Guest Cuda Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 I have been helping a friend settle the estate of her husband. While looking around his workshop, I came across a pair of AR3's, and have a few questions. I have not tested them yet, though they are hooked up to an old Pioneer amp. (1)Is there anything that I should look for before? just being cautious. She said he bought them used "a long time ago" and has never had any problems with them.(2)What is the aproximate value of them? (in good working order)She does want to sell them (I don't have room)(3) would anyone here be interested.More pics @ http://www.munndesign.com/page5.htmhttp://www.munndesign.com/photos/ar/ar5.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tgw Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 I see on Ebay that a pair of AR-3's similar in condition (external anyway) went for $641.00 with the buyer being in Tawain or Japan I believe. I have a pair that I restored and they are great speakers. I clean the potentiometers and installed new grill cloth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar_pro Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 1.) Look for a "problem" with the midrange and/or tweeter control. Feel free to search the millions of posts here, regarding this problem.2.) The "approximate value" will equal your ebay timing, and the potential buyer's desire to pay for shipping to Korea on two 50 lb cartons.3.) Maybe - but only if those Olson "X-AIR-1A" beauties are included!Proposal to the Forum: How about a quick link to ebay, for relatives, family friends, "estate-liquidators", and others who think they've struck gold - maybe even a *scrolling ticker*, with real-time auction prices going by?At the very least, it would save some of these folks the trouble of feigning interest in our little hobby, and having to go to the trouble of registering, and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankmarsi Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Hello and nice to meet you! I'll buy these speakers from you or the original owner if you'd like to sell them.frankmarsi@verizon.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tysontom Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Just an observation or two on the lady's AR-3s: the grill panel on the left speaker was removed at some point and not properly replaced. It is sagging on the bottom, so the frame is probably cracked. It is extremely difficult (only the most skillful and patient AR-3 perfectionist can do it) to get the grill panel back on without causing the grill to sag -- or worse -- without breaking the plastic frame. This detracts from the appearance of speaker. The "3" brass pins are missing from both speakers. The cabinets look to be in pretty good shape, but they are sitting unprotected on a shelf likely with abrasions on the bottoms. Good news is that the ivory grill material itself has not badly faded to the usual yellowish color, indicating that the speakers have not been in a brightly lit environment for some time. Until the speakers are tested there is no way to know what is really going on. What are they worth? Anywhere from $250 up to probably $750 if all the drivers are working properly.The image below of one of a stereo pair of 1962 AR-3s in mahogany. This pair is in truly mint condition, and the proper appearance of this vintage AR-3. Note that the grill cloth is light-colored ivory; the grill is tight and flush with the grill molding, the threads run parallel with the molding edge, and there is no sag. The AR, Inc. emblem is positioned properly, and the "3" pin is positioned properly.http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/dc/user_files/1072.jpgAR-3 Lacquered Mahogany 1962 version (Tyson)--Tom Tyson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynaco_dan Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Hi there;That photo just makes the speaker look like new.It was obviously babied for all these years.What a nice sight for these old eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cuda Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Thank you for your replies, very helpful. I apoligise if I seamed to fien interest in your hobby, I just thought I would go to where there was a definite interest in these speakers. I do not care for EBAY, & would rather deal through a site like this. I am not an Estate Liquidator, I am a friend helping a friend.The speakers are currently in the workshop/garage, out of the sun & as far as I know the speakers have been sitting in the same spot for the past 15 years, since they moved to Florida. There are minor scratches and some water stains from drink glasses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bob33 Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 What speakers are ontop of the ar's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dave in abq Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 tysontom, those should clean up real nice with some walnut oil and some very light sanding. Looks like a slightly lighter shade of wood then I have on my pair. Cuda, those have to be one of the prettist pair of AR3's I've ever seen. Very NICE! David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cuda Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 >What speakers are ontop of the ar's?They are Olson "X-AIR-1A" as AR PRO said in the earlier post. the only thing I know about them is that they were sold through the "Olson" chain of stores in the midwest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cuda Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 >tysontom, those should clean up real nice with some walnut>oil and some very light sanding. Looks like a slightly>lighter shade of wood then I have on my pair. >>Cuda, those have to be one of the prettist pair of AR3's I've>ever seen. Very NICE! >>DavidThank you! They are Mahogany, and the finish is in good shape w/ the exception of a few water stains on them, one small nick on an edge & some small scratches. I have not had a chance to clean them up yet, the level controls are in need of a cleaning at least, but all speakers seem to be working properly. I had them hooked to an old Pioneer amp, and it wasn't quite working properly. I will hook them up to my system later this week to get a better idea as to what they need repaired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tysontom Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 >Thank you! They are Mahogany, and the finish is in good shape>w/ the exception of a few water stains on them, one small nick>on an edge & some small scratches. I have not had a chance>to clean them up yet, the level controls are in need of a>cleaning at least, but all speakers seem to be working>properly. I had them hooked to an old Pioneer amp, and it>wasn't quite working properly. I will hook them up to my>system later this week to get a better idea as to what they>need repaired.The AR-3s shown (with the Olson tweeters on top) are Oiled Walnut, not Mahogany. Mahogany is a more reddish color, and the finish is always lacquered. Walnut was available in lacquered finish or oil finish, but the pair shown is Oiled Walnut. The one good thing about Oiled Walnut is the relative ease in re-oiling to bring the finish back up to date. Lacquered Walnut or Lacquered Mahogany finishes are much more difficult to refurbish.Incidentally, the Olson tweeters made the AR-3s brighter sounding, but detracted from that speakers spectral balance somewhat. The Olson tweeter had much more output, but was much less accurate than the AR-3 tweeter. Olson tweeters usually showed up on AR-3s when the owner's hearing had declined to the point that the "reticent" AR-3 high-frequency output could no longer be heard. On axis, the AR-3's high-frequency output was down a few dB, but the integrated response of the speaker was so good that overall balance was very close to what one heard in a concert hall.--Tom Tyson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cuda Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 TomThank you for the info & the correction, I assumed they were Mahogany because they do have a reddish color that doesn't show in the photos to well, but they do not have a lacquer finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tysontom Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 >Tom>Thank you for the info & the correction, I assumed they>were Mahogany because they do have a reddish color that>doesn't show in the photos to well, but they do not have a>lacquer finish.Brad,I should have been more specific on Mahogany. The finish, which used to be very common in furniture, is generally a reddish-dark-brown in color -- very dark with a fine grain. The Lacquered Mahogany and Lacquered Walnut finishes were very pretty (same basic finish that was used on some models of Steinway pianos), but extremely vulnerable to scratches and marks. Oiled Walnut, on the other hand, is a more durable finish insofar as Walnut is a harder wood to start with than Mahogany.http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/dc/user_files/1138.jpgAn original AR wood-finish chart dating from 1967--Tom Tyson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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