How to Repair Damaged Speaker Cabinet (Cerwin Vega D9 Restoration Part 3)

Now that the vinyl veneer has been stripped off it is time to fix up all the damage that has happened to these Cerwin Vega D9 speakers over the years. Not only am I repairing it but I also upgrade some internal bracing so that these King of the D series D9 speakers will look and sound great for another 30+ years.

[@wwz1011]

I've used bondo for similar repairs on wood. It is very sandable. Painting that groove was genius!

[@choronzo202]

Really cool that you take your time to show tips and tricks for all the Vega savers out there!

[@jayb9687]

Just picked up a pair of D9's for a hundred bucks. Thinking I'll restore them like you're doing. Just need to finish my other 101 projects I got going.

[@johnnycee5179]

My Pioneer cabinets are damaged but the speakers and cross over are in great shape.

[@funkytechnician1]

Your a very skilled technician, good work

[@SavingVegas]

Thanks 👍

[@kilgoretrout4461]

Love this stuff man. Good job on saving Vega’s. I don’t save vega’s, but I do save lots of other stuff i.e. Heathkit’s, Martin Logans, Triad’s, Definitive Technology, Klipsch, Focal, etc etc etc. I’ve been experimenting with a bunch of different epoxy putty’s, bondo, wood fillers, and for some reason, even though I’ve been meaning to, haven’t gotten around to actually using some two part epoxy I have on hand. I think it would have saved me a tooon of time, in repairing subwoofer corners specifically. But thanks man. Much appreciated.

[@jeffreyabercrombie]

Crazy the 15 is screwed into only 1/2 inch or less of wood, hey man good work.. 👍🏻

[@SavingVegas]

Thanks! Yeah they probably could have designed the enclosure better but when built to a price point some things get overlooked.

[@tmdillon1969]

I didn't have any epoxy lying around so I bought some "Plastic Wood" brand filler. It's garbage! The first time I moved a cabinet it started flaking off and I was back to square one on the corners. So I bought some of the JB Weld bondo type 2 part filler and that worked a lot better. It doesn't have a long working time so the last corner suffered from me trying to force setting material into the damaged area. I need to find something like this Chem 3000 for future projects in a smaller format. I found the Chemtec online but it's a big ass container and pretty expensive.

[@williamcunningham1614]

Well done. Thank you.

[@thanhngo4697]

What is brand two part epoxy, do you used ? Thanks man 👍

[@2000nurek]

great videos. one qustion though... I understand putting the bracing inside to make the strucure more solid , but... does it not change thequality of the resonant and sounf of the speaker ? im not that purist but still there must have been reason why they originally didnt do it ?

[@SavingVegas]

The reason they didn't do it is because it costs them more money to do so. More material, more weight when shipping and more time to construct. All this adds up to is more cost and the average person is never going to notice most likely. When you are listening to a speaker you want to hear the speaker, not all the noise that the box is making. I really should have put more bracing in this speaker and probably will be in the future.

[@troy7903]

Awesome bro!!!

[@MrBradleya16]

Is that resin strong enough for PA Cab use? Or would it break of a corner as soon as I sling the cab into the back of the van?

[@JG0929]

These videos are great. Question - how are the front panels attached? Why not remove them to make renovations easier? Thanks!

[@SavingVegas]

The cabinets are glued together and trying to remove the front baffle could cause further damage to the rest of the cabinet, much easier to repair as they sit. I did however consider using my table saw and just cut to front right off and replace with all new but I decided against it.

[@randymills4276]

I just landed a pair of VS-80's which I need to recover and re-foam. There is little insulation in these, about 1/4" thick. I have some much thicker 1/2 or so, and I'm thinking of adding some foil or shielding paint to shield these. do you think the added thickness is too much for these cabinets, is the shielding paint a wise move? TIA

[@SavingVegas]

I don't think the thickness would make much difference, at least not enough to make replacing the original material worth it if it's still good.

[@quiksr20]

Awesome video series, Just picked up a set of DX-7's in great shape but the bottom base is beat up. Does it just remove with some prying? From your video looked just like a few nails. Id love to remake the bottom stands if thats what you would call them out of hardwood or just remake them. On mine the particle board is just beat up from years of abuse.

[@SavingVegas]

The bases should just come off by prying them.

[@quiksr20]

@@SavingVegas Awesome and thanks for the reply, btw how do the DX-7s rank amongst the many Vega models.. While im very familiar with vintage audio im new to vegas... Just refoamed them and replaced a tweeter diaphragm... They sound pretty damn good currently with 125w rms Adcom amp.

[@erickort1987]

Saving Vega's dude,i realy love your channel,im leaning torwards cerwin vega dual 15 speakers at cerwins webswite $579 a pair,nice price?

[@SavingVegas]

I don't deal much with newer CV stuff so I'm not to sure.

[@user-nc2tj8wp6h]

which material you are using to fill in tapes

[@SavingVegas]

It is a two part epoxy crack filler.

[@jarrettgripp9304]

I need help, I have a dx9 that is crackling between the mid and high on certain frequencies any help would be greatly appreciated

[@SavingVegas]

I think I seen your post on the vintage Cerwin Vega Facebook page. Is it crackling coming from the midrange or tweeter itself? Or do you suspect it is a rattling issue with the cabinet?

[@SavingVegas]

If you would like you can message me on my Saving Vega's Facebook page.

[@adamt581]

I need new potentiometers for my D9'S but I can't find any at the parts supply sites, where can I get some Preston?

[@SavingVegas]

Yes that's me lol. Just out of curiosity what is wrong with the old ones? Usually if they are bad they can be cleaned.

[@adamt581]

@@SavingVegas they have bad spots , when turned they are real rough and gritty feeling. I've sprayed dioxit in them but no change. I have to find the right spot to get sound out of the speakers and you can really feel a bad spot like it's burnt or damaged and the contact ring. One was acy stuck and I had to break it free.

[@adamt581]

@@SavingVegas so I take it there is no source for these.

[@SavingVegas]

Have you tried Parts Express? Sorry I couldn't be more help but I have never had one that wasnt fixable with a good cleaning.

[@adamt581]

@@SavingVegas yes I did no luck, they are 5w 16ohm

[@tenehaglendening9246]

What is a good tweeter replacement for the dx9. Thanks I'm advance

[@SavingVegas]

The Speaker Exchange sells a replacement diaphragm for the HF7(CV DX9 tweeter). Here is the model number. Foster / Fostex HO25-N30 1″ Phenolic Diaphragm I have never replaced a diaphragm in that particular tweeter before but on their website it says it fits. I would search for a used original tweeter first, sometimes I see them come up for sale. Other than that most places sell a complete Foster replacement tweeter. Not the best option as they say it works for all of the D and DX series tweeter but it is not an original CV replacement.

[@tenehaglendening9246]

@@SavingVegas I just ordered something from simply speakers. I hope it works. I will check into speaker exchange. I thought of getting a used original. But was afraid of having the same issue. Thanks

[@tenehaglendening9246]

Probably a stupid question lol but how do I get diaphragm out of the hf7? Thanks in advance

[@tenehaglendening9246]

Lol just pulls right out

[@SavingVegas]

Definitely not a stupid question. The 3 screws on the back of the magnet need to be removed. Then very carefully sperate the magnet from the wave guide. Sometimes they get stuck together and can be a bit of a pain.

[@温俊賢]

😚 good for you guys DN t shirt for

[@karmaaffects1111]

Do you sell any Vegas ?

[@SavingVegas]

Where are you located?

[@karmaaffects1111]

@@SavingVegas Chicago

[@muratkinkav7267]

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🇹🇷🇹🇷