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AR18EJ history


David C

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I've just restored the foams on a pair of AR18EJ's and thought I'd try to find them on the AR timeline, reproduced on this forum. I was surprised to find that the EJ variant isn't listed, and it's only been in a topic on this site another once. Anybody know where the EJ sits among the S, BX, etc.?

They look exactly like an S model to me, except that the tweeter is offset to one side and there's a plastic pocket-gasket thing for the woofer. I was also surprised by the woofer - cutting the cap away to shim the cone, I found a second coil cover made of the same flat, grey fibre disk that's on the old AR2's etc..

Anyway, they sound just as good as I remember.

David.

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Hi DavidC, and welcome to the forum. Hard to say for sure without pics, but if your tweeter is offset, you most likely have a pair of the original AR-18's, which would date to about 1977. Early 18's had a HF control switch; later production did not. The two subsequent models (also excellent speakers) are the AR-18s and AR-18b, and each of these models has a tweeter centered above the woofer. Re: woofer dust cap, there was at least one 8" AR woofer that had two caps - - maybe you can confirm this if yours has a red-lettered part number on a label on the backside.

Here is a little more info:

 

AR-18 lit.jpg

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Thanks! Pics attached. It has a label as you described (200001-1 561 8043 made in USA), and plain binding posts with no contour control. There's an old 6uF Alcap (black resin with brown endcaps) in series with the tweeter. I did find one forum - can't find it now - where they mentioned that the two letter code on the front label (EJ in my case) may have signified the manufacturing plant. There was no grill when I got them last week but the small hook discs on the face were usually used to locate simple foam sheets on Castle and Tannoy speakers of the early 'eighties. I remember 18S's having wood-framed grills with locating pins and holes, covered in brown fabric, if memory serves.

I was considering blanking off one tweeter hole and relocating it to the opposite side to give a mirror image pair, but I'll leave them now as they may be even more unusual than an 18S.

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Hey David, those speakers look great and thx for the pics. Every thing about that woofer looks fine and normal - - - if you look at the info from the AR production drawings for this driver, you can clearly see the two caps - - the inner flat (item 9) and the outer cosmetic domed cap (item 21).

It hadn't occurred to me at first, but now with your pics and mention of Tannoy and Castle, I have to presume you are in Europe, possibly the UK? Only with Euro AR-18's have I ever noticed that recessed plastic terminal cup (with embossed AR logo) with metal knurled nut terminals - - the USA version is slightly different on the backside. While you're in there, it's a good idea to replace the cap - - those black/red caps marketed under various names (Alcap, Callins, Temple....) can be found in many vintage speakers, but it has been documented that they very often measure far from original specs. Spend a few quid and get two new replacements - - the AR-18's are worth this minuscule investment. 

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001 woof section.jpg

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those are later versions of the original AR18.  I have 2 pair.  both have the dual dust caps on the woofer.  one pair of mine has the contour control switches, the other pair does not.  both of mine have a masonite board that the binding posts and crossover are mounted to, not a plastic cup like yours (never seen those on something this old, in fact, my 58S's have a masonite board as well).  wonder if that's a variation due to european manufacture....

I was able to find NOS grilles on ebay....otherwise I would have made my own out of a wood frame and speaker cloth...

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