RT FAN Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 A buddy from work knew I loved Klipsch speakers and asked me if I wanted a pair he was going to toss, "Sure, I'll take them, do you know what model they are?" "No, but they are big" From the description I'm thinking KG-10's but yesteday we unload a pair of KG 5.5's from his pickup. He wasn't kidding they are big, as tall as Chorus and half the width of a Cornwall. Right now they are sitting in the back of my jeep and I will unload and test them either tonight or tomorrow am. Supposedly they are in working order. They grills look ok but I didn't get the chance to give them the once over. The cabinets are a little beat up, some scratching and small gouges on the sides. The top of one has lost some of the black satin finish, probably a plant watering or bachelor pad mishap. So the question is, short of re-veneering, is there any way to clean these up and make them presentable? Howard's Feed 'N Wax will be my first step, but is there anything I can do to help with the color restoration of the tops? Would a high gloss paint be a tragic mistake? I figure for some of the scratches I will try to buff them out and use a black Sharpie to fill in the minor lines. I have no experience with the KG line other than my 1.5's I use as bookshelves along with my Chorus II's and I think they sound great. Since these speakers cost me nothing other than gas and tolls, I am going to pass these on to a friend of mine who could use some new speakers, he is a classic rock guy and from everything I have read, these should be just what the doctor ordered. Have a great Fourth of July. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmako Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 I got a pair of 3.2s in almost exactly the same condition. I plan on using them in a garage or shop. Or, perhaps as rears on a HT setup if they can be somewhat hidden and / or clean up nicely. I am simply going to sand them throughly with a fairly aggressive orbital and then paint em semi gloss black. There are no chips in the veneer, but both have irregular tops from miscellaneous plant overwaterings and rings from wet beers and cocktails. What is it with peeps who think that putting something WET on wood, particularly nicely finished wood is a good idea? Reminds me of my starter wife, but I won't go there. I got them for next to nothing, and even if I do a lousy job, they'll still come out OK, and certainly better than the way they look today. Because they have feet, (spikes) turning them upside down isn't really an option. These little speakers really surprised and impressed me. Right now they are in my daughters room and wired up with her KSF 10.5s on a vintage Sansui. They sound mo' betta' than the KSFs. I will be interested to see what you think of the 5.5s. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT FAN Posted July 2, 2010 Author Share Posted July 2, 2010 I'll let you know on Tuesday how they sound. I hope they are respectable so my buddy can enjoy them right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 The very top of the line in the KG series...LOTSA bass and sound better with Bob Crites or Klipsch's Titanium tweeter diaphragms (IMO) as well as being very efficient...mine are blakc in color and Klipsch used to paint the oak (and others) veneers that had blemishes with black paint and call them black so...enjoy! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 I just acquired a set of KG 5.2s about 2 weeks ago. I can tell you they are similar in size to your 5.5s but mine are sealed versus ported. You may be surprised how great these sound; they are giving my Heresies a run for the money! (Heresies; more clarity and definition; KGs; more bass; sound better and better the more I increase volume). Yes these will kick arse for rock. Inspect the surrounds CLOSELY on the woofers. As for refinishing them, I believe there is a certain stain used by Klipsch; for black. You could sand down and refinish with black stain, or touch up the scratches after sanding them. Be careful; you may want to keep them! Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 There was quite a bit of discussion here years ago regarding a close matching paint to the 30 sheen lacquer that Klipsch used. I think the closest match was determined by some here to be a Rustoleum 7777 spray. You might search Rustoleum 7777 here or maybe gloogle it, might be faster. I would never use a wax product of any type on a veneer with the heavy grain that oak has. You'll never get it out of the grain of the wood. Over time it will appear white, whether non-whitening or not. Good luck with your project. I would lightly sand and repaint myself. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT FAN Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 I moved the KG 5.5's on Friday night, with the help of a hand truck, down into my basement. Hooked them up to my work area stereo, a Pioneer SX-650, (thanks USN RET), and a Sony Discman cd player. They sounded great, even with less than ideal listening conditions, slab concrete floor and spread around 4 feet. I cranked up some Delbert McClinton and pushed them a bit. Very good rock speakers. Grills and frames are good, all surrounds are in perfect condition. Sunday we had the family over for a clam and mussel fest to celebrate the Fourth of July and I asked my cousin Jimmy if he wanted the speakers. He did not hesitate to claim them and with his woodworking skills I am sure the cabinets will be back up to snuff in no time. I told him to get in touch with Bob Crites for some upgrades and he should get 20 years out of these fairly easily. Until he comes to pick them up, they will be put to use in the workshop area. I am glad they will be going to someone who is familiar with, and loves the Klipsch sound. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Your Cousin Jimmy is a lucky guy to have a cousin so thoughtful. Awesome story; tell him to post pics (or perhaps you can) after the cabs are redone! Rock on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivernuggets Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Very cool Klipsch gift! Must be something in the air. Couple months ago I bought a pair of light oak KG 5.5s for my brother. One needed the motorboard reglued. After a couple hours work, they pound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT FAN Posted July 9, 2010 Author Share Posted July 9, 2010 I saw my cousin yesterday and told him the boys want to see "before & afters". Might be aways down the road but he will start a seperate thread for that. In the meantime he will be looking for a pre-amp to use with his HK 5.1 amp to run these speakers. I told him I'll watch the Garage sale forum for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted July 9, 2010 Moderators Share Posted July 9, 2010 Your Cousin Jimmy is a lucky guy to have a cousin so thoughtful. That's what I was thinking, thats a nice thing to do for your cousin. [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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