Thrift store find KEF Reference 104/2

GlassWolf Platinum Member Username: Glasswolf Post Number: 13849 Registered: Dec-03	Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 04:43 GMT So I dropped by a local thrift store, and sitting in back were a pair of Allison One loudspeakers, and a pair of KEF 104/2 in rosewood. I got the KEFs (type SP3037) for $50 for the matched pair. Damage/wear was as follows: some minor peeling on the veneer finish inner surrounds on the 8" woofers (4 of them) were all dry-rotted severely one speaker terminal was cracked and broken (plastic thumb-screw part) two of the speaker grille retention nubs were loose speaker feet/spikes were missing one lower midrange driver was cracked/split from the dust cap to the surround, and the surround was separating. So I took these home, and ordered up some stuff from a number of vendors, including: speaker grille cloth (black) new chrome Dayton floor spikes (cone shaped ones with adjustable height) new gold plated heavy duty 8 gauge binding posts replacement inner surrounds for the woofers surround adhesive CA glue clear silicone caulking Elmers wood glue and "glue all" I have over the past week or so, put on the new floor spikes, which are fantastic (standard 6M thread, thankfully) re-foamed the woofers repaired the peeling veneer to like-new replaced the speaker terminal binding posts from the original plastic ones to the new gold ones repaired the grille retention pegs and the hardest part, I used the CA glue to glue the midrange cone back together with a thin bead of quick setting gel, and high tack masking tape on each side of the cone to hold it in place as the gel set (the KEF midrange is molded into a block so it can't be reached from the back, or removed.. made it tricky!) then re-glued the surround with the surround-adhesive, then after that all set, I used a thin touch of caulking to seal the crack and give it a more forgiving sealer than the hardened CA glue. The speaker works flawlessly now. I basically picked on my second pair of 104/2 speakers for $50, and about $120 in materials for the repair (the floor spikes were $50 for two sets.. most expensive part of the deal.) They should make great speakers for my second, smaller HT setup. I have a set of Raymond Cooke S.E. 104/2 mains for my big HT setup, so this has been the second pair I've rejuvenated. I picked up the first pair about ten years back on eBay for $400/pair from an audio shop who took them in on trade, from the customer to whom they'd originally been sold by the same shop in '91.
GlassWolf Platinum Member Username: Glasswolf Post Number: 13852 Registered: Dec-03	Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2010 - 05:04 GMT added some pictures of the restoration KEF Reference 104/2 SP3037 Rosewood
Art Platinum Member Username: Artk Albany, Oregon USA Post Number: 13238 Registered: Feb-05	Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2010 - 05:32 GMT Nicely done and I'll bet they sound great as well.
leo stierer Gold Member Username: Magfan USA Post Number: 1630 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2010 - 06:03 GMT I wish I could find something cool at a thrift store. Nothing but beater stuff and no vintage or tube anything.
Art Platinum Member Username: Artk Albany, Oregon USA Post Number: 13240 Registered: Feb-05	Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2010 - 06:30 GMT I'd bet you don't spend a whole lot of time scouring the thrifts, Leo. Just sayin!
David Mitchell Gold Member Username: Dmitchell Ottawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 4289 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2010 - 12:56 GMT Looks really nice GlassWolf. I once found an old McIntosh amp at a flea market buried in a pile of junk. Unfortunately the vendor knew what it was an wanted market value for it.
leo stierer Gold Member Username: Magfan USA Post Number: 1634 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2010 - 19:37 GMT It's been a while.... Must make it a habit, and just play the 'odds'. I used to go to bunches of garage sales, though. My best finds weren't very good. A proton table radio....not bad, and later, I found an ancient Philco 1 eye.....a weirdly styled TV. Nothing remotely as usable as the KEFs.
leo stierer Gold Member Username: Magfan USA Post Number: 1635 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - 04:54 GMT made it to 2 thrift stores today. Not much of interest. Plenty of VCRs and tapes. Some universal players, but nothing of interest. NO speakers. NO Vinyl to buy or anything to play it if they had it. No vintage TVs.....1 Sony Trinitron. I'll make it a habit to try this same run a couple times a month. We'll see. The dream find? Almost anything with tubes. I was talking to a neighbor the other day. He has a '50s Zenith Transoceanic in need of repair. Knowing this guy the way I do, his kids' ll find it in 25 or 30 years and pitch it. Fixed? not a chance.

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