Realistic Mach One Restoration!

[mikey3117]

I found these locally a week ago for $40! The cabs were in great shape! Very few dings, very little edge wear.....just a tired finish. I carefully sanded the cabinet since the veneer is not that thick....and was able to remove the old finish. First with 150 grit, then 220, then 400. I used wood filler in a few places but again these cabs were already in great shape! Then it was 7 coats of "high gloss" tung oil with some light finish sanding in between. It was finished with a paste wax, and they really shine! I'm very pleased with the results, they aren't mint, but they are a solid 9 out of 10! I disassembled the Lpads, cleaning and lubricating them. They are like new! I cleaned and detailed the midrange horn and assembly.....a big chore! Then the rest of the baffle, etc. I was fortunate that all drivers were in great shape when these were rescued. The only flaw is the previous owner installed the grills on upside down (typical!) leaving the noticeable indent on the foams. I was going to have them refoamed but it just simply isn't necessary yet. I'm off to my local speaker repair shop tomorrow to get some replacement grill cloth, so that's tomorrow night's project! :yes: Then they will be finished! This was another fun speaker restoration project. I detailed in another thread my HPM-100 resto that I finished a couple weeks ago, that one was more extensive as I had to replace nearly all the drivers, etc. But fortunately these Mach Ones were complete, functional, and had decent cabs to begin with. So just like the HPM-100's, I now have another pair of speakers that I've always wanted since I was a kid. I remember drooling over these when I was 12yo in 1980 at my local Radio Shack, I never realized it would be 26 years later before I'd own a pair! Oh well, better late than never! Now these aren't in the same class as my HPM's or my Marantz HD-880's, but the cabinet contruction is fairly robust for an RS product. Sonically they are a notch below as well but who cares! They still sound great, look great, and a childhood dream fulfilled! Now where the hell am I going to put them?

 

[Paul C]

They look great! Wood looks perfect. Did you spray paint the horns or just clean well?

As far as the dents on the foam, maybe that will work out over time. If the foam is in good condition otherwise, no, I wouldn't refoam.

Isn't the grill cloth just glued to the back of the frame? Use Aleene's 7800 craft glue. You can also use Tacky glue like you use for gluing spkr surrounds.

As for drooling over them, I did the same but was in my 30's.

Anyway, congrats!

 

[Unican_Eric]

Very nice job.......Excellent!!
I would love to hear a nice set of Mach Ones, I think I was a wee little fellow the last time I heard a set of those.
What are you gonna pair them up with?

 

[mikey3117]

Actually the horns were just cleaned...fortunately everything was in great shape! The grill cloth is actually stapled onto the grill frame, just like my HPM's...

"What are you gonna pair them up with?"

I don't know yet....I do have the Realistic STA-2100 sitting in the closet begging to be hooked up to these...

 

[Eunomians]

Those cabs looks amazing! One fine day I would love to embark on a Mach One restoration project... But first, I gotta pick up a pair. I am so curious about how they sound.

You gotta whip out the STA-2100, I bet they're a mach, uuuuhhh I mean, match made in heaven

 

[billyboyJBL]

YES ,YES I CAN HEAR THE STA -2100 BEGGING!!!!YEA :thmbsp:

 

[krazyknuc]

Very Nice Work !!!
Kinda makes my scuffed and dusty pair pale in comparision.
I have wondered for a while now what improvements could be made by recapping the Crossover......... :scratch2:
I'll bet they sound great with the 2100 :thmbsp:

 

[quietlymknnoise]

I worked for the Shack in the early 80's in their computer dept. The kids would turn the Mach's up so loud your chest would thump.

 

[macaltec]

Those look AAAAwwwwssssomme !

 

[Mr Slabi]

Those came out amazing. Awsome job indeed :tresbon:

I guess I should do mine, If only I had the time.
Remember to put the little fabric hanging puller on the bottom when you re-cover the grills. Mine are the first I've ever seen where they haven't been yanked off.

 

[bully]

Actually I don't think they're a notch below the HD-880, and you'll find that they're very good with a wide range of music.
I picked out a pair for a friend that only listens to classical and opera. They did great with the STA-2100 I picked for him, too. WEll, hey, RS had a great warranty, too.

 

[mikey3117]

Do you guys think I should stick with the stock brown color for the cloth or maybe something else that would really make them stand out.... Sandstone, tan, JBL orange? :scratch2:

 

[BruceRPA]

I like the original brown, or was it black?. I think the PartsExpress brown is pretty close. Good tip on that little pull tab Mr Slabi!

Fo those Mach 1 fans there is an older thread and story that might be amusing http://audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=616226&postcount=14

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

Lookin' Goooood! :yes:

 

[DaveElton]

Mikey, those look great!!!!!!!!!! : I have a line on getting a pair of those here maybe this month, and those pics made me drool even more!! :yes: Like you, I always wanted a pair growing up, but couldnt afford them,,in fact, in late '79, thru the end of their production run I used to sell them at the Local RS store here..I did end up getting a pair of the Mach 2's that I really enjoy, and was wondering if you have done a comparison between the both series yet..???? Like you, I will have "better-sounding" speakers, but I have always "Wanted" a pair of the Mach 1's :yes: :yes: Thanks again for the pics!!

 

[madpioneer]

They look awesome! :thmbsp:
took me 25 years to find a pair myself. My cabs need restoring so I will take note of your work and try my luck this fall when this dog day heat lets up! :scratch2:

My Mach Ones here

 

[mikey3117]

New grill cloth!

Okay guys! New brown grill cloth replaces the old tired cloth, and now these Mach Ones look like they just came out of a time capsule! I haven't had a chance to connect them to the main system yet for a decent listening session, but I will soon. So I'll post a review in the next few days. I'll A/B them with my HPM-100's! I'm really pleased with the way these turned out! It's not often we rescue these things in as good as condition as these were! They were just basically dirty and neglected....with a tired, dull finish. I paid $40 for the speakers, $8 for grill cloth and new velcro, and I already had the refinishing supplies. So for roughly $50, I've turned them into a set of Mach Ones that could easily command $300 on ebay! No way I'm selling, these are keepers!

Now let's all take a minute and position ourselves toward Fort Worth, TX and thank almighty Tandy for at least bringing us the Mach One! :ntwrthy:

 

[Mr Slabi]

Those look simply amazing Mikey. Very nicely done :thmbsp:

 

[djgaloot]

Great Job! They look brand new, I have never heard a pair but they sure LOOK fantastic.
dave

 

[Suzanne]

Realistic Mach Two Speakers

Hi Mikey,

I read your posts about the Mach Two restoration with interest. I have a pair of Mach Two speakers that need to have the woofers replaced. Can you or anyone tell me a source for compatible woofers? Thanks for any information you can give.

Suzanne