Scotty Mac Posted July 9, 2023 Share Posted July 9, 2023 (edited) Good day folks, I am new to the community and reaching out from Gander Newfoundland. My reason for joining is, over the last few years have started refurbishing vintage speakers as a hobby. the other day, these fine Cornwalls (without woofers) rolled into my shop and I couldn’t say no! The cabinets are in fine shape however, they were painted black at some point but, at least they did a great job with it. As there are no markings visible other than the model numbers on mids and tweeters but, the woofers that were removed were rear mounted to face so this with size of mid horn and gap between mid horn and woofer leads me to believe after judging by comparing images of different models these seem like original Cornwall’s (1’s)…? I am trying to determine if I should go with the original woofer or go with upgraded woofer from versions III/IV? Will also need to repair/make one grill and some minor repairs to one cabinets lower insulation blanket. Other than that sand off that paint and bring the cabinets back to life! Any and all info, suggestions or feedback is welcomed and appreciated! cheers Edited July 10, 2023 by Scotty Mac 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 In the rear plys you will find the serial number stamped. The letter code denotes the year, the numbers describe the production number. They are Cornwall Is and most likely had square magnet K-33-E woofers, but the serial number will tell. The cabinet and ports are tuned for the production woofer, but the earlier woofers all had very similar parameters to the mentioned K-33-E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff. Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 Hi Scott, and welcome to the forum. Do the speakers still have the crossovers in them? They would be on one of the side walls in the middle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 Yes, welcome @Scotty MacMac... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 On 7/9/2023 at 7:25 AM, Scotty Mac said: I am trying to determine if I should go with the original woofer or go with upgraded woofer from versions III/IV? Will also need to repair/make one grill and some minor repairs to one cabinets lower insulation blanket. Other than that sand off that paint and bring the cabinets back to life! to find out the year of the speakers .........look in the rear of the speaker , dead center , above the rear door panel , there should be a serial no engraved in the wood on both speakers - please post the serial nos you're missing the woofers , the new K-33-E is your only option , you can buy the woofers directly from klipsch Canada - the badges dont look to be original , take a closer picture , to show the badges more clearly -you'll need to make new maconite boards for the grilles -try to clean up the fabric by soaking it in a bath tub with detergent , then transfer the fabric over to the new boards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Mac Posted July 13, 2023 Author Share Posted July 13, 2023 8 hours ago, JohnA said: 7 hours ago, geoff. said: 6 hours ago, billybob said: Yes, welcome @Scotty MacMac... 6 hours ago, OO1 said: Thanks for the replys, much appreciated! unfortunately there are no visible sign of a serial number stamped on top back edge. I will look at the crossover next time I’m in there and let you know if I see anything. Speakers are complete except woofers. I just ordered a new set of K33E, seemed like the mayo replacement, was that a good move? yes I anticipated making new grills, that’s a great idea to get the cloth off the grills, could I get that same cloth if required? the badges look aftermarket to me but I’m no expert….? so they are Gen 1? Must be the commercial model (no veneers, painted black and no riser on bottom)? the plan is install woofers and see how everything sounds and go from there. I will give the crossovers the attention they need if it’s required or recommend. as for the cabs, light sand and repaint black OR sand down and veneer and add riser? thanks again 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 unfortunately there are no visible sign of a serial number stamped on top back edge. the markings should be on the left , middle , and right side of the top panel at the rear , most likely painted over . I just ordered a new set of K33E, seemed like the mayo replacement, was that a good move? perfect yes I anticipated making new grills, that’s a great idea to get the cloth off the grills, could I get that same cloth if required? https://www.wendellfabrics.com/ the badges look aftermarket to me but I’m no expert….? DIY so they are Gen 1? Must be the commercial model (no veneers, painted black and no riser on bottom)? Cornwall 1 the plan is install woofers and see how everything sounds and go from there. I will give the crossovers the attention they need if it’s required or recommend. OK as for the cabs, light sand and repaint black OR sand down and veneer and add riser? chemically strip the speakers top + sides only , do not sand , there may be a very nice veneer hidden underneath the black paint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Mac Posted July 14, 2023 Author Share Posted July 14, 2023 1 hour ago, OO1 said: unfortunately there are no visible sign of a serial number stamped on top back edge. the markings should be on the left , middle , and right side of the top panel at the rear , most likely painted over . I just ordered a new set of K33E, seemed like the mayo replacement, was that a good move? perfect yes I anticipated making new grills, that’s a great idea to get the cloth off the grills, could I get that same cloth if required? https://www.wendellfabrics.com/ the badges look aftermarket to me but I’m no expert….? DIY so they are Gen 1? Must be the commercial model (no veneers, painted black and no riser on bottom)? Cornwall 1 the plan is install woofers and see how everything sounds and go from there. I will give