Would a ding like this bother you?

Joey_V

Would a ding like this bother you? It is lacquer damage and only 0.25" diameter.

I'm a little half and half on it. Part of me doesn't think it's a big deal, but part of me thinks that since this is such an end game speaker for me that it should be spotless.

Thoughts?

Help me out.

Thanks.

boston1450

Ouch. Makes me want to cry. Im no expert on fixing things but if it can be repaired id have it fixed. Those are gorgeous

Joey_V

I'm not sure if it can be fixed... Maybe a little lacquer into the crack but I'm not sure. I have contacted repair people but got nowhere.

I think the close up pics really make it worse than it is

OldSchoolPolk

This could be a simple fix with Old English Furniture Scratch Cover using a craft swab (not Qtip.)

As the oil displaces the air under the damaged area it will blend with the surroundings. You could do the same thing with a polyurethane version to add a hard coat to the area.

Honestly, thats what many pros would charge you for though they may not admit to such a simple fix.

kevhed72

Im cheap, so I would view it as an opportunity to save some cash.

motorhead43026

Lacquer is the easiest finish there is to repair. Plenty of info on the net on how too.

gudnoyez

Would you be buying these new or used? If new and they drop the price a bit but not much then simply ask for another speaker. If used AND your getting a good deal snatch them up and use the old English method to touch it up.

Joey_V

Zero wrote: »

Whats the asking price?

Considering there have been zero (no pun intended) graphites that have popped up on audiogon for the past near year that I've been watching intently.... the price we have sorta decided on was 18,300$. Considering this is from a US dealer in Chicago and is only 2 years old... had it not been for the ding, this is a very easy decision.

There's on orange on audiogon now without dings but is from out of the US origin. His listing is 23750, but I've already spoken to him and his best is 20K.

I also have a futura red from out of US origin, ding free, for 20K. But I am not sure about the color.

I have included of original orange and new futura red below.

Joey_V

gudnoyez wrote: »

Would you be buying these new or used? If new and they drop the price a bit but not much then simply ask for another speaker. If used AND your getting a good deal snatch them up and use the old English method to touch it up.

Used. New is too much and that's a long story. I had an order for a brand new one at an excellent price (graphite nonetheless) but it fell through despite the order already been placed.

Joey_V

motorhead43026 wrote: »

Lacquer is the easiest finish there is to repair. Plenty of info on the net on how too.

BElieve me I've been reading up on as much as I can, I just don't know if I trust myself, an amateur, with a repair on a pair of speakers of this magnitude.

Joey_V

kevhed72 wrote: »

Im cheap, so I would view it as an opportunity to save some cash.

Cash saved is probably $1,500.

Joey_V

OldSchoolPolk wrote: »

This could be a simple fix with Old English Furniture Scratch Cover using a craft swab (not Qtip.)

As the oil displaces the air under the damaged area it will blend with the surroundings. You could do the same thing with a polyurethane version to add a hard coat to the area.

Honestly, thats what many pros would charge you for though they may not admit to such a simple fix.

Just checked, not sure if the Old English would work... the OE solution is wood colored and if this is a crack within the lacquer, it would most likely be very visible. I think something like clear glue would be better according to my readings, but man.. that's like a one time fix and either it looks great or terrible afterwards....

gudnoyez

If your going to spend that much money and you are a little OCD and like your stuff perfect then what's another 1500? The way I see it would probably bother you everytime you listen to them knowing that imperfection is there and visable. If I spent that much money I would want them to be immaculate.

If you want to save the $ I'm sure you can touch that area up well enough that you would probably be the only one that knows that the lmperfectin exists. The words of Dick Enrico come to mind. Why buy new when slightly used will do?

gudnoyez

http://www.2ndwindexercise.com/about/

This commercial sums it up. Why buy new when slightly used will do!!! You got to click on the first tv to the left on the bottom of the screen to see Dick in action

Joey_V

gudnoyez wrote: »

If your going to spend that much money and you are a little OCD and like your stuff perfect then what's another 1500? The way I see it would probably bother you everytime you listen to them knowing that imperfection is there and visable. If I spent that much money I would want them to be immaculate.

If you want to save the $ I'm sure you can touch that area up well enough that you would probably be the only one that knows that the lmperfectin exists. The words of Dick Enrico come to mind. Why buy new when slightly used will do?

