mantis Posted November 24, 2007 Report Share Posted November 24, 2007 I have a pair of '74 3as (unit numbers are in the 94xxx), they are not a total mess, but they need a good bit of work. Woofers need new surrounds, I took them out and measured 3.8 and 3.2 ohms which I guess is OK, so thats good... The mids on both units work well and the pot on the back seems to work well enough for them. The tweeters aren't fairing so well, one works but seems at a much lower volume than the mid and I dont know what would be a proper balance, and the other doesn't seem to work. I do not know if the tweeter on that speaker is blown or if the pot is just really dirty or if something else is a miss, but either way it looks like there needs to be a lot of work done.Now to the real issue: I am no speaker technician, I have no idea what I am doing and I don't want to damage these and waste my time. Is there a place that I can just send these things to that will restore them to working order? Preferably in driving range ( a day to and from is ok) from the boston area? I have found 2 places: new england speaker company, they seem to only want to do the surrounds, and the other is the audio studio in brookline however I haven't had a chance to talk to them and their stuff seems really pricey.What do you guys think? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted November 24, 2007 Report Share Posted November 24, 2007 Now to the real issue: I am no speaker technician, I have no idea what I am doing and I don't want to damage these and waste my time. Is there a place that I can just send these things to that will restore them to working order? Preferably in driving range ( a day to and from is ok) from the boston area? I have found 2 places: new england speaker company, they seem to only want to do the surrounds, and the other is the audio studio in brookline however I haven't had a chance to talk to them and their stuff seems really pricey.If the Albany, NY area is within your range, I recommend contacting Larry Lagace (Vintage-AR on eBay). Ljlagace@aol.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantis Posted November 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2007 If the Albany, NY area is within your range, I recommend contacting Larry Lagace (Vintage-AR on eBay). Ljlagace@aol.comThank you for your suggestion, however, I asked too soon...I took out the insulation and threw it in a bag, and got to the inside where the pots are. I didn't want to desolder them so I simply sprayed contact cleaner in the sides of them. Twisted a few dozen times, turned sideways, let it dry up after 5 mins, and boom both tweeters and mids are now functioning and the controls on the back, while still a little dirty, actually work. I am quite please as this saves me a ton of money and time. My only concern is that the effects are not long lasting, but by the time I get the woofers fixed up I'll spray them again and they should be good to go Man what a relief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted November 27, 2007 Report Share Posted November 27, 2007 Thank you for your suggestion, however, I asked too soon...I took out the insulation and threw it in a bag, and got to the inside where the pots are. I didn't want to desolder them so I simply sprayed contact cleaner in the sides of them. Twisted a few dozen times, turned sideways, let it dry up after 5 mins, and boom both tweeters and mids are now functioning and the controls on the back, while still a little dirty, actually work. I am quite please as this saves me a ton of money and time. My only concern is that the effects are not long lasting, but by the time I get the woofers fixed up I'll spray them again and they should be good to go Man what a relief.At least you know the midrange and tweeters work, however, I believe the contact cleaner will be a temporary fix. The pots will more than likely need some extensive cleaning and the only good way to do that is to remove them from inside the cabinet and take them apart for a "true" cleaning. Many here have posted on this method and the issues with dirty and corroded pots. It is not that difficult to do even if you have never done this kind of work before. I just finished refurbishing(first time ever at doing this) a pair AR2ax's that are nearly 40 years old. I removed all 4 pots, took them apart and cleaned them with baking soda using a tooth brush, followed up with a small wire brush (others have posted about using a Dremel with a wire brush attachment) and followed with a blast of compressed air to dry them and remove any small debris from within the coil and then finished with a squirt or two of Deoxit 5. The fact that you got them working is a good indication that your pots are not completely corroded and more than likely worth the effort of restoring them to like new condition with a little elbow grease. I love my AR2ax's as I spent the entire weekend listening to some old records from my college days and I am impressed with the high quality of sound. Made all of the work I put into them completely worth the effort. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexicomike Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 When I cleaned the pots on my AR3as I also lubed them copiously with di-electric grease. This gives them a smoother feel and SHOULD help prevent, or at least reduce, future corrosion. Wonderful speakers (and still no updated caps)! My wife STILL asks, "How can these 40 year old speakers (1968) sound better than all our newer speakers?" They embarrass our Magnaplaners (no bass though great presence) and our Thiels (not nearly as smooth). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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