Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Reconing vintage speakers

This is topic Reconing vintage speakers in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=002153

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 06-14-2003, 08:29 PM:

The 1940's Zenith radio I'm working on needs a new 10" speaker cone. The old one is torn multiple times, some of which have been patched with airplane cement. Who recones these speakers and how much does it cost?

Josh

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 06-14-2003, 11:52 PM:

Well, according to the 'references' page in the Antique Electronics catalog, Hank Brazeal in Alabama does. Contact him at 205-823-9257 or hankspkr@charter.net

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-15-2003, 12:09 AM:

I've been known to recone speakers...I'm authorized for warranty repair for JBL, EV and possibly Altec (long story there due to Altec being sold form Telex to Altec)...in any event I still use only genuine Altec parts.

As to your 10" speaker...I have generic recone supplier but how well there stuff matches varies.

Our prices are really geared toward saving theatre speakers such that it is cheaper to get a blown driver reconed than to replace it...in the case of your 10" speaker, I doubt it would fit the pricing structure since we always charge a minimum of 1-hour labor on a recone.

If you get desperate, give me a call.

Steve

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 06-15-2003, 09:02 AM:

There used to be alot of small speaker reconing companies. I have only had experiences with 1970's vintage Advents in the last 15 years or so. I had to pay $40 EACH to have these 10" woofers fixed. That included new voice coils, and everything. They look and sound like new.

Is this speaker that you are using right in the sense that the electromagnet coil is right for the radio? I dont recall their being very much difference in the values of these, but you never know. Best of luck! These old Zenith's can really sound great!

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 06-15-2003, 09:21 AM:

There's a place in Seattle that I've used a few times called "Around The Sound". Don't have their phone number, but it wouldn't be hard to find. The guy has been there for many years.

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 06-15-2003, 11:31 AM:

I forgot that Morgan Sound in Seattle does speaker reconing. I've seen their work and it's excellent. [Smile]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-15-2003, 09:57 PM:

I might add this:

The speaker is an electro-magnetic speaker, which was normal configuration in those days. The coil in that speaker serves as filter choke for the radio's power supply. I am not sure of the speaker's voice coil impedance, but I will presume it is maybe 4 to 8 ohms. The output transformer is physically bolted to the speaker frame. The speaker "spider" (which keeps the flies off the speaker) ( [Razz]

intended) is not of the conventional style. It is more like a metal ring held in place by a couple of screws.

Seems it would make it a little harder to find a re-cone kit, but hopefully, the company Josh selects could make it as close to orginal as possible.

Posted by Jon Bartow (Member # 241) on 06-15-2003, 10:35 PM:

Josh, give these guys a call, they will service just about anything, their prices are very reasonable and they do excellent work (I have used them several times)
Circuit Shop
Jonathan