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AR12's Restored-A few Pics


GD70

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You can't get a clean cut on foam using regular blades. Straight cuts on foam are done with heated blades or wires. Any shop that sells cut-to-size foam cushions should be able to make the cuts for you (whether they'll be willing to do the cuts on foam you haven't bought from them is another matter).

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On December 15, 2016 at 7:43 PM, larrybody said:

I really enjoy your restoration threads because they are so relevant to what many of us deal with in restoring these classic AR's. I need to build new grills for a pair of AR 11's. Just a couple (three)of quick questions. 

When shopping for 1 in thick material, would that be what they call 5/4 in. lumber?

Which  Parts Express black grill cloth are you using. The Mellotone Premium or the regular Parts Express cloth.

Did you consider a cross member piece between the woofer and the upper drivers.

Thanks 

Hey Larry!

The lumber was just 1 inch square pine. It took a while to find perfectly straight pieces.

The fabric from PE is PN# 260-336  G-13-03-301 black speaker grill cloth. I originally bought it for the ADS 910's, but the weave pattern is much smaller, and the fabric much lighter weight than the original cloth.

The frames with the corner gussets are very rigid and don't need a cross brace. I wanted to keep the front as open as possible.

Glenn

 

 

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20 hours ago, KlausDK said:

Really nice work on those 12's Glenn

Regarding new fronts, this is also a possibility, and yes, the edge of the foam could have been cut nicer:

Foam Grill home made

BRgds Klaus

Considering how hard it is to get a perfect 45 degree angle cut on a flexible foam, they look very good!

Thanks for the link!

Glenn

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11 hours ago, ra.ra said:

Great job on those speakers, Glenn, and your grilles and frames look terrific. Nice to see the AR-12 (and badge) in a horizontal orientation. 

Thank you Robert! I'm happy with the end result. I wanted to mimic the original look as much as possible, and I like the fabric more than the original foam look.

Glenn

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Great job.

i love the grilles. Wish I'd thought of doing that for my Cizek KA-1s. The replacement foam grilles are OK but I think yours look nicer (and would have been cheaper). Keep up the good work.

-Kent

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On December 20, 2016 at 4:59 PM, JKent said:

Great job.

i love the grilles. Wish I'd thought of doing that for my Cizek KA-1s. The replacement foam grilles are OK but I think yours look nicer (and would have been cheaper). Keep up the good work.

-Kent

Thanks Kent!

The 3's grills are next! Excited to get them finished. Also grabbed a pretty nice set of AR badges that had very little tarnish off eBay.

Glenn

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Glenn, absolutely superb job on those AR-12 grills. I think they look way classier than the original foam versions.  Got to do the same for my AR-11s!   Thanks once again for sharing not only your restorations, but the thinking and step-by-step process that goes into them.

- Rich W

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On December 23, 2016 at 8:17 AM, Rich W said:

Glenn, absolutely superb job on those AR-12 grills. I think they look way classier than the original foam versions.  Got to do the same for my AR-11s!   Thanks once again for sharing not only your restorations, but the thinking and step-by-step process that goes into them.

- Rich W

Hi Rich!

Your complements are much appreciated! I agree, these look better than the original foam grills. Superb sounding speakers, and your 11's are suppose to be even better! The grills were quick and pretty easy to do, so I expect to see some pics of yours soon!

Glenn

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  • 10 months later...
On 20/02/2004 at 1:12 PM, Guest dogmeninreno said:

>>AR woofer P/N 200033. What series is it designed for??

>>Thanks, Dale

>

>It is the 10-inch woofer for the AR-92, AR-9LS (the smaller

>internal woofer), AR-30B, AR-29BX, AR-28BXi, and the AR

>subwoofer.

>

>

>--Tom Tyson

Thanks Tom, Dale

Hi

I am looking to get back to original 10" woofers in otherwise mint AR12s which currently have a different brand if woofer fitted.

Would a pair of AR92 woofers (200033) go in to the AR12s?

If not what is the nearest match? Original AR or otherwise. I love the sound of the AR12s but feel unmistakably that the bass isn't tight enough and is letting them down.

Would appreciate any advice on this. Just how rare are the AR12s? These came from the UK factory as a special order for one of the managers - lots of factory paperwork, original stands, mint cabinets, I restored the mids and purchased new grills from vintage_ar USA so worth going extra mile for the woofers.

 

Cheers david

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Hi David!

You're one of us lucky enough to have a set of 12's. Yours seem even more unusual being from special order!

They were a one year only model, 1977, making them fairly rare. 

Regarding the woofers, Roy C. Would be the best person to answer compatibility but, he told me most of the AR 10 inch woofers of this era were pretty much the same with minor variations. 

Please post pics and of the documentation too!

Glenn

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Hi Glenn, will do later on with pics of the speakers. The foam gaskets on the midranges are fiendishly difficult - also an odd size. Simply Speakers (or Springfield?) USA supplied some foams which worked well after a bit of snipping to fit.# The other aspect to these is the magnetic ferro fluid which can be topped up by keen restorers. In my case I ignored this and actually the mids sound OK. 

Just now some spare drivers cropped up on UK Ebay, a pair of tweeters and pair of mids, so of course I jumped on them. The seller told me they had come from cabinets in great condition (no or very poor grills) and again with replacement Eminence Beta woofers (will compare their specs with the AR12s sent to me)  somebody had substituted for the originals due I suppose to nothing else but foam rot which is easy to repair. It's funny that owners who do that refer to it as an "upgrade" but personally I feel from all points of view, authenticity, sound and looks, it's a down grade. 

Need to clear a few bits and pieces away then will upload those documents and pictures. 

# I should have made a careful note of how these AR12 Mids refoam went as it was fairly improvised involving several stages rather than completing the job in one session, also using toothpicks at one stage to position the foam while it cured! Ha ha...

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Glenn and all, if you haven't seen it, there's a Photobucket fix, in the form of a browser extension.

Search on "Photobucket hotlink fix".

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