AR90 restore project

[Mr. Weather]

I pulled the trigger on a local AR90 pair. They sound great with an even response across the spectrum and a proper low end.  Unfortuantely these suffer from a sloppy black paint job that I hope to remove.  The woofers look to have new surrounds.  The foam around the tweeters differs slightly.   The front woofer dust caps are pushed in and I will try to correct that with tape.  One of the negative binding posts is slightly loose.  Removing the black paint may take some time. I have to work carefully to avoid damaging things further.

I do not know the backstory on these. They were sitting at a local electronics parts, resale and junk store that carries a variety of oddball stuff.  The shop buys used electronics and related things often, so you never know what will show up . The last few years they've been loading up on 70's to 90's audio gear.  These ARs showed up around October 2022 and sat there.  When I finally decided to spend some money on a reputable pair of speakers, I rembered these and was pleased to find they were still there.  The shop wanted $600 and accepted $500.

I have not opened them up yet because I want to enjoy the sound for a while.  Ultimately my goal is to get them looking original and fix any other problems along the way.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21, 2023 by Mr. Weather
Removed photos then added lower res photos. Removed some photos.

[Aadams]

Did this transaction occur before or after you asked us what you could get for $600?

Good deal.  The hard to find expensive pieces appear to be in place and undamaged.   All that remains is a lot of elbow grease and patience.

1 hour ago, Mr. Weather said:

When I finally decided to spend some money on a reputable pair of speakers, I rembered these and was pleased to find they were still there.  The shop wanted $600 and accepted $500.

 

[Mr. Weather]

51 minutes ago, Aadams said:

Did this transaction occur before or after you asked us what you could get for $600?

Good deal.

 

Good question. After.  I took everyones' suggertions and did lot of searching online for specific models in my area with no great results.  At that point I realized it was a matter of time, money, or quick satisfaction: pick 2.  Not wanting to wait for a qualified set to appear locally, and not waiting to drop big money for shipping unseen speakers, I remembered this local shop had the grungy AR90's a couple of months ago.  Of course I had already made the realization that good speakers were going to cost me.  I was looking at a nice looking, unmolested local pair of AR-2a's for around $500.  The guidance here was enough to push me to this (more modern) AR series.  I arrived at the local shop, gave them another look to assess the physical damage, listened to them, and made the decision right there.  Yes there's always risk in buying used stuff but that's OK.  Should be a fun project.

[ar_pro]

30 minutes ago, Aadams said:

Did this transaction occur before or after you asked us what you could get for $600?

Good deal.  The hard to find expensive pieces appear to be in place and undamaged.   All that remains is a lot of elbow grease and patience.

 

Agreed - the AR-90 is a whole lot of speaker for $600.

You should be able to strip & sand the paint down to the original walnut veneer, and make any minor repairs to the finish along the way. If I recall correctly, AR painted both the front and rear panels of the AR-90 in a dark brown color.

I'd recommend carefully removing all of the drivers before trying to work on the enclosures - you'll be surprised at how easy it is to move those big boxes around when there's nothing in them. Please remember to label the leads as you pull drivers, and to take lots of photos.

This is a great project, and I'm sure that others will chime in with tips & suggestions. Congratulations on an excellent pair of speakers!

[Stimpy]

The AR90s used a flat black front and rear finish.  The sides and tops were true veneer.  Mine were veneered in walnut.  Unfortunately, the 90s were plywood under the black; no veneer.   I'm not sure if other finishes were offered for the veneer?

As to the dark brown ARs, I know the AR92s were brown, and I think the 91s were as well.  If I ever refinish my 92s, I'll probably go with flat black, to match my 90s.

Good luck with the restore.  Plus, congratulations!

[ar_pro]

2 hours ago, Stimpy said:

The AR90s used a flat black front and rear finish.  The sides and tops were true veneer.  Mine were veneered in walnut.  Unfortunately, the 90s were plywood under the black; no veneer.   I'm not sure if other finishes were offered for the veneer?

As to the dark brown ARs, I know the AR92s were brown, and I think the 91s were as well.  If I ever refinish my 92s, I'll probably go with flat black, to match my 90s.

