Early Wharfedale W70's - Biggles' dream is realized!

First off, I would like to thank AK Member Santa for offering these rigs up on Barter Town. I've been looking for an affordable pair for nearly 2 years, it's been a long haul. I was holding out for a ported version of either the W60, W70 or the W90 in a condition where I wasn't paying a premium. And brother or sister, when you see a deal online? You have to move within maybe 4 minutes of going up, or you're gosh out of luck. Thankfully BT moves a tad slower than the other online venues.

Santa lives a solid 85 miles round trip from me, but it's an easy drive on the weekends. I got there and back it what seems only moment or nine.

I had no real idea as to the physical condition of them, only knew there was 1 bad tweeter. As it turns out, he says it's actually okay. But the foam has long since rotted away. There's no spider holding the cone in on these older Super 3's, the cone will fall out if not careful!

Does anyone have a source for getting these older tweeters refoamed/inspected?

The lacquer finish has severe age issues, milky/hazy and makes the color of the wood off. There are plenty of scratches, but the edges and corners seem to be in decent enough condition. Someone has had their hand on and in these. The top of one of the enclosures has already been sanded for about 3 to 4 minutes. Thankfully, they stopped! No real damage, but it forces me to refinish these sooner rather than later.

The bad tweeter was already out of the enclosure when I picked them up. The wires for the tweeter are cut, and there's 1 missing wire going from the pot to the strip that goes to the mid and woofer. The strip on the back of the tweeter box is broken off and blowing around inside the enclosure. But the other enclosure is completely intact and I can just copy what needs to be done from there.

Someone has replaced the batting with something modern. I don't know if this is an issue, I wish I had the original.

THERE'S NO SAND FILLED BACK. Not sure what that's all about. The 1" walnut veneered back with brass screws all looks original.

Santa mentioned that he thought there were serial #266 or something along those lines. I can't find any reference to serial numbers on the enclosure. The drivers are marked 1961.

I will remove the rest of the drivers to inspect the surrounds, just to make sure everything is as it should be. The other tweeter will have to be removed. If it still "works", it won't be for long.

These W70's are going to require some effort to bring them back to life. But compared to the Altec's, these are going to be a BREEZE.















Biggles

Sweeeet! Can't wait to see the progression.

Congrats Biggles, I think you're gonna love them with your Scott after they're restored!

I can't wait to see the progression too. Yes, they're slated for the little Scott. Well, okay, so is the Super 12 project I'm in the middle of. Maybe I need another tube powered rig.

Biggles

It looks as though the baffles are going to have to come out. I read another thread here done by a guy in Poland. It'll take some effort, but I need be able to sand the wood trim around the grill easily.

Speaking of which, that wood trim around the grill is not walnut veneer. It looks like some kind of colored stain was used. This should be interesting to get it to match the veneer.

Also, it does look like some of the veneer was sanded through on the top. But it's small and I'm not going to worry about it.

Biggles

Very nice snag. I enjoy the hell out of my W60s. Good luck with the tweeter!

Interesting they have flame surrounds on the tweeter as that would mean either they were replacements or are very early using the prior generation tweeter. Biggs was the first to use foam surrounds and quickly found it just dissolved so, went back to the original surrounds when the W series came out. You may want to shop for a pair of SuperTweeter 3s without the foam. There have been a number of persons looking for someone to redo the surrounds on yours and I think someone mentioned someone. You may want to search the threads. Wharfedale did not offer kits or repair these, just opting to replace them with the later nonfoam tweeters even after the warranty ran. We had a number come through our repair department as we were Wharfedale dealers.

Are you sure the backs are not sand filled? I have never seen a set that is not but if yours are very early, it is possible. That was a big selling feature of the series. Look along the edges for some round or square markings. These may be the filled in holes. I have seen some of these where the caution was not pressure stamps but ink stamped and over the years has faded away.

Figure on changing the caps. Interesting cap you are showing. Look for a pair in oil for a good replacement. Those alnico drivers are so music and liquid in presentation. When I listen to my W70s I totally relax and distress. Congrats on getting some very fine speakers.

