Re-BUILD LS90's

timlitton

I had a pair of LS90's for years. I loved them and if it weren't for the punishment and damage I've inflicted on them through half a dozen moves and storage mishaps, I'd be listening to them now.

About two years ago, I moved into an apartment. I rented a garage to store the speaker because I doubt neighbors would have appreciated them. The garage had leaking problems and long story short, when I bought a house, I found my beloved LS90's now had some swollen wood at the bottom and paint flaking from the water damage. Each speaker also has a rattling driver that begins singing at about 60-90Hz.

Now, I've read I can get replacement drivers, but not a perfect match to the old ones. If that were the only problem, I'd do it.

How hard is it to re-BUILD the cabinets? I'm a novice at speaker repair or modding, but I'm pretty handy.

Any advice?

zarrdoss

Well to re-build them and have them look like new will take a bunch of work, new veneers replacing all the watter-loged wood. I guess you need to ask yourself it the time and money is worth it? Or sell the speakers for parts or keep them for spares and buy some new ones. IMO it would be pretty hard to rebuild them. But would have to see them to make any final conclusions.

dorokusai

Craigslist...buy new speakers.

F1nut

If it's just the veneer that has been damaged, then they can be re-veneered. If the MDF has gotten wet, which it sounds like it has, then it's game over for those cabinets.

DollarDave

You are not that far from the ones in Colorado in the FS section, and I think he mentioned he could meet someone in KC. Do that, sell the parts, and live long and prosper.

timlitton

I like my LS90's and all, but it's 18hrs to Colorado and 9 to Kansas City.


Maybe he could meet me in Chicago.:D

wallstreet

timlitton wrote: »

I had a pair of LS90's for years. I loved them and if it weren't for the punishment and damage I've inflicted on them through half a dozen moves and storage mishaps, I'd be listening to them now.

That comment makes me want to buy some of your drivers! :eek:

Unfortunately, the bang for the buck on resale for LS90's is low. You can't buy new speakers that compete with the 90's for less than a couple grand today. Throw in a set of surround speakers and timbre matched center your up to $4K easy. I think I'll order a few extra drivers from Polk right now!

John30_30

timlitton wrote: »

I had a pair of LS90's for years. I loved them and if it weren't for the punishment and damage I've inflicted on them through half a dozen moves and storage mishaps, I'd be listening to them now.

About two years ago, I moved into an apartment. I rented a garage to store the speaker because I doubt neighbors would have appreciated them. The garage had leaking problems and long story short, when I bought a house, I found my beloved LS90's now had some swollen wood at the bottom and paint flaking from the water damage. Each speaker also has a rattling driver that begins singing at about 60-90Hz.

Now, I've read I can get replacement drivers, but not a perfect match to the old ones. If that were the only problem, I'd do it.

How hard is it to re-BUILD the cabinets? I'm a novice at speaker repair or modding, but I'm pretty handy.

Any advice?

I'm assuming you don't have a table saw, since you probably wouldn't have asked if you did. If you have a circular saw (skilsaw) and a straight-edge, you can cut up a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 veneered mdf. A sheet of that won't hurt your budget too much. You'll be matching the original dimensions as closely as possible, but on square butt type joints, you can cheat the raw edge out, say 1/2 inch, then come back with a 3/4 strip of veneer over it.
You'll need glue clamps or be okay with puttying nailholes in the veneer, which isn't a great thing. Also need either a router and trammel for hole cutting, or a jigsaw, or maybe both depending on the holes.

If you're really good with a skilsaw, or can get your hands on a tablesaw, you can miter your pieces, or cut hardwood edging instead of veneering raw edges. Your saw is going to tear out veneer on the topside with a skilsaw, bottom side with a tablesaw, so you always have to be knowing which side will be exposed.
We used to use nylon band-clamps with little come-along type ratchets on speaker boxes.

Or you can do this with a sheet of raw, non-veneered mdf, glue & screw and countersink it together, then buy some veneer to go over that. Veneer by itself will cost more. There's tutes available and guys here that know how to veneer without a big outlay in tools.

Then you finish the raw hardwood veneer, stain, seal, topcoat.

So, unless you're super-handy, you're probably better off parting those out, or looking for a cabinet maker in your town and working something out.

dorokusai

Or just sell them.

John30_30

dorokusai wrote: »

Or just sell them.

Yeah. Except he mentioned the 'L' word, which makes guys do crazy things, dontcha know.

Ender

John30_30 wrote: »

Yeah. Except he mentioned the 'L' word, which makes guys do crazy things, dontcha know.

Lesbians...?

timlitton

I'll trade for lesbians.

dorokusai

mmmmmm good.