aaronhirsch

Hi. I don't have a measurement mic. Can anyone tell me what the frequency response of a La Scala I from 1982 should be? A graph would be best, but a -3dB spec would be fine too... Thanks!

Oh, I like it more without! It keeps it more mysterious. This is the speaker David Lynch would use in his films! It's kind of like: what the heck are those things?? And we know exactly what they are. 😉

Contact cement. I had to use bondo and contact cement is the only thing that will stick to it.

Lightly figured cherry. Veneersupplies.com

Before: After: It was BRUTALLY difficult to veneer the interior sections of the La Scalas without taking them apart. Fully 90% of my time was devoted to dealing with the interior of these guys. I thought it would take about 20 hours to do in total. I estimate that it took about 200 hours all in. If you want to do this, you need to take them apart -- at least the sides. I was too intimidated to attempt it, but in retrospect, it's definitely the way to go. In fact the way to go, if I'm being perfectly honest is to get a side gig, earn $18,000, set aside $5,000 to pay income taxes and then buy new La Scalas. Luckily I like the look of the old ones more than the new ones, but jeez, what a project. I can't say I didn't enjoy it, because I really did. But it was a commitment.

Hi. I've been very gradually bringing some La Scalas back from the dead. I'm going to veneer them with figured cherry. I want to end up with a more or less "stock" finish which I gather is going to be more matte/semi-gloss. I was planning on using a spray lacquer and am looking for some suggestions: brands, suggested gloss level, anything else.

Moving to eBay $1 plus shipping and no reserve.

Hi. Square magnet type K-33 woofer from 1981 La Scala. Not working. $50 plus shipping from Maryland 20812 zip code. 17.6lbs 15.5"x15.5"x8" Contact via DM. I have lots of positive feedback on eBay.

Ah, right. Yes. Should I use paper backed veneer with some kind of glue or a peel-off type with pressure sensitive adhesive? I'm assuming that contact cement is too difficult. Aaron

Yeah, that sounds about right. Thanks! So, one more question: what veneering method would work best in this case: considering the task and considering my lack of experience?

Hi. I've gotten into a restoration project of some 1981 La Scalas. I'm most of the way through the removal of multiple layers of black paint and getting down to the plywood. My plan is to veneer them. I've never veneered before, so I'm learning as much as I can before I start. The outside of the cabinet seems relatively straightforward. However, the inside of the cabinet seems either very advanced or impossible. Outside veneering is easy because you cut oversized, trim off with a blade and sand down to exactly meet the edge of the cabinet. Inside the cabinet, it looks like a different game. It seems you can only cut the veneer pieces once and they must fit exactly with no room for error, which presents two problems that I can think of. First, it seems to me that there's no way I can make perfectly straight lines inside the cabinet where the surfaces join, so it's going to be a mess of variable little gaps all along the inside edges of the cabinets. Second, let's say I somehow could actually do an acceptable job of that, I'm concerned about possible expansion and having it buckle if it does. Any thoughts on these two questions? Thanks for any guidance you can provide! Aaron

Thanks for the ideas! Crites doesn’t have them.

Hi. See pic below. I need to refurb my K-55-V drivers and I can't find the larger black seals anywhere. It seems like they'd be real easy to fabricate. Has anyone done this? Recommendations for a source? They look like ordinary rubber 1/8" thick. Thanks!

Slow progress here. I have to collect all the speaker components. I shined up the crossovers and wiped off all the tobacco smoke with some TSP on the wood and 91% isopropyl alcohol on the electronics and horns. The other woofer is lost, so I'll just buy a pair of brand new K-33-E round magnets and sell the square magnet one for someone else to refurb. There's some felt looking stuff inside the magnet sections of the squawker horns, which I'm assuming is supposed to be there (let me know if it's not) and I need to get both gaskets for it. Speaker Exchange doesn't have the gaskets, so I might try Crites or someplace else.