turn over AR's but have kept many but I love making them new again. I never gut them and have even bought empty cabs to restore. I have enjoyed the learning as I have redone them and Roy and others here have been excellent and unselfish mentors. I understand your location makes it tough for shipping also. You will be happy with what those mids will bring. Good luck! Thanks for the welcome. It is easy to get into the flipper versus Audiophile mind set but not everything is black and white and I think one can be both I try and listen to everything before I attempt to sell it and no I don't sell everything and in fact some would call me a hoarder if they seen my storage units crammed to the ceiling with gear parts and pieces, I have a very tough time throwing things away if I feel they have value to someone historically or monetarily or as parts. When I first got into audio and listened to a decent separates system I was hooked but quickly realized that if I was ever to own a really nice system I was going to have to buy and sell my way into it and I also get the fun of trying different gear out that I would never be able to afford to otherwise. I try and listen to music every night before I go to sleep it is the one time I set aside for myself for purely selfish reasons the enjoyment I get from listening to music is something I cant get anywhere else and is hard for me to explain because most people cannot relate and do not understand my desire to have the best sounding gear I can find and in fact are at times shocked by the fact I have more money invested in gear then my vehicle. Perhaps it is just the nerd in me but I am fascinated with the history of the gear I run across and spend many many hours researching it tubes are another fascinating thing to me just when I think I know a little I realize there is far more that I don't know. Regards Snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.