Ekco AC97 originality questions.

[stevehertz]

Can someone confirm the originality of these two aspects of an Ekco AC97 please?

1) Speaker fabric? (I have seen other Ekcos with this material)

2) Back cover mounting bolts?

Thanks.

[stevehertz]

Anyone own an Ekco AC97 or know enough about them to answer my queries??

[Lloyd 1985]

The speaker fabric looks wrong for this model, mine has a very fragile gold coloured cloth ( I’ll see if I can find a photo), it’s very easily damaged, so yours was probably replaced after someone made a hole in it! I can’t comment on the rear cover fixings as mine doesn’t have a rear cover! I’m sure I’ve seen one of those large headed bolts on the back of one of my other Ekco’s though.

Regards
Lloyd

[HamishBoxer]

Speaker cloth is wrong, I have 2 sat here.

[stevehertz]

Thanks Lloyd. Yes, most of the photos that I am able to find of the AC97, they use that fine gold speaker cloth, and although it seems that was generally the norm, until I actually take this one apart and look for clues, then like I say above, I'm sure I've seen this 'sack weave' style of speaker cloth on other Ekcos, and that maybe it was also used on some models due to shortages, whatever. Just a thought.

[Lloyd 1985]

Can't find a decent photo of mine! The cloth looks the same as is used on an SW86 I have. I did some digging and remembered that I have an AD38 which has that same type of speaker material as you have in your AC97, so it could be original! Or maybe an 'in life service replacement'.

Regards,
Lloyd

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by Lloyd 1985

Can't find a decent photo of mine! The cloth looks the same as is used on an SW86 I have. I did some digging and remembered that I have an AD38 which has that same type of speaker material as you have in your AC97, so it could be original! Or maybe an 'in life service replacement'.

Regards,
Lloyd

That's my line of thinking, nothing was sacrosanct back then when it came to keeping production lines flowing and saving money or reducing losses. I once owned a 1930s Pye radio. It had been badly stored and the veneer was peeling away in one place at the front of the set. Curiously the wood beneath the lifting veneer was burnt black, meaning that the veneer could only have been applied after the burn occurred. Many years later I read that Pye had had a major fire in the 30s. So clearly they'd salvaged burnt sets and veneered them over the fire damage!

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by HamishBoxer

Speaker cloth is wrong, I have 2 sat here.

Are the rear cover fixing bolts 'fancy' like mine or plain BA cheese heads?

[HamishBoxer]

Just had a look Steve, both are BA back screws, if original that is.

[stevehertz]

Thanks Hamish, I'm kinda thinking that these fancy ones are off something else. I mean, it's no big deal either way, it's just a few small bolts holding a back on, more of a talking/discussion point really!

[stevehertz]

Looking at photos of a 1931 Ekco RS3 it looks like the formed fixing bolts (used on the rear cover of my AC97) were used on that model (RS3) and no doubt on other Ekco models of the same vintage. So, maybe Ekco just used up their remaining stocks of these bolts on this AC97, or someone put them on as replacements or upgrades.