Let's have a thread about painting speakers.

[Beosystem10]

Cheers Si, have you ever got any of the paint on foam surrounds during a cone painting operation and did the foam survive if so? That's what scares me about this task; wrecking the foam and having to do that job again.

 

[Northerner]

I keep the paint away from any parts that flex, got a reasonably steady hand so it's not tricky. Can't see acrylic paint causing any issues myself

 

[Beosystem10]

I need to find a polystyrene cup, that's the same sort of foam as the surrounds. Then I'll try some paint on that and see whether it hardens or melts and if neither of these things happens, I'll give it a go. I already had a shot with the bathroom ceiling paint suitably watered down and fired at some old cone paper from a massive old Grundig that should really go to the landfill site, that landed on the paper as practically no more than a mist coat and certainly looked promising so if that paint doesn't attack the foam, I'll use that on the basis that I already have it here and also that there's some ready mixed in the reservoir on the airbrush.

Or maybe I'll chicken out and live with the way the speakers in the PC-5 look. I may yet paint the PC-11 ones though, their suspension rings are textile-based so won't melt and I have spare ones.

 

[im_alan_partridge]

Ive also never painted any speakers. I do have a few boxes which have stained speakers, do people generally clean these or just paint over the stains?

 

[oldskool69]

I have repainted all my speakers. (Still have a couple to do...) Although bleaching works, it tends to leave a yellowish hue, even if ever so slight. The other problem is that the minerals dry out the cone to the point it is brittle and can affect the adhesives holding the surround and other items together.

Use of acrylics when done properly yields the results you see in some of my pics.

Spray painting is fine as long as you control the mist and keep it light. I tend to brush mine on as it gives better control for me personally.

As far as the surrounds go, if they are foam/rubber/fabric use a Sharpie to restore the black if you get a bit of paint on them. I do have some that are white as well but like the discolored (aged) look against the white cones.

(And as long as we're sharing tips...You can get surrounds without buying new...Get a set of cheapo speakers from a thrifty, etc. Believe it or not, you will find that they have cloth or rubber surrounds. They can be recovered. More on that later. )

 

[Reli]

I have repainted all my speakers. (Still have a couple to do...) Although bleaching works, it tends to leave a yellowish hue, even if ever so slight. The other problem is that the minerals dry out the cone to the point it is brittle and can affect the adhesives holding the surround and other items together.

Use of acrylics when done properly yields the results you see in some of my pics.

Spray painting is fine as long as you control the mist and keep it light. I tend to brush mine on as it gives better control for me personally.

As far as the surrounds go, if they are foam/rubber/fabric use a Sharpie to restore the black if you get a bit of paint on them. I do have some that are white as well but like the discolored (aged) look against the white cones.

(And as long as we're sharing tips...You can get surrounds without buying new...Get a set of cheapo speakers from a thrifty, etc. Believe it or not, you will find that they have cloth or rubber surrounds. They can be recovered. More on that later. )

Yeah your boxes in that other thread look good. What brand paint do you use?

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

I have repainted all my speakers. (Still have a couple to do...) Although bleaching works, it tends to leave a yellowish hue, even if ever so slight. The other problem is that the minerals dry out the cone to the point it is brittle and can affect the adhesives holding the surround and other items together.

Use of acrylics when done properly yields the results you see in some of my pics.

Spray painting is fine as long as you control the mist and keep it light. I tend to brush mine on as it gives better control for me personally.

As far as the surrounds go, if they are foam/rubber/fabric use a Sharpie to restore the black if you get a bit of paint on them. I do have some that are white as well but like the discolored (aged) look against the white cones.

(And as long as we're sharing tips...You can get surrounds without buying new...Get a set of cheapo speakers from a thrifty, etc. Believe it or not, you will find that they have cloth or rubber surrounds. They can be recovered. More on that later. )

OK, I have to ask if you have experienced any sound differences?

There are many many threads talking about painting speakers and the sound being different. Some say yes, some say no, but most haven't done very many.

But you have done allot of them now on many different systems.

So, In your PROFESSIONAL Opinion, do you notice a sound difference?

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

I prefer careful tape & knife work over a brush. Once I have the woofer taped off, I can dust it with very light coats until even coverage & the minimal amount of paint is used so that the sound of the woofer isn't too compromised with extra or uneven weight...I wish I knew someone with some sick airbrush skillz. I would commission them to do some artwork on my M90 cones....that would be a first....

Cpl

 

[ford93]

Superlew I just love that Maroon color on that Panny!

As for me I've used fabric spray to paint my M-90 speakers and a coat of clear to give it that original look that the M-90 had when it came out of the factory. For the center caps you must find the right size cap to cover the center.

I actually learned this from the other site can't remember if it was Patron that introduced this paint.

All I know is that my M-90 speakers are still holding up after 6 yrs. that they have been painted. As performance goes it sounds exactly as it did before and after.

 

[toshik]

Let's lift up the older thread - how would I know what was the original color of speakers cones on Sharp GF-999?
For example, on National RX-7200 they are dual-tone pictured below. Center parts are originally brownish paper with only black surroundings.
Painting this into black would make it look fresh and at the same time completely ruin the authentic look.
Pictures of GF-999 I've found on the web show mostly dual-tone cones in the center speakers and all brownish paper on outside speakers.
However there are some plain-blacks - I guess repainted or replaced speakers?

 

[MyOhMy]

I love this thread!

 

[stosoorok]

Let's lift up the older thread - how would I know what was the original color of speakers cones on Sharp GF-999?
For example, on National RX-7200 center parts are originally brownish paper with only black surroundings.
Painting this into black would make it look fresh and at the same time completely ruin the authentic look.

Same here, I have 777 with brownish speaker cones. I've seen dark grey and black cones, I think maybe dark grey is the right color because if you look it from the behind you'll see the same color!

 

[stosoorok]

This might be the 777's original color! Try to view it with IPS monitor/screen, I have totally different color with laptop screen or Dell FHD IPS!