Airjmax
Active Member
On FaceBook Marketplace, someone had listed a poor quality photo of free items on the curb in front of their house, and besides an old tube TV, there was a pair of speakers that looked like a KLH cabinet. It was impossible to tell, but they appeared to be either Model Seventeens, or Model Twenties. I messaged the person for the address, and hurried to pick them up. I found them in fairly good condition, with a chipped corner and both missing badges. Thus began the refurb. The cabinets were treated with Howard's Restore-A Finish, but the grills were stained and one had what appeared to be pencil marks on it. I investigated new grill cloth, but I wanted to keep the cost down. Instead, I used acrylic craft paint that we had laying around. I matched the color as closely as possible, and thinned the paint a bit. I did not allow the paint to enter the pores of the cloth, but rather used a dry brush technique, applying just enough paint to hide the marks. It did not stiffen the cloth or compromise the sound at all. Next on the list was adding binding posts. I wired them into the RCA type plug so either can be used. I also ordered replacement badges, which match very well and are high quality with an adhesive backing. Then I sealed the woofer surrounds with the proper Vintage AR sealant, which I had left over from a Model Twenty Three project. Finally, I cut off the ends of an RCA cord to plug the potential air leak from the connector on the back plate. I chose not to recap, because the tweeters sounded good as they were. I'd love to hear opinions on the sound from owners of this model.
