Ohm Walsh F Hope of Resurrection

Not just rebuilds.   They provide parts, trade-ins and upgrade services for every model they have ever built and they have been around since ~ 1970 or so.  Options for each model are outlined on the website. Nobody else I know of does that.   

Duke,
Great analogy! The original quote was about wineskins. New wine could not be put into old (already stretched) wineskins, because the fermentation would rupture them. 

Speaking of rupture, one of the seams along the front of cabinet is splitting, so that would have to be considered, too. I'm sure there could be discussion of how the restorer might address it. 

My recollection is the Ohm trade-in policy is that cabinets have to be in good enough condition for restoration so they can be refurbed and reused. Drivers do not matter.

I traded in an old pair of Walsh 2s and a pair of C2s towards mine and that lowered the price substantially. Plus it was summer sale time.

Looking at some very interesting options. Thanks to everyone who has participated! 

Hooked them up; even though the surrounds look ratty and the one spider sags, they are sounding pretty (given condition). Frustrating info on these pertains to some driver refurbishers not wising to even redo the surround. To send them back for complete overhaul of speaker, to make the old boy like new, we’re talking likely close to $7.5K, maybe more incl. shipping. I wasn’t looking to drop several grand on this.

Add to it that the cabinets are toast, would have to be replaced. So, in a sense, the speakers in terms of complete refurb are worth about a negative $100. Not my ideal of an inexpensive retro project.

Running into all sorts of conflicting info on merits of reconditioning driver, parts, etc. Spoke with Dale Harder, an encyclopedia on the speaker. I have a call in to Bill at Millersound to see about that possibility. BTW, everyone has been super-supportive and helpful! Thanks!

Isn’t that the way it goes? You think you may have a fix, perhaps in your back yard, Chicago area. No, they say, it’s thousands and half way across the country.

It gets to the point you say maybe do it yourself. Then you hear you get one shot, the slightest slip on this driver’s alignment and it’s over. It’s not like there are multiples of these cones are sitting around everywhere. Bummer.

Comments, suggestions, especially from people who have refurbished, redone drivers, more recently? My ideal would be to not have to ship (I would drive 150mi or so from Chicago area), and to start with replacing the surround to see if that is good enough.

I’m told that the spider can be helped by turning the unit upside down when not in use, and someone put a "stiffener" on it (coating) without hindrance.

My initial goal was to do an inexpensive repair and have some fun. But, I"m open to all comments.

BTW, I'm not trying intentionally to be cheap. I don't need a new reference speaker. This is supposed to be inexpensive fun. I'm torn between what I can get away with in terms of using it, and what it could be. But, a few hundred bucks to $1K, and $7K is a BIG gap.