I suspect the original cases have a clear coat on them and it has yellowed over time.
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Wood case - Reproduction vs. Original
- Thread starter MarantzRefrb
- Start date
MarantzRefrb
Super Member
The only thing our original 2275 WC-22 would have ever had on it, after the factory, was Lemon Pledge from my Mom's strict cleaning regimen
.Ours stayed out of the sun for the most part, but the right side did get bleached a bit.
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MarantzRefrb
Super Member
here are a couple Joe made for me. he can finish them however you like and i like them better then the orignals
my 2285B came with a shiny WC-22 case so im guessing Marantz made them a few different ways
Is Joe and Vintage Hifi Audio the same entity?
https://vintagehifiaudio.com/product/marantz-wc-22-22xx-wood-case/
https://vintagehifiaudio.com/product/marantz-wc-22-22xx-wood-case/
fredmarantz
Well-Known Member
The originals were oiled and waxed - They have that sheen as seen on many of the pics here. It was not always exactly the same surface- but most of the time they had the most beautiful sheen to them (oiled and waxed) -
Those of you who has seen the JBL-speakers of the same era will know.
You could try to make a testpiece of raw walnut veneer and use the JBL-recepee: 75% Boiled linseed oil og 25% Pure gum turpentine - wipe off exceed oil and let dry. Then apply wax - rub thoroughly - and wipe - let harden and enjoy.
Laquer of any kind is in my opinion a no-go....
The Pathewings cases look different. Allthough very nice - they are not the same as originals regarding the finish. Structurally they indeed look very good.
The idea with solid wood is bad . Solid wood will behave according the humidity and that's not what we want. It will crack and change through the seasons.....
Those of you who has seen the JBL-speakers of the same era will know.
You could try to make a testpiece of raw walnut veneer and use the JBL-recepee: 75% Boiled linseed oil og 25% Pure gum turpentine - wipe off exceed oil and let dry. Then apply wax - rub thoroughly - and wipe - let harden and enjoy.
Laquer of any kind is in my opinion a no-go....
The Pathewings cases look different. Allthough very nice - they are not the same as originals regarding the finish. Structurally they indeed look very good.
The idea with solid wood is bad . Solid wood will behave according the humidity and that's not what we want. It will crack and change through the seasons.....
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
These pics are not a lot of help, but in 1972, I bought a new 2230 with a Marantz WC-22 case. It was stolen a few months later and replaced with a 2245 with another new WC-22. These pics are scans of nearly 50 year old slides, but they give a clue of the color and a hint of the finish. They did not have varnish or sealer, and did not have much of a sheen. They had a natural walnut finish that may have been waxed or oiled. I used lemon oil on them occasionally to give them some protection and to make the color a little richer. They must have made cases with different finishes over time, but they didn't specify a finish. They were just packaged as WC-22. Don't laugh at the colors. It was 1972 in California, and I was a 22 year old sailor at the time. This was VERY conservative compared to my civilian friends. Lol.
Aaron is at vintagehifiaudio.com he's in Vancouver, WA and I believe he's on the board as well.
Steven Tate
CEO Flat Forehead Soc.
I'm definitely not going to stand certain on my memory. Most of the time, I can't remember what happened last week - much less what happened 50 years ago.
MarantzRefrb
Super Member
It's tough to know what oils or wax could've been used on these cases by their owner's, for all of these years. I know my family would've only used Pledge Lemon, and on a rag.
To be fair, here is the same original WC-22 when it came out of storage and complete darkness for over 24 years:
With a light wipe, no oil or wax:
With a Howard Restor-A-Finish and light 0000 steel wool rub:
Pathe Wings:
Next to a 6300 that's lid was always closed:
To be fair, here is the same original WC-22 when it came out of storage and complete darkness for over 24 years:
With a light wipe, no oil or wax:
With a Howard Restor-A-Finish and light 0000 steel wool rub:
Pathe Wings:
Next to a 6300 that's lid was always closed:
You can try waxing it. I am a fan of Howard's Feed-n-Wax on my speakers and wood cases. Apply, let sit for 20 minutes or so, wipe off. Let dry overnight then buff gently.
IMO, Pledge is one of the worst things you can use on any wood. Pledge has silicone in it. If one every has to refinish a piece the silicone wreaks havoc.
IMO, Pledge is one of the worst things you can use on any wood. Pledge has silicone in it. If one every has to refinish a piece the silicone wreaks havoc.
MarantzRefrb
Super Member
I'm not going to do anything with the Pathe Wings case finish, I may sell it. It took 2 months to get, and was over $300. I still haven't received a reply from them regarding what can be used, oil or wax.
You can see from the pics above, Pledge Lemon didn't destroy my WC-22, I don't plan to use it in the future though.