Good luck with the restore.  Plus, congratulations!

You're right, Stimpy - the AR-90 had a black painted finish front & back.

For some reason, I thought they were brown, like the AR-9 and AR-91.

The flat black is definitely a better look.

[uarnutz]

Congrats on your new AR 90s. I also recently picked up a pair locally and just had a chance to listen to them for the first time after redoing all the surrounds.  I agree that you should just enjoy them for now.  The paint job can wait.

[Mr. Weather]

3 hours ago, ar_pro said:

You should be able to strip & sand the paint down to the original walnut veneer, and make any minor repairs to the finish along the way.

I'd recommend carefully removing all of the drivers before trying to work on the enclosures - you'll be surprised at how easy it is to move those big boxes around when there's nothing in them. Please remember to label the leads as you pull drivers, and to take lots of photos.

This is a great project, and I'm sure that others will chime in with tips & suggestions. Congratulations on an excellent pair of speakers!

 

Thanks!  Yes I will carefully disassemble them and document the connections along the way.  It will be good to get a look at the interior as well.

 

2 hours ago, Stimpy said:

The AR90s used a flat black front and rear finish.  The sides and tops were true veneer.

Good luck with the restore.  Plus, congratulations!

Thanks.  Yes, the original finish of these is walnut on the top and 2/3 of the sides.  The fronts and rear are factory black.  One  hurdle for me will be to remove the paint from the walnut without damaging the original black areas .  The added black was so poorly applied  that it slops over onto the original black in some areas.   I'll have to do some reading on stripping and restoring wood veneer and see what products are workable.  I'm thinking a gentle chemical stripper but even those are offered in a variety of formulations.

 

2 minutes ago, uarnutz said:

Congrats on your new AR 90s. I also recently picked up a pair locally and just had a chance to listen to them for the first time after redoing all the surrounds.  I agree that you should just enjoy them for now.  The paint job can wait.

I've had some time today to listen to them and wow!  I am impressed.  I never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm hearing details in music that I either never heard before, or never consciously realized before.  Sounds that were part of a background of musical clutter are now distinct.  These also give a fantastic stereo image.  I am not deeply experienced in high quality audio gear but these have made a great impression.  It will be hard to go back to anything else.  This really sets a new standard for me.  Now I want to dig out my old CDs and vinyl and experience some classic albums on these 90s.

Early in life I never had the money to buy great audio equiment.  Then when I had money it went to car audio and home theater, but always within certain price limits. Now I'm finally ready to dive into better quality 2 channel audio, but within the price limits of older or used technology.  The prospect of being able to bring these speakers back to closer to original condition is a bonus, because I love restoring old things.

[uarnutz]

Exactly my experience even though I had been living with lesser AR speakers most of my life. I may also be upgrading my amp soon. It is hard to resist given the price of this vintage gear. The seller of my speakers had not used them for about 20 years because she was using multiroom ceiling speakers. Their loss, our gain.

[lance G]

I personally would be inclined to leave the high range and upper midrange drivers in place during any restoration. The inset foams surrounding the drivers are rare and unobtainable now, I would expect the foam to crumble if any attempt were made to remove it in an effort to reach the driver securing screws underneath. It's nice to see a set still on a pair of speakers, most seem to have disappeared now.

Put some sort of protection over the drivers, perhaps some sturdy card or thin plywood whilst restoring the rest, cabinets etc.

I don't think there would be much to gain by removing these upper drivers anyway, crossover (which is situated in the base behind woofers) callins capacitor replacement is more relevant to any refurbishment/rebuild.

I have AR9's now, but had a pair of 90's previously. I loved them, and they are physically easier to live with than the larger 9's.

You have the makings, after sympathetic restoration of the cabinets, grille cloth and badges, and (likely) crossover capacitors, of some superb speakers.

I would go on to say enjoy, but it sounds like you already are !

