I sure wish that I could find voice coils for anything.

The problem is that if you "push" a somewhat different voice coil so that it will adapt to a speaker for which the exact replacement is not available, often you can get it to "work," but the sharp edge of high-fidelity is sacrificed.

Fred
repairing audio gear since the Pleistocene

What Fred said. It would be nice if there were more dimensional combinations of voice coils (diameters, winding pack height, etc) available.

That said- it's a damn sight better than it was 20, or even 10, years ago. Back then, it was really hit-or-miss... a lot of reconing was pretty gross substitutions- if it could be made to fit, it was installed, regardless of how different it was than the original.

Now, not only are there more parts available, the companies are more responsive in bringing more parts variations into new production, than they were in the past. The company I get parts from- if they get enough inquiry on something they do not have, they will frequently arrange to START making the parts- especially voice coils, because as was mentioned in a few posts above, cones can be substituted more readily, model-to-model. There just has to be enough demand to make it economically feasible to run off and sell a large enough batch, to break even and make a little profit on it...

I try to do my part, to make these things happen- whenever I run across a new-to-me speaker, I will call the parts people, and do as much as possible to confer lists of dimensions and properties of the parts needed, to them, so they can check their archives for possible good parts subs, and/or put the items on the "to be made" list. If every reconer would be diligent about doing this, it's likely that more parts and workable kit combinations would become available. They're not gonna make 'em, if they don't think anybody needs 'em...

Regards,
Gordon.

In the same vein, what materials are/were used in voice coils? I have a Zenith speaker for which I've thought of trying to recreate a voice coil. I could make a precise plastic mandrel to wrap paper(?) around but it's hard to imagine how a .030"-.040" thick cardboard tube can maintain an accurate cylindrical shape.

Dave, as you might guess, formers are made of paper, metal, or synthetics (plastics).

When the magnet wire is wrapped around the former, and cemented in place, this substantially strengthens the former.

Fred
repairing audio gear since the Pleistocene

Just my two cents on the topic - it has been my experience that the more niche-market oriented a business is, the more they can get away with in terms of bad business practices. When you can't easily go to someone else down the street (because there is nobody else to go to) they have you by the you-know-whats. It also doesn't help when you're dealing with irreplaceable things that get disassembled. Once they have a bucket of parts on their end, if you force the issue (with a lawyer, etc.) chances are that's what you'll get back - a bucket of parts. There may be no malice intended just plain old incompetence. The niche nature allows bad business practices to survive in areas where there is little to no competition. Just think of the US Government as a prime example.

Dave

This is a response to polaris26.

When you are talking niche-market, you are really talking monopoly economics. In other words, for practical purposes, a business may control the supply of a product or service in a narrow segment of the marketplace. Economic studies have shown that "control of supply" can potentially equate to high prices and poor customer service.

But this is only potentially true, not necessarily true.

Some businesses which have a monopoly, or nearly so, in a segment of the marketplace choose to conduct business to high ethical standards. My audio repair business is one of them.

Fred Longworth
Owner
Classic Audio Repair

"Can" get away with, but importantly, usually don't. I have found the business practices of niche/cottage industries to be on average BETTER than larger business with bigger markets. For the very obvious reason that with a limited market each individual customer is critical, and one unsatisfied customer that reports it back to the community can essentially close you down.

The one issue that you do have to consider is that it's almost always one guy in his basement/garage, doing it as a side business for essentially no profit. I mean, how big a market do you suppose antique radio speaker reconing is - maybe 100 a year done, total, divided up between 10-15 people across the country. Real life considerations can sometimes interfere and I sure wouldn't want someone to miss real work or mess up his life somehow just to recone my speaker. That, you are subject to, and that's just something you have to accept.

I have been dealing with cottage industry hobby suppliers for decades, some in a lot smaller niches than old radios (I have enough pull in some areas to have people custom-manufacture items for me and offer them for free - although I always pay for them...) and my experiences have been almost universally positive.

Brett

Another source for rebuilding that our shop had really good luck with was an outfit called Spectrum Sound in Indianapolis, IN. Though named Speaker Service Company originally, they've been around since the '60s at least. Did a nice job on a Jensen from a RockOla model O juke amp. and many others, and were very good at communication!

Thats interesting, most of the stuff I work on that has been in that shop has had horrible quality. I've seen everything from cut down 15" surrounds on 12" woofers (WITH NO GLUE IN THE GAP!) to horribly botched tube amps. I also see a lot of solid state pieces that have poor quality replacement parts and burned circuit boards. They must have a monkey with a 100 watt soldering iron hired at the moment.

Okey-dokey, here's an update 3 months after I started this thread. Still don't have my speakers back. Last time we spoke, he said he was waiting on the coils for the 2 "P3VH" speakers. Well, they came in in February, and did not fit! It took him 5 months getting those coils, and they would not work. Then, lo and behold, he tells me he has a supplier with the correct coils in stock, which would take another 2-4 weeks to get (delivered by mule and buggy I quess?). So, I haven't heard from him since mid-February, and he's had my speakers nearly 7 months now. In the meantime, the recap job on my amp was finished in early September 2011, and I need these speakers so I can get some juice to those caps.

It looks like I'm going to have to find another reconer, which is going to further delay things. Anyway, thanks for the comments and advice everyone!

I can't believe this. Turns out he stopped even trying to repair the 2 smaller speakers some time ago. Apparently, he wasn't even going to contact me, just keep the speakers. So, I'm going to have to drive 500 mile round trip to get them back, as I don't think he will even ship them back to me. So, as the title says, I made a huge mistake picking a speaker reconer. Here I have wasted 7 months with this clown.

here is the guys website i think >?

http://speakerdoctor.com/


'Speaker Doctor the in Charlotte, North Carolina (nc)


Name: Speaker Doctor the
Street: 4507 East Independence Boulevard
Charlotte, nc 28205-7405
Phone: (704) 567-3010

THis Above Info taken from Link below.
http://web2.userinstinct.com/32157379-s ... or-the.htm






My Personal Opnion I would send him a Regestered letter wich he has to sigh for let him know unless you hear from him you will call the better Bussniess Bureau and your lawyer will contact him this is all i can think of at the moment
Perhaps he has health problems or took or more work than he can handle or hes really sick
here is a search engine link.


http://www.bing.com/search?q=The+Speake ... 4&qs=n&sk=

My wife and I are going to take the trip and pick them up on Friday afternoon, assuming someone will even be there, as he and his helper seemed wishy-washy as to whether they would even be there. All I could get out of them was, "kinda-sorta, possibly, maybe, yeah I think so".

Please let Us know asap how you made out .
Thank You
PS I hope the info I gave you helped ya out.

Will do, and thanks for the info ARB

not a problem I would deffently when if you get there to go get them back if they give you a hard time just tell them your going to the bbb and i would maybe even bring someone from there with you call ahead the BBB find out how they can help

Got the speakers back today (Mrs. R and I took the 450 mile round trip), so I'll promise to calm down now! The recone of the 12" looks very good, hopefully it will sound fine once I get it in the amp and test it out. The 2 smaller 3" speakers are in a state of dis-assembly, but I was given some cones/spiders that should work. I'll still have to try to find some voice coils for them, but I have contacted a few other reconers, so there may be hope.

Good going . MY $.02 worth the man should not take on more work than he can handle