A few problems...

1. Very difficult to find immaculate pair of graphite, waited forever, none found.
2. Very difficult to find someone who bought from US dealer, a lot of Strads on market are shipped from overseas.

My other option for the Strad is the new dark futura red, which I don't really like (but it is growing on me)...

Joey_V

I just contacted a guitar repair man... sent him some pics. He says he does not do house calls but I'm not lugging a Stradivari to his shop where I can't monitor what's going on.

He says he will look at the damage and give me a "house call quote".. but he said it has to be worth his time so I'm assuming it's going to be a few hundred bucks. I was hesitant in giving him a number $ because I didn't want to shoot myself in the foot.

tonyb

I like the Red or Orange over the Graphite.....that's just me though.

cnh

Beautiful!

I was going to say no problem, but then I saw the PRICE. And for 20K, YES that WOULD BOTHER ME! If I'm going to shell that kind of coin out, things better be PERFECT!

Hopefully, you can get a discount!

Joey_V

cnh wrote: »

Beautiful!

I was going to say no problem, but then I saw the PRICE. And for 20K, YES that WOULD BOTHER ME! If I'm going to shell that kind of coin out, things better be PERFECT!

Hopefully, you can get a discount!

lol... that was the discount. 18300.

F1nut

Do NOT use Old English and no repair firm that wants to keep their reputation intact would use it either.

Joey, find out exactly what the clear coat is because different finishes require different repair technics, which will help you find the right repair person. If it is lacquer a person that does high end antique furniture repair will be able to do that job. If it is polyester your best bet for a good repair is to find a person that does pianos. Do not attempt this repair yourself. If you need more info or would like me to help you find someone in your area, just ask.

motorhead43026

You repair lacquer with lacquer, there is no other alternative or method. Lacquer is unique in the fact that no matter how old the finish is, when you apply new it dissolves the old and it becomes one.

F1nut

You repair lacquer with lacquer, there is no other alternative or method.

There are many ways to repair lacquer damage, I do it daily.

Lacquer is unique in the fact that no matter how old the finish is, when you apply new it dissolves the old and it becomes one.

That's not quite true. Lacquer is an evaporative finish and bonds by slighty dissolving the previous coat. However, lacquer has a finite lifespan and once that has been reached no amount of new lacquer will fix it. One can try spraying straight lacquer thinner in an attempt to rejuvenate a spent lacquer finish, but most of the time it doesn't work.

Joey_V

Jesse

I appreciate the help.

What do u think about letting low viscous cyanoacrylate seep into it? I emailed the pics to a local guitar repair shop and that's what he recommended.

mantis

This is why I buy mostly new. I can't sleep at night when things are not perfect.
I sold one of my favorite speakers of all time in my Dynaudio Audience 82's due to the fact that the sun changed the color slightly on the one side of the left channel speaker. You couldn't see it from the front but when I looked at it from the side it sicken me so they had to go.
All my vehicles if they get a scratch or dent of any kind , I'm out and I need a new one.
I take care of my stuff to the highest level. I dust all the time, I don't let anyone TOUCH ANYTHING!!!!! I park away from people and if you go even near my truck, I'm ready to battle.
So for me NO I couldn't live with such amazing speakers and have that kind of flaw. I would feel like it's been rapped.

Now on the flip side of all that madness I just said, If I loved those speakers and couldn't afford new ones and really wanted them and I could afford them used I might consider living with the flaw. As long as they perform I'm back in.

I would probably buy a pair of B&W N801's with that mark on one of them as you can't get them new and they are one of my all time very favorite speakers ever built ever.

Poee7R

As a $1500 discount, in the finish I wanted... wouldnt bother me in the slightest. Id be happier with it, vs having a finsh on a pair I didnt like, or only accepted because thats what was available.


Dave

gudnoyez

mantis wrote: »

This is why I buy mostly new. I can't sleep at night when things are not perfect.
I sold one of my favorite speakers of all time in my Dynaudio Audience 82's due to the fact that the sun changed the color slightly on the one side of the left channel speaker. You couldn't see it from the front but when I looked at it from the side it sicken me so they had to go.
All my vehicles if they get a scratch or dent of any kind , I'm out and I need a new one.
I take care of my stuff to the highest level. I dust all the time, I don't let anyone TOUCH ANYTHING!!!!! I park away from people and if you go even near my truck, I'm ready to battle.
So for me NO I couldn't live with such amazing speakers and have that kind of flaw. I would feel like it's been rapped.