Footnotes; Check out images on the internet for confirmation of the original black painted cabinet areas. Quite simply it's the backs and the areas usually covered by the grilles. AR9's are fully veneered other than the backs which are black. Of note the upper midrange drivers are unique to the AR90 and AR9's, another good reason to leave them alone, fortunate that these have not been pushed in unlike the lower midranges. Pulling out with tape should hopefully sort those and at the end of the day they are only dustcaps which could be relatively easily replaced. Finally, your cat is apparently an exhibitionist !

[Mr. Weather]

On 1/12/2023 at 9:53 PM, uarnutz said:

The seller of my speakers had not used them for about 20 years because she was using multiroom ceiling speakers. Their loss, our gain.

I think speakers can be like anything else for many people:  you live with some object or piece of equipment for a long time and you may lose an appreciation for it.  I think that's human nature.  Plus, people value different things to different degrees.  As I've gotten older I've realized that we don't keep most of our posessions forever; they tend to pass from person to person.  This is especially true with higher value things, or things deemed special.  Also, art, audio, and many other things are subject to trends which fall in and out of style over the decades.  So that all adds up to support the seller who had not used the speakers for 20 years.  It was just time for them to be passed to the next person to appreciate them anew.  Your gain, as well as mine.

 

On 1/13/2023 at 5:56 AM, lance G said:

I personally would be inclined to leave the high range and upper midrange drivers in place during any restoration. The inset foams surrounding the drivers are rare and unobtainable now, I would expect the foam to crumble if any attempt were made to remove it

Footnotes; Check out images on the internet for confirmation of the original black painted cabinet areas.

Quite simply it's the backs and the areas usually covered by the grilles. AR9's are fully veneered other than the backs which are black.

Finally, your cat is apparently an exhibitionist !

You make a good point.  Is it not possible to produce these 'inset foams' with new materials from today?  Foam speaker gasket tape? Or would such an attempt fall short in a critical way?  On a $100 set of speakers I can see where a workaround could be enacted, but for the AR9, maybe having the original foam intact is desirable.

Certaunly I could mask off the two higher range drivers as you mention. I can build or cut wood as needed.  In order to avoid damaging the original factory black paint, I may need to mask most it off anyhow, and the drivers could be sealed with their own protection under this.  Quality work usually involkves a lot of preparation work, so I may end up spending real time and money masking things where appropriate.  I wish I had a spare damaged AR9 to use as a test case, but that seems unlikely.

I'm very sure  that my AR9s are factory black on the fronts, backs, and side bottoms around the side woofers. The top, and 2/3 of the sides are walnut veneer.

One  thing I don't know is how is the transition between the veneer and factory black handled?  Is the factory black applied directly to the underlying particle board/MDF, and there is a slight seam between the black and walnut surfaces?  Or is the factory black painted over the veneer?  It seems like everything would be veneer, including the factory black areas.

Yes, our cat is quite unique.  He's dog-like in many ways. Quite a companion.

 

[Mr. Weather]

1. Does anyone have the size measurements for the AR90 badge?  Mine are missing.  I can find photos of these, but no measurements.

2. Also, at least one of the woofers has no seal or gasket between it and the cabinet.  These were probably lost when the surrounds were replaced. The owners manual says these are not reusable.  Can these be purcahsed new?  What's the best route here?  No seal?  Adhesive foam tape? other?

[Stimpy]

My 90s have the factory foam inserts around the tweeters and dome midranges.  It's still very much intact.  No signs of dissolving or crumbling.  I've never had any issues in removing it.  I always take it off, when working on the speakers.

The black and wood veneer meet along a very sharp edge.  No transition.  Very well done.  One tidbit, the sides of the cabinet are fully veneered, even around the woofers.  AR painted the side areas black, directly onto the veneer.  Front and back are unfinished plywood.  When I refinished my cabinets, I removed the side paint.  I couldn't stand to paint over the veneer.  Too nice to cover up.  With the sides grills on, the speakers still look stock.

I can't help with the badges.  Mine are just "AR" badges, and not "AR90" badges.  That's direct from the factory, which is how I purchased my 90s.

