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Wayne Ingraham

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Everything posted by Wayne Ingraham

  1. Nicely done! Your speakers look awesome. That stuff looks to work really well. Since the cup stain is pretty light on mine, I *might* leave what ever doesn't get sanded out (but we will see). I don't mind a few light battle scars. Thank you. Since my second post didn't show the additional pics, here they are (going to delete the other one). The top is a bit darker than the sides (I forgot to dilute with mineral spirits first) and one small drip is noticeable when you are looking at it, but so far all that have seen it in person are impressed with the difference from the other (untouched) speaker. I'm looking forward to doing that one too (hopefully in the next few days), but I'm also working on wiring up an arcade in the office too.
  2. Also, another shot of the finished one and one of them side by side (the darker one being the completed).
  3. Thanks and good points. I may clean them up, put all new velcro stickers on so they are all 'restored' (to my level of skill/interest) together and run with them off for the most part as seeing the 3 separate components inside make them look a bit more unique and cool. Great points. My office mates are few, so I'm not terribly worried about them, but we used to have xmas parties that would pack the place and I would not trust that all attendees would show the same restraint or know not to touch them. Just checked and the screws all seem to be snug without being overtightened (wood around the screw doesn't seem to push in). The neoprene weatherstripping is an awesome hack on the airtight seal. I hope to not open them for a bit, but when I do, that sounds like a fantastic way to fix or at least double down on prevention. Ahh, I saw some pictures in my searching where people were access from places other than the back. Thank you, I appreciate it. It's been fun and informative so far. Separately, this weekend I somewhat finished one of the speakers (leaving the other undone for comparison). I sanded it, cleaned it up with mineral spirits, let it dry, then applied a diluted (with mineral spirits) cognac colored Varathane, then wiped it down with a microfiber towel. The stain came out far darker/redder than anticipated originally, but I actually love it now and can't wait to do it to the other speaker (after getting a few better pictures). Here are some pics for those that like to see that sort of thing:
  4. Thanks @Marvel and great set up! The big ones look like they put out some sound. You are absolutely correct, I made a typo, it should be 169Y942 and 169Y943. That's awesome, but it looks like the serial numbers, "USA" and "K" are the ones stamped on the backs. Thanks, I've sanded one of the speakers (light pressure 180/320 on sponge for even distribution and always with the grain) and I'm really liking the way it looks. I just picked up some mineral spirits that I wiped it down with today and the grain and colors came to life! I picked up and was planning on using Varathane stain on it, but if it's not recommended, please let me know (assume it might be just a preference thing). Good call. They currently sound amazing to me so I'm hesitant to start messing with the internals just yet, but definitely will check out both of those and great idea on the small layer of plywood (assuming around the edge to help further block gaps). Thanks for helping identify the veneer, wasn't quite sure. Thank you, I do like the nicks and scratches as they tell a lot about the speaker's life/story, but much like the human memory, I like to help it forget some of it's past with a little light sanding and cleaning. Good call as I didn't have those included in my pictures, but they came with the grills (in decent shape actually). I'm still on the fence about if I should keep them on or leave them off. Sorry for the ignorance, do the grills help the sound in any way? Nice! Bet it sounds awesome. Great, thank you for weighing in on the veneer. With your and Ricktate's comments (and some image searching on Google), I'm feeling pretty confident now that you guys nailed it. Also, good call on the light sanding. I don't want to sand through the veneer, nor do I want to remove too much of it's history, just get that top layer that is a bit grody. As for the steel wool, I read a comment that made me a bit paranoid about using it that said since the speakers have large magnets, loose steel wool shavings when using them can get caught in the speaker, so I stayed away, but maybe I was a bit too paranoid on that (like approach of first time parents vs second time parents). Then I totally understand. While I prefer modern disc brakes over drum brakes in classic cars (if it doesn't destroy the aesthetic), I may go out of my way to pair things from the same year/era as it creates a mini time machine. Those both sound like great set ups. Thanks. It's fun to make them look nice again and just have a deeper pride in ownership, but a bit intimidated to do much beyond a facelift just yet. Yours still look fantastic. Haha, yeah, I'm sure it won't be long before I start getting the itch to get either more or bigger speakers, but luckily these are for my office, which has other tenants, so they are more to enjoy during off hours and not crank incredibly loud... for now.
  5. Also FWIW, here is what is left of the label on the back.
  6. Agreed and thanks, so happy I can hopefully give them a good home where they will sing again. Bad ***. While I have DJ'd as a hobby (mostly for friends and nonprofits I'm connected to), it's been with speakers that would get me laughed out of here. That said, these speakers have shown me I am a complete noob. So forgive my ignorance, how are tube amps? Do they add much to the quality of sound or is it more of a purist thing (or combo)? If the latter, I totally get it. I have an old mustang (66') and love to listen to music from the 60s in it. Not exclusively, but it's fun as it transports you (mentally) to what might have been playing on the radio when someone bought the car new. Either way I'm curious. Right on, I'm attaching a few pics I took today, mainly of it's condition (I'll try to do some glamour 'before' pictures more properly later). Any help identifying what wood the veneer is and/or any suggestions in making it look close to as good as it sounds is appreciated. Sweet. That's one step closer to learning the story of 'these' speakers. Which, honestly I'm finding is super cool. Not often do you get to learn much about a 'product' that is almost as old as I am. Definitely gives you a pride of ownership.
  7. Thank you @CWelsh. My friend said they were high end speakers and was planning on selling them when she was cleaning things out (so not sure why she left them outside), but said I could have them when I showed interest in them as I got her a few nice gifts and she said she wouldn't feel right charging me for them. I definitely plan on taking some photos of the before/afters and posting them here. You're totally right @RandyH. Without ever specifically hearing a Klipsch/Heresy I speaker before (that I know of) and given the wood veneer's condition, I didn't have high expectations. Soon as I started playing the first song (Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega), I think my jaw literally dropped open. It was definitely a WOW...WTH moment. Thanks @AndreG. for the welcome, glad to be on here and thank you for the suggestion of the heresy owners group, I will absolutely get some better pictures (my office was too dark to see the detail even with the lights all on) and post in there. I'm excited too. The little bit of sanding I did made a huge difference already, so it will likely be cool for people who enjoy seeing old things given a new life, like I do. Attaching photos of both one of the untouched tops and the other one where I did some (partial) light sanding to reveal the beautiful grain underneath.
  8. Hey All, One of my friends recently was cleaning out her house and offered me her Klipsch Heresy I speakers. She had moved them out into a covered (but non-enclosed) garage. They sat out there for a few weeks being exposed to the elements. I was saddened to see them out there and assumed they wouldn't play great, but much to my surprise, they sound AMAZING. The paper labels on the back aren't complete, but they seem to show the same serial numbers as stamped on the back 169Y942 and 169Y942. Using the decoder, it looks like these are from 1983. They also have "USA" and "K" stamped independently on the back as well. The USA seems obvious, but not sure what the K is (I gather it might be the employee who put it together), but any information would be appreciated. The outer layer is a bit rough (not a patina worth preserving), but a very light sanding reveals an absolutely beautiful wood veneer (with a few dings that will still tell it's story), which I hope to apply an oil/stain/varnish to and bring it back to a nice finish. I currently have them in my office (creative space with hardwood and exposed beams) and hope to keep them there as they really make the space fun and relaxed. Anyways, excited as these are the best speakers I've ever heard (and now own), so I'm pretty stoked. I've only played flac through them with 2 mp3s (to hear the difference) and I already feel spoiled with how good they sound. - Wayne
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