Pioneer CS-33A Grill Removal?

[turnitup]

Hi all, I just purchased a pair of CS-33As for $5, and can’t find a way to remove the grills. I’m fairly sure the pioneer tweeters will have rotted surrounds. Anyone know of a trick to remove the grills? Don’t want to pry them off as I know I’ll damage the enclosure and grills with 50 year old dry wood. There also don’t seem to be any “release screws” on the inside to release the grills. Hoping they aren’t just permanently glued on...

Anyone successfully tackled this on these little speakers before? I’ve got 99As, 88As, 77As, so just had to have the little 33As too (couldn’t help myself). I think they’ll clean up nicely, they even have a quasi-respectable crossover in them. Better built than I had anticipated...

Help would be appreciated. Cheers!

 

[turnitup]

Well, work at it long enough and sometimes you can figure it out on your own...

Behind the pile of lint and dust, found the 4 screws, one at each of the four corners of the grill (on the outside). Took the screws out and found two nice little “FB” drivers. Time to blow them clean with the compressor and hit everything with Howard’s, then order a few new caps to replace the 50 year old original ones. I have low expectations on sound, but deserve a new life! Expect that they’ll pretty little bookshelf speakers.

 

[turnitup]

And no surround rot. Both drivers had cloth surrounds!

 

[gizzyman47]

nice! Thats always a plus! I had the 99a, 88a, and 77a also. Still have a mint set of the 88a's. Sold the other two. I liked the 99a's. Man would they play loud and clear! Great party speaker!

 

[Sharpstik]

Find the cs 50a’s and you’ll be getting a full house .
Not sure recapping those will make much of a difference . I have 4 77’s and from what I read here recapping those made little difference so I left them .
The cs’s don’t get much love here . But so what . We like em and they look gorgeous .

 

[turnitup]

Yeah, very low expectations on the recap, but why not? I really love the quality of the build for this era. They cared about what they were producing in Japan, even down to the entry level speakers. There was a sense of pride in their production. It’s SO obvious when you take everything apart to restore it. The drivers that they used weren’t the absolute best, but their cabinetry was amazing.

They deserve a recap just to preserve them for what they were in the early 70s. Wish I could find a few square yards of orange carpet to stage them all for a sweet early 70’s photo op!

70s Pioneer speakers (excluding the HCM series). There are no doubt, better speakers for the era, but they are BEAUTIFUL structural builds!

Beautiful models, with less-than-optimal sonic IQ!

 

[Sharpstik]

I agree . Yep, go ahead .

 

[theFraz]

How did the recap go? I have a pair of the cs-33a also. I replaced the caps and experimented with different batting and amounts.
I paired them up with a Mitsubishi DA-R11 receiver they really sound good!

 

[FRG7SWL]

Got a pair of CS-33s from up in Chico two-plus decades ago. Stock woofs were shot, & originally replaced with 8" Ratio Shaq poly woofs. Which were supplanted a few years later by re-coned Mesa/Celestion Vintage 8 drivers (apparently the last ones in stock at Mesa's Petaluma factory). Former local re-coner Ron Neil said Vintage 8s were lousy guitar speakers, but made good hi-fi drivers with proper British cones. Stock tweets were in good shape, & got replacement NTE 4.7 uf metal film crossover caps from late, lamented Metro Electronics. Stock wiring was replaced with 16 gauge. Those 33s sounded superb with Pioneer SX-450 amplification when they went up to Nevada City. 73s para Sactown