DISASTER for my AR 25's

humber

humber

Active Member
A few days ago I bought an almost mint pair of Acoustic Research AR 25's from the original owner. Even the front speaker grills are in great condition. I carried them out to the car in the rain. Guess what......I dropped one of them. It hit the concrete gutter at an angle and the damage is enough to make a grown man cry.

Rather than describe the tragedy, have a look at the 2 photos.

How do I fix this problem? The cabinets are covered in a type of hard vinyl, not wood veneer. Did this model ever come with a wood veneer finish?

Please help me.
 

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Ouch!!!!!!

Man oh man, humber, I feel for ya':tears:Since I am not the most graceful jackass around, I really do feel your pain.Listen- it really doesn't look that bad. I know, I'm not there to see the detail,etc., etc.But really, I've done much worse to some of my limited collection. I have no real suggestions to offer on repair methods,but I'm sure someone will respond to help you. Hang in, bud -it could have been a lot worse. Best wishes, willhowl.
 
I'd say invest in either some wood filler or bondo, and rebuild that corner.

Then strip the vinyl, and invest in some veneer- make 'em look as good as they're gonna sound. It'll be a fun project, and the speakers will look ten-times better in the long run, over the vinyl.
 
It's hard to see details of the damage from those small pics, but I'll second what Delihaus said: fix 'em up wtih real wood veneer. It will cover any patches of bondo or other repairs you've done, and make the things look like brand-new speakers. Pick a nice veneer and they'll look much better than they ever did.

If budget is a problem, you could just patch and glue the stuff back as best you can, and/or cover it with a new layer of vinyl, but the real wood veneer would look best, by far.

Another option would be to repair them, strip of the vinyl and paint them. Use a good primer to seal them and sand it smooth (perhaps a few applications) to get a good base. If you don't want the hassle of hand-painting and finishing the final layer and you don't have a paint sprayer, you can ask an automotive paint place if they'll spray your boxes for you the next time they paint a car in a color you like. If they are willing to, you'll get a paint finish that is very glossy and very durable. An alternative would be to clear-coat over your own finish underneath, but that won't work with all finishes, only some.
 
I like the idea of repairing the damage and then veneering the boxes with a wooden finish. Perhaps walnut. It does sound like hard work but I just can't leave them and walk away. What do you guys think of the sound quality of the AR 25's?
 
pmsummer said:
A little soft on the edges.
Click to expand...

With a little breakup on the top :D bad i know.

The veneer is the way to go. :thmbsp: BTW, those are pretty good speakers but not real high end with a two way 8" and paper cone tweeter. Looks like the same tweeter as used in the AR94/93 which I fine the Dayton dome to be a good upgrade to. Depending on what you want them for they may or may not be worth fixing. I think you can get these in nice condition for under $80 all day long so...
 
I am going to do the veneering. When they are restored I will post photos. Thanks for all the advice. A special thanks to willhowl, your thoughts were much appreciated!
 
humber said:
I am going to do the veneering. When they are restored I will post photos. Thanks for all the advice. A special thanks to willhowl, your thoughts were much appreciated!
Click to expand...
My advice would be to hie yerself to either the book store or the library and get a good book on veneering, save yourself a whole lot of bother in the long run. I've done a fair amount of re-veneering in past and getting the techniques worked out ahead is worth it!
 
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