Another AR90 restoration thread.

[ar_pro]

I've always found it incomprehensible that AR painted the front panel and lower sides of the AR-90 cabinet; how much money could they have saved by doing this? It's another on my long list of gripes regarding the aesthetics of the AR-9 series, and how much better they could have been with just a little more attention to detail. But what are you gonna' do, right?

I'm almost 100% certain that there is finished veneer below the paint on the sides of the cabinet; I am not 100% certain that the front panel is so veneered, as on the AR-9. As far as removing the paint is concerned, I've found it easier to just carefully sand your way through to the walnut veneer. The newly-exposed sections will be difficult to color-match with the old stain, so refinishing the entire cabinet has always made sense to me.

[frankmarsi]

8-17-16

Concerning the AR-90. Gee, I’d like to have at least one pair.

Anyway, regarding that black paint finish on the front and sides. There is a wood finish below the black and in actuality it cost them more for the paint, doing it and time. Perhaps AR did it just to differentiate it from the AR9’s? Perhaps thinking a younger crowd at the time would rather have it black to look cool?

In any event. I’m sure they sound good once restored. I’d love to hear a pair.

 

In another view, just look at the early classic-series of AR speakers.

Once the grill was removed, all hell broke loose as far aesthetics was concerned. 

They were not beauty contest winners by any stretch.

I can also add that many builders back then saw this same short-coming  of AR’s lack of concern and beautified their models with pretty speaker grills and pretty colored cones and what not.

 

I’m sure as you are, I ‘d rather have great sound as compared to great looks.

 

Then on another thought, I’d rather have a beautiful looking woman who can’t cook of take care of me than one that can. NOT!

 

Wait a minute. Here’s a case in point:

In 1981 I was living with this beautiful chic (an nbc, hollywood born starlet, model, dancer, whatever), who had a great face and super bright mind and an even more beautiful body. She was 19 and I was 31 years old. I'm talking about America, O.K. in 1981!

However, we weren’t getting along earlier in the day before and the next morning I had awakened earlier than she and I stared down at her beautiful, and I mean really beautiful body and thought:

What good is it, if we didn’t get along and peace was at a distance?   I felt I didn’t even want too be in the same room.

Then again, I sure wish she was here now, even though she’s aged 35 years! Then again, I might be wrong? We all don't age well.

I guess,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, such is life.

One never knows, do one?

FM

 

P.S. Lately, on the crazy net,  I've read that Hafler and Dynaco are planning some good new things by joining together.

Let us not forget that back in the day, Dynaco and AR were great pals and with good reason. And even though Dynaco is very much removed from what it once was and maybe those early guys are all gone now and we have not even a similarity compared to those old days, maybe good things will come from it all?

David Hafler was once with them, wasn't he.

It's all so sad that the great people and times are all pretty much gone now except a few things like 'keepers' of old AR speakers.

FM

[ar_pro]

Frank, are you certain that there is veneer below the paint on the front panel of the AR-90?

[ra.ra]

The AR-90 manual refers to the black portions of cabinet as "decorative black-painted surfaces". This first thread shows a side view of an AR-90 completely stripped (before getting re-painted), but never a frontal view. In the second thread here, a respected CSP member mentions that there is finished wood on the front panel, but no pics to confirm. 

 

[Stimpy]

I found some pictures here, with a pair of sanded down 90s, and the whole side was Walnut.  I couldn't tell on the front, as the black was sanded, but then repainted.  So, I might test a spot, to see what's under there, when the time comes.

[frankmarsi]

15 hours ago, ar_pro said:

Frank, are you certain that there is veneer below the paint on the front panel of the AR-90?

Dear "ar_pro", when I was cleaning up my AR-9's it was very clear to see that the areas that were painted black were merely a quick spray coat of black directly over the veneer.

Do yourself a favor and use a x-acto knife/razor in a tiny area, scrape off some black and see. Understand though that, the black has been there for years and has probably seeped into the veneer wood grain some what. Wood will do that, it's porous.

I don't have AR-90's but I have to ask myself (as I do all day long, about everything, everyday), when one is finishing a wood panel's veneer to sell, why would one only do the first or so inches and stop at the middle of the panel?

Try it and see, just in a little unnoticeable area would tell you  Put your reading glasses on as I have to do these days. Use good, strong lighting, as I used to do in fotos and see.

When working with wood, you usually go the full distance of the panel piece, edge to edge when finishing and sanding by hand or even with a machine. 

I don’t have AR-90’s but, I bet what I’m saying is true.

If not, come down here and back hand me and steal my AR-9’s.

 

Eh! You liked that beauty I was referring to? I’ve never bedded down with a woman who didn’t like the same music as I do for the most part.*    

Well maybe I did, and I didn't know it. Well, then again, most often, the loving took precedence as we made our own music.

 My stereos always put a smile on their faces just like I always did.

Now my stereo puts a huge, stand-up and cheer expression on my face.

Seriously, at the end of a side, if it's warranted, I have actually stood up abruptly on many ocassions and clapped because the music sounded that great. I'm not one of those gentle listeners. Some music for me incites power, lustfullness and much great emotional force. That's what it's all about! Of course I'll sometimes sit there and be emotionally moved in deep feelings of delicate purity and tenderness.

It's all because the emotional aspect of certain music has moved me to that high level.

 

And for all you naysayers, it ain't just because it's the end of the record. Sarcasm will only get you some places, music will take you everywhere!

* Many desks, darkrooms, chairs, bkgrd. sets, tables, elevators, hallways and cars were witness also!

FM

[owlsplace]

I think Frank is correct about the veneer being all-over but this thread is decidedly photo bare so it is hard to visualize without wild spurts of the imagination -- especially Frank's girlfriend

Roger

[ar_pro]

For some reason, I feel as if I have seen an AR-90 with a walnut-veneered front panel, but I cannot recall when or where - testing a small section of the front panel first is a very good idea.

The AR-90 lacks the edge detail of the AR-9 where the sides & front panel meet (photo 1), and is more like the cabinetry of the AR-91. In that example, the front panel is brown paint over unveneered MDF (photo 2).

 

[owlsplace]

Looking at AR's rather elaborate owner's manual for this model the cabinet looks more like the 9 in construction than the 91. There is a mention of not getting linseed oil on the black finish as it may soften and lift.

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/acoustic_research/ar-9_series_1978-1981/ar-9_series_manuals/ar-90_manual/ar-90_manual_pg1.html

Roger