Now on the flip side of all that madness I just said, If I loved those speakers and couldn't afford new ones and really wanted them and I could afford them used I might consider living with the flaw. As long as they perform I'm back in.

I would probably buy a pair of B&W N801's with that mark on one of them as you can't get them new and they are one of my all time very favorite speakers ever built ever.

I'm like you Dan my Wife came home all upset last week, some A- hole decided to open thier door with force and put a pretty decent door ding in the 2015 Kia Soul I got my wife. I was able to buff the color paint of thier door out but the ding pissed me off. I ended up forking out a hundred to have the ding removed. If I had 20k to drop on a pair of speakers they better be immaculate.

F1nut

Joey_V wrote: »

What do u think about letting low viscous cyanoacrylate seep into it? I emailed the pics to a local guitar repair shop and that's what he recommended.

It's always difficult to say what could be done without actually seeing the damage and it would really help to know what type of finish it is. That said, it appears from the photos that the finish has delaminated from an impact to the top edge and that the edge has some slight chips. If it's lacquer to see how the area would look after injecting a product I would use water first. If that looks ok, I would use Qualasole. If further adjustment is required I would use Blendal sticks. The chips on the edge are so small that I believe they could be smoothed over with 1000 grit wet sanding. After all that, tape off that section and apply a few new top coats, then rub out and polish. The damage should be invisible after that.

Moose68Bash

@Joey_V,

I don't think a $1,500 discount is sufficient for this type of item with the damage you have shown.

It seems to me that if you did not have really serious reservations about buying the speakers with this damage, you would not have posted your question.

After all, the question is really one that only you can answer. It's a personal choice.

I wouldn't buy the speakers with this damage unless: 1) I knew I could have the damage repaired easily and flawlessly for about $200 or less. The comments so far suggest that the repair is not easy and that it is unlikely to be $200 or less. 2) I were absolutely dying for these speakers and could not afford one cent more for them (including repair costs).

It's the kind of thing that, as @gudnoyez said, can keep a "perfectionist" or "quasi-perfectionist" up at night.

Just my humble opinions.

pumpkinman

Joey_V wrote: »

I'm not sure if it can be fixed... Maybe a little lacquer into the crack but I'm not sure. I have contacted repair people but got nowhere.

I think the close up pics really make it worse than it is

Most furniture know someone who does repairs for a Oh S-H-I-T just like this.
Worth checking out

Killer speakers

Moose68Bash

DSkip wrote: »

I don't see how you couldn't have that professionally fixed with the ear to have a new extra $1500 discount provided? I think that is more than sufficient for the damage. Keep in mind these are $40,000 speakers, not $20,000. $18k for a $40k speaker is quite a savings.

Have you reached out to Sonus Faber to discuss repairs on the speaker and what they suggest?

I agree, @DSkip ; I thought $20k was the MSRP. I should have checked before putting my oar in the water, so to speak.

With that said, some people just can't bear to have even this kind of imperfection in a "new to me" item of this quality and beauty. Hence, @Joey_V should be sure about the ease and cost of repair, as well as of the quality of the result, before he writes the check. I wouldn't want any surprises.

Your suggestion to contact Sonus Faber is spot on.

Joey_V

DSkip wrote: »

I don't see how you couldn't have that professionally fixed with the extra $1500 discount provided? I think that is more than sufficient for the damage. Keep in mind these are $40,000 speakers, not $20,000. $18k for a $40k speaker is quite a savings.

Have you reached out to Sonus Faber to discuss repairs on the speaker and what they suggest?

SF is difficult to get specifics from. Appears to be definitely exactly what jessie says, that the lacquer separated from under. The owner says it looks worse in pictures because of the light but in person it's better. I think there's a good chance that low viscous cyanoacrylate will fix it and like jesse says the edges will easily buff out.

I guess the dilemma is that it's just so hard to find a good pair without a compromise here or there. The futura red version is in brand new condition and no dings whatsoever. But I gotta live with the color.