MikeCh
Super Member
Lest they get sold out from under you or destroyed in the wrong hands.....
Decided to stop off at the thrift store again today and saw a ratty old pair of AR3a's. Scratched up cabs but the grilles looked good upon initial inspection. I gently pried the grille off of one with my pocket knife and saw that the woofer had a dented dust cap and could use a re-foam (due to a small tear) but the foam itself was pretty darn good. Did the same to the other speaker but didn't quite take the grille all the way off. The woofer dust cap on this one was not dented (never had the grille of at all I guess) and the foam was in great shape. I worked the pots on the rear and noticed that one of the Mid pots didn't turn fully as the others did. I asked the guy "how much?" and also if they worked and he said, "$30 and they worked yesterday when they came in". I had a car load of work stuff and said "I'll be back once I make room in my car".
When I returned, they were gone. I asked the fellow if he sold them. He said, "nope, I hooked them up and they were trashed so I threw them in the dumpster".
"WHERE?" I said. He pointed and I asked him if I could dig them out. "Yep".
Well, as I was digging about (without actually climbing in the thing) he came out and started sifting with me. He went to ask the young kid who supposedly threw them out, where in the dumpster they were put. He hollars, "hey they're on this truck over here, going to the other store". I told him I'd like them if that was ok.
As he went thru the loaded truck I cringed when he walked out with the first one. During his "testing" earlier after I'd left to go empty my car, he was not very careful with the grilles and crushed one of them getting it off. The other one now has a hole in it from where he stuck his fingers thru to pry the grill off. DAMN.
In the end, he just gave them to me for free. All original drivers with sequential serial numbers and the paper instructions/warranty on the cabs, albiet they are pretty ratty and the grilles are now bust. I also suppose that when I'd cranked the pots back and forth and had left them on the "min" setting that he deemed them broke when tested again?
Hooked them up just now and MAN THESE THINGS ROCK THE HOUSE!!!! So far I'm in love, love, love. The pots are a little scratchy but not bad....though the one seems to be either seized up (turns only about 3/8 as much as the others do) or worn out, it still works and seems to allow the proper amplitude across the freq range. :scratch2: The low end is outstanding and the imaging of the upper frequencies is something special....
Mike
Decided to stop off at the thrift store again today and saw a ratty old pair of AR3a's. Scratched up cabs but the grilles looked good upon initial inspection. I gently pried the grille off of one with my pocket knife and saw that the woofer had a dented dust cap and could use a re-foam (due to a small tear) but the foam itself was pretty darn good. Did the same to the other speaker but didn't quite take the grille all the way off. The woofer dust cap on this one was not dented (never had the grille of at all I guess) and the foam was in great shape. I worked the pots on the rear and noticed that one of the Mid pots didn't turn fully as the others did. I asked the guy "how much?" and also if they worked and he said, "$30 and they worked yesterday when they came in". I had a car load of work stuff and said "I'll be back once I make room in my car".
When I returned, they were gone. I asked the fellow if he sold them. He said, "nope, I hooked them up and they were trashed so I threw them in the dumpster".
"WHERE?" I said. He pointed and I asked him if I could dig them out. "Yep".Well, as I was digging about (without actually climbing in the thing) he came out and started sifting with me. He went to ask the young kid who supposedly threw them out, where in the dumpster they were put. He hollars, "hey they're on this truck over here, going to the other store". I told him I'd like them if that was ok.
As he went thru the loaded truck I cringed when he walked out with the first one. During his "testing" earlier after I'd left to go empty my car, he was not very careful with the grilles and crushed one of them getting it off. The other one now has a hole in it from where he stuck his fingers thru to pry the grill off. DAMN.
In the end, he just gave them to me for free. All original drivers with sequential serial numbers and the paper instructions/warranty on the cabs, albiet they are pretty ratty and the grilles are now bust. I also suppose that when I'd cranked the pots back and forth and had left them on the "min" setting that he deemed them broke when tested again?
Hooked them up just now and MAN THESE THINGS ROCK THE HOUSE!!!! So far I'm in love, love, love. The pots are a little scratchy but not bad....though the one seems to be either seized up (turns only about 3/8 as much as the others do) or worn out, it still works and seems to allow the proper amplitude across the freq range. :scratch2: The low end is outstanding and the imaging of the upper frequencies is something special....
Mike
