Speakerlab 7s

geroux

New Member
I did a search and was amazed how many hits there were on the Speakerlab 7's.

I'm from the Seattle area and in about 1979 when I was 16 years old I bought a set of 1's. I heard the 7's in the showroom and was an awestruck teenager but had to settle on what I could afford.
In 1995 I acquired pair of used 7's that were about 20 years old but really needed new cabinets. I accommodated that with new particle board cabinets with Teak veneer.
Here we are in 2018 and I am refinishing the cabinets I made 23 years ago. Gonna go with an Oak veneer.

I'm guessing these speakers are 40 years old and they still sound great!

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Nice. What kind of stain?

And do you have a source for veneer that doesn't charge an arm and a leg? Prices I've seen are about double what a 4x8x3/4 sheet of hardwood plywood would cost for the same size and type of veneer.
 
Cool, good work. Did you leave the drivers in throughout the restore work?
Although it usually is Oak to Teak. Was the teak pretty well shot at this point?
 
Hi geroux, welcome to AK. Great first post, it's always good so see more Speakerlab fans show up.

I like the looks of your new veneer, how are you planning to finish them?

Cheers,
James
 
Welcome to AK, geroux! You've come in with a bang on this restoration, haven't you? May I make a suggestion that was intimated above? Pull those speakers out of the cabinets while you do the restoration. It will negate the chances of making a hole or dripping finish on them. It will also make it easy to paint the motorboard. When you reinstall them, make a "gasket" by laying a thin layer of silicone (flattened with your fingers) around the holes, let it dry overnight, then install the speaks.

I think SpeakerLab 7s were the first true hifi speakers I ever heard. They were in a record store for many years and caused me to order and lust over a SpeakerLab catalog for years. Never have found any around here, but if they ever show up I'll definitely need to jump on them - for memories sake if nothing else.

GeeDeeEmm
 
Thanks for all the positive comments!
I'm hoping to post some pics when the finish is on and I get the grill cloth replaced.

Nice. What kind of stain?

And do you have a source for veneer that doesn't charge an arm and a leg? Prices I've seen are about double what a 4x8x3/4 sheet of hardwood plywood would cost for the same size and type of veneer.

The pics are un-finished... but I'm using Watco Danish Oil in Golden Oak. I got my veneer from https://www.veneersupplies.com/

Cool, good work. Did you leave the drivers in throughout the restore work?
Although it usually is Oak to Teak. Was the teak pretty well shot at this point?

I left them in. The Teak veneer that I originally made the cabinets with 23 years ago was pretty scratched and dinged up after eight moves with the military... I always said when I retire and am done moving they are getting refinished. The wife wanted Oak to match our media cabinet and "lighten" things up... happy wife/happy life

Hi geroux, welcome to AK. Great first post, it's always good so see more Speakerlab fans show up.

I like the looks of your new veneer, how are you planning to finish them?

Cheers,
James

Watco Danish Oil in Golden Oak

Welcome to AK, geroux! You've come in with a bang on this restoration, haven't you? May I make a suggestion that was intimated above? Pull those speakers out of the cabinets while you do the restoration. It will negate the chances of making a hole or dripping finish on them. It will also make it easy to paint the motorboard. When you reinstall them, make a "gasket" by laying a thin layer of silicone (flattened with your fingers) around the holes, let it dry overnight, then install the speaks.

I think SpeakerLab 7s were the first true hifi speakers I ever heard. They were in a record store for many years and caused me to order and lust over a SpeakerLab catalog for years. Never have found any around here, but if they ever show up I'll definitely need to jump on them - for memories sake if nothing else.

GeeDeeEmm

Thanks for the suggestion but as you see in the last pic they are almost done except the finish. I left the drivers in because I RTV'd them in 23 years ago and they are still solid. I didn't want to screw around with anything I didn't have too.
 
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20180302_113928.jpg Hello all I was lucky enough to pick up a set of.the original super sevens from the original builder in the last 6 months. He had just had them reconed and he and his wife were doing the ever more popular downsizing. I have many different speakers in rotation as I like change or strange as we used to refer to similar trates. I had purchased a pair of klipschorns in 1976 and soon after all my friends started on the speakerlab train building 7s and ks. I have alway admired them and finally got my opportunity with this set. They are in sonically beautiful condition but I hope to bring the veneer up to match the condition of the sound. Cheers! And remember!:needpics:
 
I wasn't trying to be critical believe me! Its nice that there are any of these left at all. It looks as if those are supers also and I applaud the degree of work you are going through on your restoration! I have often considered mine in comparison to a Forte and people still are put back by their capabilities.
I as I said have many vintage examples of unique speakers and these are a top performer for sure. They live in pretty ood company with the likes of first series Cornwall lls 1968 vintage and polk audio SDA2Bs plus many others.
I have been a 2 channel fanatic since the late 60s and starting getting into the higher end gear when I jumped in both feet and bought a brand new pair of cornerhorns in 1976. I had several friends who built speakerlabs and ran them with phase linear gear which I admired but at the time was out of my reach. I now run both phase linear and speaker labs so I guess being patient pays off and have a wife whom is also doesnt hurt either.
I recently picked a pair of speaker lab dos 4s that are incorporated in to a HT application so I still tend to aquire or perhaps hoard would be a more fitting description?
I call it preserving a small bit of history for generations to come as proof that music wasnt compressed and come from something the size of a pinhead.
long live analog!
Music as it was meant to be...
Also from the Seattle area and only a bit more aged than you as I was class of 1975.
Cheers!
 
mirror imaged pairs is important particularly with the old 7s (or any speaker for that matter!)
 
That is so true and unfortunately the ones I have are not. It would have been a very simple matter when he was doing the build simply turning the face 180 but alas its not so. I have comsidered doing some mods to the crossover setup as its also the original setup which is rather very old technology to be kind. I have other projects that will come before these but God willing I will have time and the presence of mind to attend to these.
 
10-4 if you are around me much you soon will discover I am pretty blind and loose things sitting in front of me. I sadly am serious but have to keep a positive additude regardless. Its the main reason I have time to be on this forum..o_O:idea:
 
OP here... Here's a couple more pics during the refinishing process...

I figured out how to display full images on this forum! I "fixed" the original post pics for clearer viewing.

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Here we are today... I'm very happy how they are turning out.
So far there are three applications of Watco Danish Oil with a sanding of 220 & 320 in between...

Will be applying more coats with 400 and 600 sanding's in between. Then probably a 000 or 0000 steel wool buffing.

I know they're upside down! The last surface I worked on was the bottoms...

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