The famous Western Electric Cone Speaker Family: the popular 18" cone Model 540-AW, the 24" cone Model 560-AW with its striking Aztec design, and the 36" cone "King of Speakers" Model 548-AW. The Model 548-AW is 50" tall.

---

SPEAKER RESTORATION TIPS

Here are some things you can do to preserve and/or restore your speakers:

1. The frame can be cleaned with Go-Jo or similar hand cleaner.Do not use the type with grit. This may scratch or remove part of the original finish.

2. If the driver pin on your reproducer is bent, broken, or missing, a large paper clip can be used as a replacement. Clip should be approx. .055 inches in diameter. Steel or brass material is ok but dont use copper. It is to soft and will create distortion. In most instances ,a large clip is the correct diameter and the plated metal is easy to solder. In some instances the original driver pin is a larger diameter, such as in the Metro Cone speakers but the large paper clip will work fine if you don,t have the correct size. If you use a pin that is too small or flexible the speaker my be distorted. A good example of this is copper wire. It usually is soft and will distort the sound at higher volumes.

3. When soldering the cord tips make sure to clean the ends of the wire properly. If old cord is being used, cleaning is sometimes a problem but can be gently rubbed with 400 grit sandpaper just enough to show the bare copper color. The tensel wire is very delicate and will break easily. When clean,clip the ends of the wire so they are even, then twist the ends of the wire so that it fits into the tip without bunching up. Before attempting to resolder the wire into an old tip, heat the tip enough to allow the old solder to be tapped out of the tip. Use only rosin core solder to solder the wire into the tip. Acid core solder will destroy the wire and tip over time. I have found that the small electronic solder that is used commonly on printed circuit boards is best, although any size solder can be used. If the cloth cover of the wire had to be trimmed, it can be bound by using sewing thread that is the correct color and wrapping multiple layers around the ends of the cloth cover at the ends of the wire or at the outer cloth cover. When wrapped, tie with a loop knot and dab a small amount of Elmers white glue over the binding thread being careful not to get glue on the wire ends that is to be soldered. The glue is acid free and will dry clear and will hold the binding tight.

4. Never wrap the speaker cord around the base of a metal speaker. Over time, a chemical reaction will cause the tinsel wire to corrode. The cotton covering may still look fine, but the wire inside will be destroyed.

5. Never, never try to repair a speaker coil by applying high voltage.

6. Never push a pin or nail into the speaker coil to try to establish continuity.

7. Cloth speaker fronts such as the RCA 103 can be cleaned by carefully brushing with a very soft cosmetic brush. Do not attempt to clean with a liquid cleaner, water, etc. Any dampness will destroy most types of the original cloth material that was used on these speakers. In some instances, a dry cleaning fluid can be used but I dont recommend it.

8. If your metal frame must be repainted, look for automotive touch-up paint in the proper color. It sprays easily with good cover, is quick drying, and can be buffed with fine steel wool to remove unwanted sheen. Usually the correct color can be mixed by an automotive paint supply store if a sample of the original color is available or you can provide the correct paint number such as GM, Ford, etc. If the speaker frame must be cleaned with steel wool, always remove the driver before using steel wool, otherwise the loose wool material will cling to the magnetic parts of the driver and cause major problems. If this occurs, it may be possible to gently brush the driver with a soft shop brush to remove the wool. If the wool gets into the driver around the armature, the driver must be dis-assembled to clean it. Now it becomes a major repair before the speaker will operate properly.

9. Complete replacement speaker cords can be ordered from us. Please call or email us at speakerpeople@comcast.net or 717-266-4450. Cord parts can also be purchased from the Antique Radio Supply, Tempe, AZ. or various other suppliers. See next page for Link.

10. If you need a replacement cones or cords for your 1920's vintage speaker please contact us at the above address. Various reproductions cones are also available for this type of speaker. Call or email us to discuss your needs.

11. Before you buy a speaker where the driver is hidden from view, look at the speaker wire. It should be the old cloth-covered type (brown or black). If it looks "wrong" (for instance, rubber), ask to look inside the speaker. There is a chance the original driver may have been replaced by a PM speaker or none at all.

12. Last but not least. If you have any questions regarding your speakers please feel free to contact us at the above address. Hopefully we can help you restore and preserve these pieces of history.

    Previous Page
    Next Page