It's hard to find custom, premade foam, that would fit our drivers.  Gasket foam can be found at Parts Express, Midwest Speakers, and Simply Speakers.  Most now comes in a roll, and you hand apply it around the woofer cut-out. 

[Stimpy]

1 hour ago, Mr. Weather said:

Oh, beautiful cat...!!!   

[DavidR]

22 minutes ago, Mr. Weather said:

2. Also, at least one of the woofers has no seal or gasket between it and the cabinet.  These were probably lost when the surrounds were replaced. The owners manual says these are not reusable.  Can these be purcahsed new?  What's the best route here?  No seal?  Adhesive foam tape? other?

You need to use a gasket. Not sealing them properly will result in poor performance and SQ.

If the original gaskets are in good condition they can be used. Just make sure the screws are kept tight. A suitable replacement is the white window foam insulation sold at Home Depot. I forget the dimensions but its something like 3/8" wide and 1/4" thick.

[DavidR]

28 minutes ago, Mr. Weather said:

Does anyone have the size measurements for the AR90 badge?

2" wide by 1" high

Often can be found on eBay. I didn't see any just now.

[Mr. Weather]

On 1/13/2023 at 9:14 AM, Stimpy said:

My 90s still have the foam inserts around the tweeters and dome midranges.  It's still very much intact.  No signs of dissolving or crumbling.

One tidbit, the sides of the cabinet are fully veneered, even around the woofers.  AR painted the side areas black, directly onto the veneer.  Front and back are unfinished plywood. 

When I refinished my cabinets, I removed the side paint.  I couldn't stand to paint over the veneer.  Too nice to cover up.  With the sides grills on, the speakers still look stock.

I can't help with the badges.  Mine are just "AR" badges, and not "AR90" badges.  That's direct from the factory, which is how I purchased my 90s.

It's hard to find custom, premade foam, that would fit our drivers.  Gasket foam can be found at Parts Express, Midwest Speakers, and Simply Speakers.  Most now comes in a roll, and you hand apply it around the woofer cut-out. 

 

On 1/13/2023 at 9:22 AM, DavidR said:

If the original gaskets are in good condition they can be used. Just make sure the screws are kept tight. A suitable replacement is the white window foam insulation sold at Home Depot. I forget the dimensions but its something like 3/8" wide and 1/4" thick.

Fortuntely, my foam inserts are intact.  They seem perhaps *slightly* stiff, but are generally still foamy and intact. One has an indent on each side.

Inspection with a flashlight does confirm that the side veneer does cover the whole side, even the factory black.  I can see the veneer grain texture under the black paint.  So that's correct compared to yours.  I like the idea of having the whole side as natural wood with no paint.  That could be an option because it may be impossible to strip *only* the paint that was applied by a previous owner without removing the factor black around the woofers.

AR may have switched badges over the years.  I found one photo showing "AR90" badges.  Maybe they ran out of these and used generic "AR" badges on some units.

I have a roll of "speaker gasketing" tape, 3/8" wide by about 1/8" thick.  I used it on my Goodman EE4410s after removing the factory black sealant/goo/tar that had turned hard and brittle.  So that seems light the right thing for these ARs.

 

 

Edited January 21, 2023 by Mr. Weather
Removed photos of factory foam trim rings to save space.

[DavidR]

2 hours ago, Mr. Weather said:

Yes, our cat is quite unique. 

We had a cat just like that. Her name was Sassy. She was the only cat we have had that we allowed outdoors as she was the adventurous type. My neighbor, Mr Not-So-Friendly, puts DeCon out in his yard (illegal btw) and she got into it. She died a horrible death. We will never allow any of our cats outside again. Too many critters that would want to eat them anyway (coyote, fox, fisher). I sometimes wonder if Mr Not-So-Friendly wonders why his aluminum sided house is riddled with pellet holes. Oh well.

 

[Aadams]

I don't recall a major cabinet refurb documented on this site that did not remove the drivers.  Of the AR9/90 cab rebuilds, the drivers were removed to accomplish the dirty work and heavy handling that is required to finish correctly.

The foam ring is nice but not essential.  Many AR9s never had them on mid or tweet. 