Editor's Note: The backs do actually have sand in them. I've never had my hands on any Wharfedale enclosure. I expected the backs and the enclosures to be quite a bit heavier. I shook them, they gots sand.

Okay, Meathenge Speaker Lab is now full. There's no more room for active projects! I now have to actually complete something before I tackle another one.

The baffle is dreadfully easy to loosen up, but it doesn't come out. Well, okay it does come out but the glued/nailed bracing in the back would have to come out. This is FINE !!! All I needed to do was to be able to sand the trim in front without screwing up the cloth. I can make this work.

Both the mid and woofer's surround seems to be in fine shape, all adhered in all the right places. Woot!

The grill frame is a little wonky, no biggie. A little wood glue and some clamps, complete.



Biggles

Brian said:

Interesting they have flame surrounds on the tweeter as that would mean either they were replacements or are very early using the prior generation tweeter. Biggs was the first to use foam surrounds and quickly found it just dissolved so, went back to the original surrounds when the W series came out. You may want to shop for a pair of SuperTweeter 3s without the foam. There have been a number of persons looking for someone to redo the surrounds on yours and I think someone mentioned someone. You may want to search the threads. Wharfedale did not offer kits or repair these, just opting to replace them with the later nonfoam tweeters even after the warranty ran. We had a number come through our repair department as we were Wharfedale dealers.

Are you sure the backs are not sand filled? I have never seen a set that is not but if yours are very early, it is possible. That was a big selling feature of the series. Look along the edges for some round or square markings. These may be the filled in holes. I have seen some of these where the caution was not pressure stamps but ink stamped and over the years has faded away.

Figure on changing the caps. Interesting cap you are showing. Look for a pair in oil for a good replacement. Those alnico drivers are so music and liquid in presentation. When I listen to my W70s I totally relax and distress. Congrats on getting some very fine speakers.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much for stopping by Brian, it's hugely appreciated. As it turns out, the backs are filled with sand. The weight threw me off, just didn't seem heavy enough to me. When I shook them, sand.

Lucky for me, I recently purchased a pair of stunning ceramic Super 3's in their original boxes and black cloth bags. I had slated them for my Super 12 project, but this has now changed. I'll put the Super 3's in this pair instead. I'll finish up my Super 12 project and run them full range. Hopefully, I can find another pair of Super 3's for them at some point in my future.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=599856



I also have a small handful of PCB soaked 4uF oil filled capacitors, I'm set. I'll check them before I install them, but I should be fine.

OH, and I haven't opened up the other tweeter box. So, who knows what's hiding in there.

Biggles

Congrats on finally finding your pair of Wharfies Bigs! I always enjoy your resto write-ups. I thought I jumped all over projects when I acquire something new and exciting but man you are all over this! If you didn't have to wait for periods of time for glue/filler/finishes to dry you'd probably have these ready to go tomorrow afternoon

Look forward to the next exciting installment

enjoy~Brian

Sandstrom said:

Congrats on finally finding your pair of Wharfies Bigs! I always enjoy your resto write-ups. I thought I jumped all over projects when I acquire something new and exciting but man you are all over this! If you didn't have to wait for periods of time for glue/filler/finishes to dry you'd probably have these ready to go tomorrow afternoon

Look forward to the next exciting installment

enjoy~Brian

Click to expand...

I know, right. I'm so excited I can't see straight. I'm going to try my hardest to finish up the Super 12 project, just gotta. Buuuut, I really want to get that old lacquer off these things ...

Biggles

Those new Super3s are what appear in W70s or at least all I have seen. So, you are good to go as you even have the caps. I hope you enjoy yourself as I do enjoy no, love mine.

Brian said:

Those new Super3s are what appear in W70s or at least all I have seen. So, you are good to go as you even have the caps. I hope you enjoy yourself as I do enjoy no, love mine.

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Oh, you can count on the enjoyment factor. It's already there in spades. Some day would like to find some Danish modern, rounded legs/feet for them. I figure about 6" would be about right.

