A7 Speaker Restoration

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by GM:

This is indeed a DIY cab, what with its mis-mash of woods and mixture of 825 and 828 design cues to keep it simple/cheap and visually current at the time, explaining how they got it up there. These will require even more bracing, etc., than the stockers. Oh well, still a bargain!

GM

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">GM, I don't think they are DIY. They are almost identical to my cabinets. I don't have drivers in mine yet, but don't want to move them..... sticking my head through the driver opening, mine look like they were built with mostly the paper coated ply-wood, but I don't have braces on the back of my horn flares..... I didn't realize other 825/828's had them actually. In reading the various descriptions I figure mine are early 828's.

Audio_by_Goodwill
Michigan, USA

[bfish]

There are more DIY clues, the rear panel and front filler panel are too thin (look like 3/8"). The rear XO filler panel covers a larger hole for a biamp install, which screams 828, but the narrow baffle and plywood construction say 825. You can't put a full-length back panel on an 825...period. A very detailed DIY, but still a DIY, perhaps even using parts of some original cabs.

[bfish]

Here's the 825 plans

http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/altec/plans/1960's-lf-design/page14.jpg

and here's the 828 plans

http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/altec/plans/1970's-lf-plans/enclosures11.jpg

While I realize there was likely some hybridization during model changes, I'd bet my last dollar that no 825s OR 828s ever left the factory with no flare bracing, they'd buzz like a busy bee.

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by bfish:
There are more DIY clues, the rear panel and front filler panel are too thin (look like 3/8").

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I bet that is an optical illusion, because it's a two dimensional picture of an object at an angle.

The rear XO filler panel covers a larger hole for a biamp install, which screams 828, but the narrow baffle and plywood construction say 825. You can't put a full-length back panel on an 825...period. A very detailed DIY, but still a DIY, perhaps even using parts of some original cabs.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">My cabinets have the filler panel for the bi-amp, with the full back. I was told that my cabinets came from a theatre in Texas, unless the same person made his cabinets in NC, and my cabinets in Texas, they're factory cabinets.

Audio_by_Goodwill
Michigan, USA

[bfish]

Tha cab sides are all scuffed up, but the decals look like new....

The rear panel was painted with the XO in place...

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by bfish:

While I realize there was likely some hybridization during model changes, I'd bet my last dollar that no 825s OR 828s ever left the factory with no flare bracing, they'd buzz like a busy bee.[/QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don't have any flare bracing in my early 828 cabinets. It was probably something easily forgotten or ignored when in a hurry.

I haven't gotten driver in them yet, so I don't know if they'll buzz.

Audio_by_Goodwill
Michigan, USA

[bfish]

Whack the horn flares with a rubber mallet, then whack some concrete. If they sound different, they'll buzz.

[GM]

Greets!

Hmm, well at this point all I can say is that I can't remember how many dozens of cabs I've been inside, both A7 and 1208s, and these look nothing like any I've seen from the factory. If these are indeed factory, then Altec's QA went to s@#$ sooner than I remember.

That said, awhile back on this forum someone stated that there was a transition 828 cab made out of 3/4" plywood before switching to MDF that I've never seen/knew existed, but this one appears to have a MDF front piece combined with plywood horn, but KBuck will have to elaborate on its materials.

Also, there were distributors that did their own cabs, Baker Audio here in Atlanta being one that shipped all over the S.E., and while they ~stuck to the plans with the the ones I saw, whose to say another wouldn't get 'creative'.

Anyway, I guess we'll never know without factory docs or an ex-factory worker who built them........

FWIW, here in metro Atlanta the decals were often given away by reps, or sold for a $1.00/pr.

GM

[Old Guy]

There definitely were 3/4" factory cabs- made from good one side plywood-i've owned a few. I've never seen a factory cabinet that had both MDF and plywood however.
About the decals- they were very easy to get until around '74 or so- Altec clamped down on them a bit. Pairs of decals still show up occasionally on Ebay.

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by GM:
[QB]Greets!

Hmm, well at this point all I can say is that I can't remember how many dozens of cabs I've been inside, both A7 and 1208s, and these look nothing like any I've seen from the factory. If these are indeed factory, then Altec's QA went to s@#$ sooner than I remember.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Granted they could use some more bracing, but unless Kbuck's cabinets are actually made of thinnner material, I don't think they are too bad. Although, if his cabinets are really identical to mine, save for a few panels being made from other materials, he may have the left horn flare tilted in at the top about a 1/4"!

That said, awhile back on this forum someone stated that there was a transition 828 cab made out of 3/4" plywood before switching to MDF that I've never seen/knew existed, but this one appears to have a MDF front piece combined with plywood horn, but KBuck will have to elaborate on its materials.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mine are 3/4" plywood. The plywood is coated with a thin paper like outer layer, that is very smooth much like MDF. I'm hoping Kbuck will report back with greater detail on the materials, specifcally the thickness. I do see what look like a factory stamp on Kbucks back panel, which mine have too.

Looking at Wardsweb's cabinets I see that his look like they were built with plywood that doesn't have the paper layer on it.

Also, there were distributors that did their own cabs, Baker Audio here in Atlanta being one that shipped all over the S.E., and while they ~stuck to the plans with the the ones I saw, whose to say another wouldn't get 'creative'.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That could explain things.

Audio_by_Goodwill
Michigan, USA