The Acoustic Blanket IS essential Vertical Series kit, is part of the branding and cannot practically be removed intact nor replaced with any fidelity to the original.

The LMR is the rarest of all the drivers in the cab and should be removed anyway in order to verify its internal sealed enclosure has not snapped loose from all the apparent rough handling these cabs have received.  Don't remove any of the white damping material from anywhere unless removal is necessary to reseal the internal enclosure.

Removing mids and tweeters to safe keeping at the risk of losing the foam ring is prudent.  Your ears will never miss the foam ring if it is lost.

Adams

 

 

 

 

 

[johnfalc]

My 90 badges measure 1-3/4" by 7/8" 

I favor removal of all drivers before digging into the cabinets.  Check the numbers on the drivers (especially LMR) to be sure you have the correct ones.  I did on my 90s but my 9s had incorrect LMR drivers (AR, but with the wrong cone material) which I replaced with the right drivers.

[AR55]

Below is a link to advice that I gave to refinishing a pair of painted AR-12s, if you decide to go that route.  I my case the AR-15 cabinets were completely painted back.  The link shows before & after. 

 

[Mr. Weather]

2 hours ago, AR55 said:

Below is a link to advice that I gave to refinishing a pair of painted AR-12s, if you decide to go that route.  I my case the AR-15 cabinets were completely painted back.  The link shows before & after. 

The restored finish looks good.  I'm pretty well versed on refinishing wood but this is a delicate project so I've been doing some reading.  I see you used Watco Danish Oil which is a popular choice and I would not rule that out.  I ran across something called Odie's Oil which is billed as a solvent-free oil and wax that seems to give good results for many people.  So I picked up a can of that to exerpiment with.  I have no walnut wood to experiement on but I can scrape up some birch and oak and see how it performs.  However, I think big hurdle is how to mask the front and rear of the cabinets to avoid getting paint stripper on the factory black finish.  Sanding as mentioned, could be an alternative, and that would give me much better control of paint removal.

[Mr. Weather]

I used the vaccum cleaner trick to pop out the LMR dust caps.  My son cut up an old Starbucks plastic cup and did some work with gaffers tape to cover the sharp plastic edge.  I made an air bleed door on the side that held my finger over in case I needed to quickly release the suction.  The cup ended up collapsing with vaccum at the rim so we had to modify and tape on the cup's original reinforcing lip/rim.  We started with a weaker vacuum and that didn't do anything. So I pulled out the shop vac.  Long story shory, this worked.  Both dust caps popped out 85%.  Then I went back without the cup, using the hose directly up to the dust cap, to pull out a few last indentations.  That got the dust caps 95% back to normal. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21, 2023 by Mr. Weather
Added smaller res photos.

[lance G]

3 hours ago, Mr. Weather said:

The restored finish looks good.  I'm pretty well versed on refinishing wood but this is a delicate project so I've been doing some reading.  I see you used Watco Danish Oil which is a popular choice and I would not rule that out.  I ran across something called Odie's Oil which is billed as a solvent-free oil and wax that seems to give good results for many people.  So I picked up a can of that to exerpiment with.  I have no walnut wood to experiement on but I can scrape up some birch and oak and see how it performs.  However, I think big hurdle is how to mask the front and rear of the cabinets to avoid getting paint stripper on the factory black finish.  Sanding as mentioned, could be an alternative, and that would give me much better control of paint removal.

 

Below taken form the AR9 manual, I suspect it's the same for the AR90.

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/_Media/ar9_or_manual_page32-2.jpeg

[Mr. Weather]

9 minutes ago, lance G said:

 

Below taken form the AR9 manual, I suspect it's the same for the AR90.

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/_Media/ar9_or_manual_page32-2.jpeg

Good catch.  In summary, the manual says the surfaces can be treated with "high grade paste wax" such as Butcher's wax or Staples Paste Wax, or the surface can be re-oiled with boiled linseed oil.  Staples is still around today.  I found a few products in the butcher's wax category but not the actual Butcher's brand unless we count the products from The BWC Company.