found some AR3's and an AR amp. looking for some info.

[Guest newguy]

I just came across a pair of vintage AR3 speakers and an AR Amplifier at an estate sale. I don't know much about the gear other than what I have been able to dig up on the web over the past few hours.

I'm beginning to see that what I found is something quite special. The AR3's are numbered C 24403 and C 24404 and appear to have been in this residence since new (very nice 1950's modern home). Never altered or even opened up as far as I can see. In good working order. Oiled teak finish.

I know this is a classic speaker site, however I also found what must be a very early AR Amplifier with serial A000192. Judging by the one I saw close on eBay a while back stating it to be an early model (A004075), this number must be really early.

I was hoping to get any additional information about them as far as age, value, what to look for, etc. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how to even get inside the speakers to check condition or if I even should. I don't want to damage the grill. I'm also leery about taking them to just anybody to "inspect." I've heard horror stories about vintage gear being inappropriately "modified."

Any general historical information about these specific items would also be really helpful.

Thanks.

Ron.

[Guest pbda]

If you search around the site you will certainly find answers to some of your questions on the electronics; in fact there is a particular section specifically on electronics on the site (http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/ar/electronics/electronics.htm).

Others may have a view on the "specialness" of the particular units that you have picked up.

[tysontom]

>I just came across a pair of vintage AR3 speakers and an AR

>Amplifier at an estate sale. I don't know much about the gear

>other than what I have been able to dig up on the web over the

>past few hours.

>

>I'm beginning to see that what I found is something quite

>special. The AR3's are numbered C 24403 and C 24404 and appear

>to have been in this residence since new (very nice 1950's

>modern home). Never altered or even opened up as far as I can

>see. In good working order. Oiled teak finish.

>

>I know this is a classic speaker site, however I also found

>what must be a very early AR Amplifier with serial A000192.

>Judging by the one I saw close on eBay a while back stating it

>to be an early model (A004075), this number must be really

>early.

>

>I was hoping to get any additional information about them as

>far as age, value, what to look for, etc. To be perfectly

>honest, I'm not sure how to even get inside the speakers to

>check condition or if I even should. I don't want to damage

>the grill. I'm also leery about taking them to just anybody to

>"inspect." I've heard horror stories about vintage gear being

>inappropriately "modified."

>

>Any general historical information about these specific items

>would also be really helpful.

>

>Thanks.

>Ron.

Ron,

There is quite a lot of information written on these forum pages and other areas about the AR-3 speakers and the AR Amplifier. Go back through the search criteria and you should be able to bring up quite a lot of information on these products. In essence, if the AR-3s are in good electro-mechanical and physical condition, they are fairly valuable to collectors. Check to make sure that the cabinets are in sound physical condition and that the grills and both the "AR" and "3" logo plates are intact on each speaker. The grills should be an ivory-white nylon-like material (saran) with possibly a very light gold thread interweaved throughout the fabric. AR changed to a purely ivory-white material without the thread about the time these speakers were built. The grills should be tightly stretched across the front of the speakers without any sign of sag or stretch, and the material should have no gaps under the grill molding. SNs C 24403 and C 24404 are early versions (probably 1960-1961 perhaps) of the speaker. You should not attempt to open the cabinets by removing the grills unless you are very familiar with that procedure, as you can easily damage the grill panels and grill material itself. You would not be able to locate a new replacement grill, and getting the grill frame back in place (correctly) with a grill on it is a daunting experience. AR-3 speakers are worth far more "unaltered" than those that have been opened or repaired by someone unfamiliar with its design. Mint-condition AR-3s, unaltered, could be worth upwards of $1000+ on eBay, but a lot depends on the actual condition.

You can test the loudspeakers for output from all drivers, and if you feel that there are "dropouts," or dead spots in the output, then you can rotate the level controls back and forth for the midrange and tweeter on the back to try to engage the tweeters, since oxidation takes a grip on the controls over time, and contact can easily be lost. Even if you cannot get immediate results, it does not mean that the drivers are burned out or falty, as it is sometimes difficult to get them back working.

Be sure that the AR Amplifier does not have any appreciable DC offset in the output before using it to test the speakers. Take a meter and put the probes across the output terminals of the amplifier to be sure that the offset is below 1 or 2 volts; a frequent problem with the amplifier in certain versions was a biasing issue in which too much DC could get into the output (there were fuses there for that purpose), and this could seriously damage the woofers in the AR-3s. This AR amplifier would have been added to the owner's system several years after the purchase of the AR-3s, and likely the owner had something like a Dynaco ST-70 or similar when the AR-3s were purchased. The AR amp would have been purchased in the first year of production.

--Tom Tyson