Guest Hoss Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 well I hate to say it but I need a woofer for my ar3a.. I know they seem to be are hard to come by so ive read.I believe it would be worth finding one for more than one reason.here is what happen.My dad years ago who played country music used these speakers regular. I can remember him staying up late with his reel to reel singing listning to music and recording. From what my Mom told me one of the speakers started sounding bad..He took the woofer out and took it to a local speaker dude to fix. The store owner (small shop) skipped town with ALL of his store contents to be never seen again. Ive kept them in storage for along time. My dad is now gone and I would love to get them fixed for obvious reasons..the cabinets are in great shape and all thats missing is one 11 inch woofer..Please tell me someone can help me..PleaseThanks ahead Hoss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar_pro Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 These woofers turn up on eBay fairly frequently - it would best to match the one that you already own.Try to post a photo of what you have, and someone here will be able to identify the vintage of your woofer.And take a look at the AR-3a restoration guide on this site - it will be a big help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hoss Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 These woofers turn up on eBay fairly frequently - it would best to match the one that you already own.Try to post a photo of what you have, and someone here will be able to identify the vintage of your woofer.And take a look at the AR-3a restoration guide on this site - it will be a big help.OH my I know this sounds crazy but my heart jumped almost out of my chest thinking there may be a chance of finding a fix for these speakers..TOMORROW to late now..I will post pics..thank you so much really so much for your help AR pro..Hoss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 And take a look at the AR-3a restoration guide on this site - it will be a big help.Absolutely. Here is the link in case you have trouble finding it. Be SURE to download and read it! Your speakers will probably need attention to the level controls ("pots") at least.http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library...ring_the_ar-3a/Good luck! And welcome to CSP!btw--those speakers are considered the BEST by many of us here. So besides the sentimental value they should provide you with great listening!Kent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hoss Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 pictures as promised..These poor babies need fixin..and cleaned up..did not notice the spider skeletons until i uploaded the pix..dang ole fiddle backs I hate them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hoss Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 I got this link from a guy on another forum. http://adsspeakers.com/AR.htmdo i buy these new replacements or is it possible to find used and redo it..whats the best angle of attack here Gents.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onplane Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 Hoss, the foam surround on the woofer in the complete speaker is totally shot! It needs to be replace.Do NOT attempt to hook this speaker to an amp as you could damage the voice coil.Regards,Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar_pro Posted February 13, 2009 Report Share Posted February 13, 2009 Hoss - yours are later-model AR-3a speakers with foam surrounds on the woofers - they should be very easy to replace.You can buy new replacement woofers that will fit, but these are not AR-produced, and there has been quite a bit of debate as to how close they come to the performance of the original woofers.Assuming no damage to the single woofer that you own, you would just need to have its surround replaced - you could do it yourself, but there's a learning curve that would probably make it not worthwhile if you never intend to do it again.At any rate, don't try to play it with that bad surround, as it could damage the woofer.Something should turn up on eBay before long, and you might even get a deal on a woofer that needs a new surround - just keep searching for "AR-3a woofer(s)".I've done business with Millersound in PA, and they are outstanding when it comes to re-foaming an AR woofer - give Bill a call at 215 412-7700. He's a wealth of information, and very willing to help out someone in your position. And as Kent suggested, download & read "Restoring The AR-3a", it will tell you everything that you'll need to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hoss Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 Ar-Pro If I find a woofer do you think mine is salvageable or should I just buy 2 woofers and be done with it..what about mids and tweets. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Faulkner Posted February 14, 2009 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 HossIf you do buy a new pair of woofers, I would love to purchase the one that needs re-surrounded to match another one I have that I am now pairing with an older cloth surround woofer.dogdrjohn@peoplepc.comJohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Faulkner Posted February 22, 2009 Report Share Posted February 22, 2009 HossAny decisions yet about my offer and did you checkout the pair of woofers on ebay - auction over soon. It is not like I am in any real hurry to get another woofer but my offer still stands - hope I had your email address rightJohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Faulkner Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 HossNew plan. I just purchased a cloth surround AR-3 woofer on ebay , hopefully to match up with the woofer I have owned for nearly 40 years. If it works well in the AR-3a cabinets I have, I will have an extra foam surround woofer that might mate well with the one you have, once you get it a new surround installed. I don't see any number on it but it is a ceramic magnet foam surround AR woofer from the mid 70's that I recently installed a new proper half-roll foam surround on. The magnet is round, not square like the pair that was on ebay. Don't know when I will get my "new" woofer and try it out, but you might want to pull the woofer you have and look at the magnet - I can send you a picture of mine if you want to compare. Mine has a black masonite ring under the surround, not the reddish brown of my older foam woofers. As ar-pro said, yours appear to be later model AR-3a, as the masonite ring is black and the grille frame appears to have been attached with velcro instead of the earlier and hard to remove grilles that were inset into slots around the sides and ends. If you don't want it I may sell it on ebay or just keep it for a spare, but the cloth woofers seem to last well and may outlast the new foam surround I just installed. Makes me wonder if there is some way to store it so the surround wont degrade with time.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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