You can see from the pics above, Pledge Lemon didn't destroy my WC-22, I don't plan to use it in the future though.
krautmaster
68 Chrysler -440 Magnum !
I have one of the vintagehfiaudio cases in African Padauk--it is beautiful and the construction is 1st class. It is made from 7 layer furniture grade plywood with a nice wax finish and the metal grate is much heavier duty than the original. It is surprisingly light weight when you compare it to ones made from MDF.
https://vintagehifiaudio.com/product/marantz-wc-22-22xx-wood-case/
https://vintagehifiaudio.com/product/marantz-wc-22-22xx-wood-case/
MarantzRefrb
Super Member
Finally got around to installing the new WC-22 I received.
Removed the 2230 from the Pathe Wings case:
Still haven't heard back from them if it's ok to use oil and wax, so I went ahead and did it anyway - it's wood:
Put the 2230 temporarily in the WC-22, need the longer screws still, and I'm going to go over the bias and DC balance one more time before making this permanent. You can see how much better this matches the 6300 and 5030b with WC-121 case, to the right:
I really like the color and grain of the stock WC-22 on the silver 2230, but I also really like the Pathe Wings color and grain on the champagne 2215.
I am extremely pleased with how these turned out.
The oil and wax didn't harm the Pathe Wings case at all, looks much better in person, but it still doesn't have the shine and depth, or wood grain figuring/flame that the stock WC-22's have (the top moves on this case like a flame top guitar does in the light):
Removed the 2230 from the Pathe Wings case:
Still haven't heard back from them if it's ok to use oil and wax, so I went ahead and did it anyway - it's wood:
Put the 2230 temporarily in the WC-22, need the longer screws still, and I'm going to go over the bias and DC balance one more time before making this permanent. You can see how much better this matches the 6300 and 5030b with WC-121 case, to the right:
I really like the color and grain of the stock WC-22 on the silver 2230, but I also really like the Pathe Wings color and grain on the champagne 2215.
I am extremely pleased with how these turned out.
The oil and wax didn't harm the Pathe Wings case at all, looks much better in person, but it still doesn't have the shine and depth, or wood grain figuring/flame that the stock WC-22's have (the top moves on this case like a flame top guitar does in the light):
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zedex
Well-Known Member
The shiny marantz cabinets were probably lacquered. Spray lacquer. You can spray whatever finish you like. The more coats the shinier, but light sanding to get that piano gloss if that's what your looking for.
Spray lacquering is fast and dries in minutes so out the door fast.
This is an example of spray lacquer. Its about 15 coats i think and i didn't want to get carried away like a piano finish. So its smooth as glass ,not shiny like glass but just short of it. With a lacquer finish you can get that luminescent look it has some depth to it.
Spray lacquering is fast and dries in minutes so out the door fast.
This is an example of spray lacquer. Its about 15 coats i think and i didn't want to get carried away like a piano finish. So its smooth as glass ,not shiny like glass but just short of it. With a lacquer finish you can get that luminescent look it has some depth to it.
I had a case that I bought from Joe and I know he does a "hand rubbed Danish Oil" on his repos. Anyhow, it was looking a bit dull and had a few splotches on it that I did not like. I took some Minwax Wipe on Poly (comes in the rectangle can) in a Satin and did three coats over the Danish oil. It does everything about as good about the Danish oil and it adds a bit of protection. It also looks a lot more like the original cases IMO as poly will add a slight "golden" hue to the wood.
They make a gloss version of this and when I've used it on walnut before, it closely matches my original WC-22's sheen. You'd need about 5-6 coats or more until you achieved the look you want.
Feed-n-wax and orange oil isn't probably going to give you that look you want on a permanent basis. They are only cleaners and moisturizers (with a bit of carnauba wax in the Howard's). The wood, more than likely, isn't really dry or damaged/dirty. Personally, I think the matte look is attractive, but I get that it doesn't look "vintage" as that wasn't the style back then.
And the original Marantz case you have has very nicely "figured" walnut veneer on it. That's difficult to come by and not likely something you'll get with a modern day repo as all of that type of wood is identified and used for fine furniture and such (and costs more).
They make a gloss version of this and when I've used it on walnut before, it closely matches my original WC-22's sheen. You'd need about 5-6 coats or more until you achieved the look you want.
Feed-n-wax and orange oil isn't probably going to give you that look you want on a permanent basis. They are only cleaners and moisturizers (with a bit of carnauba wax in the Howard's). The wood, more than likely, isn't really dry or damaged/dirty. Personally, I think the matte look is attractive, but I get that it doesn't look "vintage" as that wasn't the style back then.
And the original Marantz case you have has very nicely "figured" walnut veneer on it. That's difficult to come by and not likely something you'll get with a modern day repo as all of that type of wood is identified and used for fine furniture and such (and costs more).