848A Flamenco (1964)

[300b]

Hello,

Yes, I'm new. Picked up a pair of 848A Flamencos last week. They appear to be original less the grills (cloth was ripped off). Drivers include 416Z and 806A with 811B horn. So, here come the noobie questions.

They sound phenomenal, but I'm thinking about some tweaks. My goal is to get the speaker to sound its best without departing too much from stock. I'm assuming that's the best way to retain value in these classics. Correct me if I'm wrong.

So, I'm thinking about finding close to original grill cloth (see http://www.grillcloth.com/fabric1.asp). I've tried damping the horns with some success. Right now I have the horns wrapped with one layer of rope caulk. In addition, I have a 12-pound bag of sand sitting on top of each horn, inside the cabinets. This helped, but they still ring. However, I'm thinking that anything permanent might reduce the value. I'm thinking about bracing the cabinets internally. This would be a semi-permanent tweak, unless I used screws only and no glue. The front baffle really needs some help (resonates). I was thinking about doubling it up by adding another layer of plywood to the front. This would cause me to move the 416Z up about 3/4". Thoughts? All sides inside need bracing and the back needs to be doubled up as well I'm thinking. I'm trying to think of the most efficient way to do this without reducing cabinet volume, if it matters, which I think it might. I'm a former cabinet maker, so I don't think I'll have a problem bracing the cabinets. However, bracing speakers is not something I've done in the past. Lastly, I was thinking of sending all drivers to Great Plains Audio for inspection and repair/upgrade, if necessary. However, they sound just fine to me. The only thing after that would be to polish up the outsides of the cabinets, which are in really good condition (just a few small dents at the bottom corners).

So, if I do the above, with this board's guidance, would the speakers retain their value and appeal to the Altec marketplace? I paid $500 for the pair. Would they increase in value?

Oh yes, I was thinking of painting the front baffle black instead of the stock grey. This would work well with the new grill cloth since the cloth is fairly transparent.

One last thing, the speakers sound best up on concrete blocks (about 8"). I just bought some heavy fabric to cover the blocks. The blocks, four in total per speaker, have more square footage than the base of the speaker, so there's good support. The blocks weigh at least 50 lbs. each.

My chosen room is 10' x 14' x 8'. Small I know, but it's dedicated, private, sound-proof, and I don't have to worry about the kids getting their fingers in places they shouldn't, like the underside of my 6sn7/300b.

Thanks for you patience,

Jim

[GM]

Greets!

If you want a semi-collectable then just restore them and accept the sonic warts that makes them what they are. If you want them to be all they can be, then get more components you can tweak and build a DIY cab/XO for them that's optimized for your app.

GM