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K-150 questions [message #9238] Tue, 19 February 2008 15:13 Go to next message
zombiewolf is currently offline  zombiewolf
Messages: 12
Registered: January 2008
Location: New England
Junior Member
Hi everyone, I'm new to owning a vintage Kustom and found this great site which, has answered many of the quetions I've had. I had a chance to buy this K-150-2 combo amp serial# 66668,(age?) charcoal, in pretty good shape on the outside with vintage cigarette burns and all. The previous owner warned me it needed a new speaker and he was right. One question I had was , to remedy the blown speaker, am I best off reconing that speaker alone or should I have them both redone or should I buy new replacements for it? I'm pretty sure the speakers in it are original. It seems all the options cost about the same. I'm new to electric having played mostly acoustic for the past few decades. Does this mean I'm old? Thanks for any help. Rick
Re: K-150 questions [message #9239 is a reply to message #9238] Tue, 19 February 2008 20:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
LesS is currently offline  LesS
Messages: 477
Registered: December 2002
Senior Member
Rick,
Welcome to the site!
After you get 3 or 4 more Kustoms you will feel a lot younger.
Is your model number K150-7 ?
The K150-7 takes two 12 inch speakers.
The K150-8 takes two or four 10 inch speakers.
For serial number 66668, the production date is Feb 2, 1971, plus or minus a few weeks.
My opinion is that I would not recone the bad speaker - I would look on ebay for a replacement. What kind is it ?
I'm guessiing CTS; the KEI speakers started later - around May 1971.
-Les S
Re: K-150 questions [message #9243 is a reply to message #9239] Wed, 20 February 2008 14:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
zombiewolf is currently offline  zombiewolf
Messages: 12
Registered: January 2008
Location: New England
Junior Member
Hey Les,
Thanks for the info and the welcome. I'm keeping my eyes open for Kustoms now that I have started my collection. I've warned the wife already!
I'm having a hard time reading the model # on the i.d. plate(lost glasses) so it could be an 8 instead of a 2 at the end. It does have 10" speakers. Why not go with a recone? Are recones inferior in some way? Thanks again, Rick
Re: K-150 questions [message #9244 is a reply to message #9243] Wed, 20 February 2008 16:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
C4ster
Messages: 686
Registered: June 2001
Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
Senior Member
Recones are no different than the original speaker. All the parts are removed, I call it the autopsy and replaced with new. That's eveything except the frame and magnet. I do my own and I get the kits from Florida. It is rather putzy to do them and you get one, that's 1 chance to do it right. For a Jensen C12N speaker is cost me $45 for the kit alone and then you need the patience to do it right. For $45 you can get an Ebay speaker but the quality can be suspect. I got 2 JBL E140 speakers from a guy that threw, yes threw the 2 speakers in a box with some packing peanuts and sent them out. The cones were destroyed by the time I got them. They were reconed by a professional and they live today but the cost effectively doubled. Do a little research and you will find reconing is the way to go. It will just tie up the amp for a few days until the speakers come back. And, only do the ones that need to be done. There are only a few things that can go wrong. First is total burn-out. That is infinite ohms across the 2 speaker terminals. Open circuit. The next is a good coil that is warped and rubbing on the pole piece. That can happen when you drive the speaker too hard and overheat the coil. There is only .030" to .060" around the magnet pole so there isn't much room. Either way, the speaker is toast. A ripped cone can be fixed in a number of ways including RTV. A tired speaker, that's one that does not return to the middle of the excursion, in and out will not reproduce the sounds properly but again, reconing is in order. In general, either it's good or bad. No in between.
Conrad
Re: K-150 questions [message #9245 is a reply to message #9244] Wed, 20 February 2008 16:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
zombiewolf: Welcome!
As Conrad sez, reconing is like rebuilding. Sometimes a speaker is damaged in such a way as to not be recone-able (bent frame, shifted pole gap, etc.).

The only reason I can see for not reconing, is that often the new recone kits will make the speaker sound different or louder/softer than the original one.

Again, welcome to the board.
Re: K-150 questions [message #9249 is a reply to message #9244] Thu, 21 February 2008 20:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
zombiewolf is currently offline  zombiewolf
Messages: 12
Registered: January 2008
Location: New England
Junior Member
Conrad,
Thanks for the input. I guess I'll have to do a little autopsy myself to see exactly what's wrong with the speaker. I'd love to try the recone myself but will probably send it out if its repairable. Thanks again,I'll keep you posted. Rick
Re: K-150 questions [message #9250 is a reply to message #9245] Thu, 21 February 2008 20:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
zombiewolf is currently offline  zombiewolf
Messages: 12
Registered: January 2008
Location: New England
Junior Member
chicagobill,
Thanks for the welcome and the input also. The amp is on my kitchen table, for the speaker removal operation, I'll be as gentle as a surgeon. Thanks again, Rick
Re: K-150 questions [message #9253 is a reply to message #9249] Fri, 22 February 2008 08:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
C4ster
Messages: 686
Registered: June 2001
Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
Senior Member
Hey Rick,
Go ahead and try it. There is absolutley no harm in trying. Just be prepared to throw the recone away if you mess it up. That's all. Just take your time and fit everything before you glue. The epoxy takes time to cure so you have some time to align everything. When you cut the speaker, take some pictures if will help your memory. Cut the cone at the outer edge leaving the seals in the frame until you have the cone removed. Then cut around the dust cover and remove the cone. then you can see the spider. Cut off the dust cover and then you can see the inside of the voice coil. Cut the spider and remove the voice coil, all the while taking note of the relative positions of everything. Once the VC is removed, tape over the magnet gap to keep debris from getting in there. You can use masking tape folded sticky side out to clean the gap and a good vacuum to finish the job. Then scrape off the remaining spider material, and mounting gaskets and if necessary a wire brush or sanding disk in a Dremel tool will finish cleaning the glued surfaces. Then start your reassembly. Use the instructions from the kit and take your time to reassemble it. Don't glue anything until you are sure everything is aligned. Remember you get 1 attempt. Good luck. It is very rewarding to successfully recone your own speakers. I have 2 Jensens and 4 JBLs waiting for resurrection.
Conrad
Re: K-150 questions [message #9333 is a reply to message #9238] Wed, 19 March 2008 08:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
zombiewolf is currently offline  zombiewolf
Messages: 12
Registered: January 2008
Location: New England
Junior Member
Hi again to all,
Sorry to be such a slug in updating due to a family crisis. I have removed the speakers and checked them over and found no tears or damage to the cones so I'm not certain what the problem could be. A band mate has 2 eminence speakers,16 ohm, he is going to let me try on the amp to test it. Of course when I removed the speakers I assumed that I would remember where the wires attached to them but due to a case of CRS I haven't a clue. the main wire from the amp to the 1st speaker is still untouched but not sure if it's wired in series or parralell to the other speaker. Please help!!! Thanks, Rick
Re: K-150 questions [message #9334 is a reply to message #9333] Wed, 19 March 2008 11:25 Go to previous message
LesS is currently offline  LesS
Messages: 477
Registered: December 2002
Senior Member
I'm not too good with the K150 combos but usually they had stronger speakers than the K100 combos due to the additional power... so the stock 2x10 speakers could be 16 ohms each, wired in parallel. Otherwise they would be 8 ohms each, wired in series.

(The K100 2x10 combos normally had two 8 ohm speakers, wired in series.)
-Les S
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