I've already got tomorrow figured out. Other than food shopping and cooking dinner, I have the day open. Am going to start out with the Super 12 project, gotta keep that rolling along. Then, when I can make some noise, I'll drag the W70's out and get to sanding at least the one enclosure. I also want to pull the other tweeter and see what that's all about. Oh, and maybe test the capacitors I have on hand.

Hooyah !!!!

Biggles

Hey Biggles, wish I would have known you were a fellow AK'er when I saw you at santa's place today. Looks like a great score.:thmbsp: I made a pretty good score as well.:yes: It was actually a win, win deal. Good luck with the Wharfedale project.

Nice goin' there... Gonna' have to change your AK username to Dr. Briggles.

With the sand-filled backs, a lot of transporting/moving them around can cause a bit of sand-leakage (I noticed this when moving some of my Wharfie pairs), so if you notice a significant amount of room left inside one of both of the panels, you can always remove the wood plug and add more, I guess, although I've never tried before. Whatever the case, those panels really work.

And those Super 3's had either the early foam surrounds or a woolen material (In my W90's, the mids and tweets have the wool ones... Could that have disintegrated somehow in his? I've never seen W70's that didn't have the wool ones, but if they're early ones, I suppose anything is possible. I seem to remember the Briggs/Wharfedale book saying that the original W60 used a W12/FS woofer, which I thought was maybe a clerical/editing mistake, but I suppose it could be true for the ones made during 1960p ppl 0p(By the way, the W70 was ALSO introduced in 1960, just a matter of months after the debut of the W60... I've seen W70 ads from as early as November, 1960, plus I believe Gilbert Briggs hosted the last of his live vs recorded events that year as well).

I think you'll really like those. They should be delightful when they're running in that sweet spot range, and knowing how my W90's are, it shouldn't take much volume for those W70's to reach it. If you're able to salvage one or both of those original alnico Super 3's, do so. There is something magical about those things. Plus, I love how versatile it is. It can be used in direct/front-firing applications as well as upfiring, and can even be free-air-mounted.

Wouldn't the cabs benefit from some bracing?

Nice pickup, my 1969 w70Ds have the same cabinet. I got lucky, mine are in decent shape and don't need to be refinished. When I first got mine I was looking at them saying to myself, if I ever want to refinish these things the baffles will have to come out and that doesn't look like it will be too much fun. Mine had the the purple tweets and one of them was bad. I threw in a pair of Polk SL2000 domes as a temporary measure till I can get a hold of a pair of Super 3s. Even without the right tweets they sound great on my EL84 SEP amp.

drbiggles said:

Maybe I need another tube powered rig.

Biggles

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I suspect something good will follow you home in the next year or two.

Organ transplant???

I see you're well into another project!

Per you;
"Lucky for me, I recently purchased a pair of stunning ceramic Super 3's in their original boxes and black cloth bags. I had slated them for my Super 12 project, but this has now changed. I'll put the Super 3's in this pair instead. I'll finish up my Super 12 project and run them full range. Hopefully, I can find another pair of Super 3's for them at some point in my future."

Per me;
I've got one dead (alnico) Super 3, and another very likely. I picked them up in a very sweet deal with some other drivers. Was told they had been re-foamed "in Florida". (Didn't know anyone was doing that.) Little gray surrounds look like new.

Anyway, I think I cooked at least one voice coil in my first attempt at bi-amping with active cross-over. :tears: (More about that in a future post.) So, anyway, beautiful surrounds, but dead VC. Maybe you could graft my cones into your drivers? Dunno. Pretty sure mine have spiders. I'll check that.

But......., I'm packing to move household this week, and the dust won't settle til mid-February. PM me maybe.....:scratch2:

I'll be right behind you on the household move. Looking for just the right place. Looking at more of them this week.

I'm listening to my W90's as I type this. Willie Hutch. Soundtrack of the movie "The Mack". There's something about the way the big Wharfies handle that late '60's and early '70's movie music. "Bullitt", "Shaft", "The Taking Of Pelham 123", "Truck Turner", etc. They just do it right. The horns, guitars, strings, and funky beats, etc. I live for that stuff.