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AR1 Question


samuelE

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Hi folks,

Looking for direction here. I have a 1956 AR1 that belonged to my father, I use it regularly to master my Audio Books. However, I'm considering selling the speaker and would like to have someone reputable check it over and do any needed maintenance. 

Suggestions are appreciated.

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I am located in Richmond Virginia and yes,only one speaker. It was originally purchased new in 56 and paired with a Heathkit and Rek-O-kut turntable.  

Here's a picture of the cabinet, it shows some signs of age, but nothing serious (in my opinion). I haven't had any issues, but if I'm going to sell it I want to be able to represent the condition honestly and a third party should render an opinion. I can well imagine recapping couldn't hurt. 

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

AR-1.jpg

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1 hour ago, samuelE said:

I am located in Richmond Virginia and yes,only one speaker. It was originally purchased new in 56 and paired with a Heathkit and Rek-O-kut turntable.  

Here's a picture of the cabinet, it shows some signs of age, but nothing serious (in my opinion). I haven't had any issues, but if I'm going to sell it I want to be able to represent the condition honestly and a third party should render an opinion. I can well imagine recapping couldn't hurt. 

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

The AR-1 usually requires no maintenance at all. The capacitors are oil filled, which very seldom need to be replaced. If your specimen has never been tampered with, and both drivers are producing sound with no obvious distortion, I strongly recommend leaving them as is. There is no way to "evaluate" them without a likelihood of damage, as the grille and woofer are difficult to remove. Frankly, you will reduce your potential sales price by tampering with a fully functional, original AR-1.

Roy

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4 hours ago, samuelE said:

I have a 1956 AR1 that belonged to my father, I use it regularly to master my Audio Books

What a great story. 63 years and still working OK. From an operational standpoint, this is probably all a potential buyer needs to know.

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Thanks guys,

probably just the injection of sanity I needed.

So, given what you know (BTW - the labels on the back are all intact) the big question is what would a reasonable price be? E-bay has a blonde one for $1,500ish. Would it be best to try and sell on the forum here? 

They seem to be very rare in entirely original condition. I'd even include a Heathkit AA-13 mono tube amp in the sale. The amp works and has a recent service, but honestly, I find it to be noisy. 

 

AA-13.jpg

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Like Jeff has already said, that really is a great story. Speaker appears to be in fine condition, too. While it certainly wouldn't hurt to list it for sale here, I suspect you'll find fatter wallets on other online venues. A good listing would include clear pics of all six faces of the cabinet, and sufficient info to be able to discern which type of rear terminals this has, as well as serial number and AR facility address (Mt. Auburn St. or one of the Thorndike St. addresses). Looks like you might have lacquered mahogany cabinet (?), so you might want to confirm that as well. Thx for sharing, best of luck with the sale.

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That's all great information, thank you.

I tested the speaker with a tone generator, no problem as low as 20 HZ, didn't want to push it any lower. My hearing isn't any good beyond 12k but it did 12 k with no problem. So, I do feel confident that it is all in working order.

Everyone on the board has been great ..!

Thanks again

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