Guest pbda Posted May 15, 2006 Report Share Posted May 15, 2006 A couple of years ago I picked up a pair of AR3a's on eBay. Once refoamed, they sounded great, but looked terrible: scratches on the cabinets, warped veneer with flowerpot ring on the top of one, etc. The grilles were appalling: torn, yellowed, stained. The grille frames were broken in several places.I finally got around to getting the speakers "checked out", courtesy of Larry Lagace ("vintage-ar" on eBay). Larry tested the drivers (all working perfectly) and the mid and tweeter controls (scratchy but basically working fine).He also-and this is the point of the post-did the most incredible job on the cosmetics of the speakers (see photos below): He refinished the cabinets, including replacing the damaged veneer, repaired the grille frames and installed new fabric and brass badges. I believe that the speakers may now look better than they did when new. I only wish I'd had the foresight to take a few "before" pictures.No effect on the sound, of course, but oh boy do these babies look fine! A real joy to look at now, as well as to listen to. (See my upcoming post on what 3a's can do with Saint Saens' organ symphony.)1294.txt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eunomians Posted July 6, 2006 Report Share Posted July 6, 2006 I find that with a little love and devotion, these darlings can indeed be resurrected from the dead. I have just finished my AR3a restoration a few days ago, and sheesh, there was a fair amount of work that needed to be done. But now that it's finished, the speakers are a sight to behold; not to mention, to listen to, as well. Larry is a great asset with great products. Your speakers look amazing. -Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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