the crossovers the attention they need if it’s required or recommend. OK as for the cabs, light sand and repaint black OR sand down and veneer and add riser? chemically strip the speakers top + sides only , do not sand , there may be a very nice veneer hidden underneath the black paint Thanks for getting back to me with those answers! The reason I think the cabinets are not veneered is because through the black paint on the top, I could see the edge of the plywood walls… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBCODD Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 Guessing raw birch with a Duratex type finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted July 14, 2023 Share Posted July 14, 2023 6 hours ago, JBCODD said: Guessing raw birch with a Duratex type finish. If so, stripping the paint off the top back ege should reveal the sn. How well do you like black? If youbwant to veneer them I would do either option - strip or sand. They are most likely birch under the paint. If you could cleanly remove the paint, you may be able to stain them. It just depends on hoew presentable/nice you want them. I'm guessing they were purchased at the base exchange? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcn3 Posted July 17, 2023 Share Posted July 17, 2023 On 7/13/2023 at 9:23 PM, Scotty Mac said: Thanks for getting back to me with those answers! The reason I think the cabinets are not veneered is because through the black paint on the top, I could see the edge of the plywood walls… the stamps they are talking are on the back of the speaker along the top lip, above the terminal strip where you connect the speaker wire. (in the pics of the backs, i can't see the stamps -- not close enough shot). there may be other stamps along the back lips, but the ones above the terminal strip will be the serial number. as was mentioned, they're definitely cornwall 1s. since you can see the wood seams across the top, they are/were raw birch. you wouldn't be able to see that seam if they were oak or walnut. you made the right choice with the k33 woofers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Mac Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 On 7/14/2023 at 12:23 AM, JBCODD said: Guessing raw birch with a Duratex type finish. Yes that is what i suspect but, I wonder what paint that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Mac Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 On 7/14/2023 at 7:09 AM, Marvel said: If so, stripping the paint off the top back ege should reveal the sn. How well do you like black? If youbwant to veneer them I would do either option - strip or sand. They are most likely birch under the paint. If you could cleanly remove the paint, you may be able to stain them. It just depends on hoew presentable/nice you want them. I'm guessing they were purchased at the base exchange? Thanks for the reply. I am sure the serial number will reveal itself once I get into this project. I am sure the birch ply would clean up nicely just be left with the exposed edges. I do have to time, patience and “skills” to go through the veneer process… but, as you indicated, how far do I want to take this and what’s my end goal. things to consider before I get started on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Mac Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 4 hours ago, jcn3 said: the stamps they are talking are on the back of the speaker along the top lip, above the terminal strip where you connect the speaker wire. (in the pics of the backs, i can't see the stamps -- not close enough shot). there may be other stamps along the back lips, but the ones above the terminal strip will be the serial number. as was mentioned, they're definitely cornwall 1s. since you can see the wood seams across the top, they are/were raw birch. you wouldn't be able to see that seam if they were oak or walnut. you made the right choice with the k33 woofers. I appreciate the info! I will come across the serial number soon. I think I will atleast sand down to expose raw birch cabs then decide if I; leave as is, paint black again or veneer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted July 18, 2023 Share Posted July 18, 2023 14 hours ago, Scotty Mac said: I will come across the serial number soon. you may , or you may not have engraved serial nos on your cabinets , klipsch stopped punching the serial no etc . during the early 80's . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted July 18, 2023 Share Posted July 18, 2023 When my older son gave me a set of Heresy IIs, they were devoid of identificaction/sn info. I pulled a woofer from one and found a dated inspection sticker inside the cab. No exact date or serial number, but close enough for me. I don't listen to serial numbers... 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Mac Posted July 22, 2023 Author Share Posted July 22, 2023 (edited) Hey folks, thanks again for all the reply’s. I will be soon starting another thread as I move forward on the restoration. Before I do thought I would share some unfortunate news, my K33e woofers arrived today…. One was dented on outer ring at screw hole and the other had a considerable amount of light surface scratches on the back for a new woofer. I reached out to seller and they immediately replied concerned. Anyway, long story short, not a big deal and waiting to see how it plays out. I’m not too concerned as I am not ready to install the woofers at the moment anyway. Cheers Edited July 22, 2023 by Scotty Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Mac Posted July 22, 2023 Author Share Posted July 22, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Mac Posted July 22, 2023 Author Share Posted July 22, 2023 (edited) Ding Edited July 22, 2023 by Scotty Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Mac Posted July 22, 2023 Author Share Posted July 22, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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