Reconing speakers

[Securb]

The local guy that did reconing is long gone. I am considering reconing a couple of old beat-up Utahs myself. I have watched it done a few times and it looks pretty easy. Has anyone here reconed their own speakers and are there any pitfalls I should look out for?

The other thing I am considering is whether should I match with vintage-style cones or maybe update the speakers to hemp cones or something different.

 

[trevorus]

Make sure you clean up any ferrous material nearby!

 

[Securb]

Jeez, I started looking at recone kits they are $55 - ~$85, it makes more sense to just buy another speaker and throw the old ones away.

 

[GuitarStv]

The problem with reconing is that it usually changes the sound of the speaker. Might sound great afterwards, or might sound not so good. Buying a new speaker you know what you're getting at least.

 

[Securb]

The problem with reconing is that it usually changes the sound of the speaker. Might sound great afterwards, or might sound not so good. Buying a new speaker you know what you're getting at least.

Agreed but these are vintage speakers I would like to save. I found the same era and type used for $70 - $100.

 

[GuitarStv]

Agreed but these are vintage speakers I would like to save. I found the same era and type used for $70 - $100.

Gotcha. Vintage stuff you probably don't really have other options than reconing. Good news is that once you're done it should basically be a new speaker . . . should last you 40-50 years at least if you treat it right.

 

[trevorus]

Also, breaking in speakers is a thing in my experience.

 

[Securb]

Also, breaking in speakers is a thing in my experience.

Definitely a thing. For my last fresh set of speakers, I plugged a looper into the amp and let it play while I was at work each day for about a week. Lots of chugs and lots of highs in the loops.

 

[trevorus]

Definitely a thing. For my last fresh set of speakers, I plugged a looper into the amp and let it play while I was at work each day for about a week. Lots of chugs and lots of highs in the loops.

I built a 212 plexi combo, with fresh WGS speakers. I thought something was wrong when I started playing it. So, I ran a headphone cable and played music through it for a day. Not super loud, about mid level. It really opened everything up!

 

[SlyFoxx]

My old fender came with Utah's that were terrible. Are you digging the current units or are you just feeling like keeping things OEM for other reasons?

 

[Securb]

My old fender came with Utah's that were terrible. Are you digging the current units or are you just feeling like keeping things OEM for other reasons?

I removed the Utahs because they were so beat up. I replaced them with Type As. I was thinking about building a 2x12 tweed cab with the Utahs.

 

[Ewizard]

I have done a few re-cones over the years of pro-audio speakers. The job itself is pretty easy. The hardest part is worrying that you have the cone centered in the gap. There is generally a tool that comes with the re-cone kit for that. Aside form that it is easy. But for a $20 disparity, you may as well buy a real one.

 

[idsnowdog]

Places that do speaker reconing tend to be audiophiles who take their job seriously so you get the benefit of their experience. You can expect around $100-150 per speaker. Buying a kit and doing it yourself is a bit more iffy because there's the possibility of doing it wrong or the kits not being exact spec. So you would need to compare their specs to make sure you're getting the right parts.