Wood side panel removal on Odyssey

[DanR]

Hi folks, I need a little assistance here. I’m picking up a pair of Odyssey speakers on Saturday (Chicago road trip from Michigan). Now these speakers are older and show the normal few scratches an dings on the wood (cherry) panels my questions are this.
1) are the wood panels easily removable and if so what is the procedure?
2) The reason for removal is I want to refinish tje wood so what are good finishes to use and more importantly are there any finishes to stay away from, I know the stat panels don’t like certain chemicals. Now I like oil and wax finish on my wood projects, so hopefully that would be ok. Thanks in advance.
Dan

 

[Gordon Gray]

Typically, side panels are removed by taping down, with rubber hammer from the top or up from the bottom. Lay the speaker on its side before attempting. If this fails, contact ML service.

 

[DanR]

Hi folks, I need a little assistance here. I’m picking up a pair of Odyssey speakers on Saturday (Chicago road trip from Michigan). Now these speakers are older and show the normal few scratches an dings on the wood (cherry) panels my questions are this.
1) are the wood panels easily removable and if so what is the procedure?
2) The reason for removal is I want to refinish tje wood so what are good finishes to use and more importantly are there any finishes to stay

Hi folks, I need a little assistance here. I’m picking up a pair of Odyssey speakers on Saturday (Chicago road trip from Michigan). Now these speakers are older and show the normal few scratches an dings on the wood (cherry) panels my questions are this.
1) are the wood panels easily removable and if so what is the procedure?
2) The reason for removal is I want to refinish tje wood so what are good finishes to use and more importantly are there any finishes to stay away from, I know the stat panels don’t like certain chemicals. Now I like oil and wax finish on my wood projects, so hopefully that would be ok. Thanks in advance.
DanView attachment 22793

away from, I know the stat panels don’t like certain chemicals. Now I like oil and wax finish on my wood projects, so hopefully that would be ok. Thanks in advance.
DanView attachment 22793

Typically, side panels are removed by taping down, with rubber hammer from the top or up from the bottom. Lay the speaker on its side before attempting. If this fails, contact ML service.

thanks for the reply Gordon. Yes I saw that looking thru the forums. After I picked the speakers up Saturday and getting them home, it actually appears the rails are screwed on. In the back of the stat panels on each side there are 6 screws that certainly appear to be screwed into the back side of the rails. I’ll find out when I eventually replace the panels, I ordered them today but the lead time is quite lengthy, which is fine. It’s nice knowing I can still get a pair of new panels. When I get those I’ll get the rails off and re finish them. For the time being it’s really cool listening to these now 21 year old speakers and they sound absolutely wonderful. Took a while to find them but I guess good things come to those who wait.

 

[Robert D]

thanks for the reply Gordon. Yes I saw that looking thru the forums. After I picked the speakers up Saturday and getting them home, it actually appears the rails are screwed on. In the back of the stat panels on each side there are 6 screws that certainly appear to be screwed into the back side of the rails. I’ll find out when I eventually replace the panels, I ordered them today but the lead time is quite lengthy, which is fine. It’s nice knowing I can still get a pair of new panels. When I get those I’ll get the rails off and re finish them. For the time being it’s really cool listening to these now 21 year old speakers and they sound absolutely wonderful. Took a while to find them but I guess good things come to those who wait.

You wont be dissapointed with the new panels! I got some a year ago for my Prodigy speakers and they sound great.

 

[DanR]

Oh that’s great to hear Robert, I was specifically looking for a pair of either Prodigy or Odesseys and I said to myself which ever one comes up with a good pair at a good price I’m going to get them and a new pair of panels and it was the Odyssey. Let me ask you this, was it an easy install to change the panels out, I’m assuming you did it yourself?

 

[Robert D]

Oh that’s great to hear Robert, I was specifically looking for a pair of either Prodigy or Odesseys and I said to myself which ever one comes up with a good pair at a good price I’m going to get them and a new pair of panels and it was the Odyssey. Let me ask you this, was it an easy install to change the panels out, I’m assuming you did it yourself?

It sadly wasn't easy for me. It's real easy getting them off, but back on was hard for me.

The new panels come installed inside new plastic rails that are pre-drilled. I was unable to line up the holes in the wooden frame with the holes in the plastic rails. They just weren't perfect, and that's easy to understand why. I ended.up drilling a few screws through the plastic holes into the wood, Making fresh holes in the wood. Tried to keep it to a minimum.

Be sure to get "stats stops" from ML if you don't already have them installed in there. Those are brackets that screw in at the bottom of the panel and keep gravity from pulling them down over time. ML sent me mine for free.

Maybe the Odysseys are engineered different than mine and you won't have the 2 sets of holes to line up.

 

[Heyfey]

It sadly wasn't easy for me. It's real easy getting them off, but back on was hard for me.

The new panels come installed inside new plastic rails that are pre-drilled. I was unable to line up the holes in the wooden frame with the holes in the plastic rails. They just weren't perfect, and that's easy to understand why. I ended.up drilling a few screws through the plastic holes into the wood, Making fresh holes in the wood. Tried to keep it to a minimum.

Be sure to get "stats stops" from ML if you don't already have them installed in there. Those are brackets that screw in at the bottom of the panel and keep gravity from pulling them down over time. ML sent me mine for free.

Maybe the Odysseys are engineered different than mine and you won't have the 2 sets of holes to line up.

I replaced my Odyssey panels within the past year and the only snag was that when I screwed one side into the wood side rail there was a 15mm gap on the other side between the new stat panel and the wood side rail. I removed the screws and, while gently pushing the two wood side rails together, fastened the top screws on both sides and then worked my way down.

 

[DanR]

This is just the great info I was hoping to get here, you folks never let me down. I’ll check and see if I have the stat stops on this pair of Odysseys. For both of you was the replacement of the actual stat panel pretty much a straight forward fairly simple process or is there anything I should keep an eye out there too?? Thanks again you guys! And any time you have a replacement part or assembly made you have the chance of things not lining up just right. Take it from a guy who is restoring a 1965 Chevelle SS from the ground up….I could tell you stories of things not fitting that were supposed to be “factory replacement parts”

 

[Robert D]

This is just the great info I was hoping to get here, you folks never let me down. I’ll check and see if I have the stat stops on this pair of Odysseys. For both of you was the replacement of the actual stat panel pretty much a straight forward fairly simple process or is there anything I should keep an eye out there too?? Thanks again you guys! And any time you have a replacement part or assembly made you have the chance of things not lining up just right. Take it from a guy who is restoring a 1965 Chevelle SS from the ground up….I could tell you stories of things not fitting that were supposed to be “factory replacement parts”

Its very straight forward. ML even can give you a document with instructions on how to do it. Just ask them.

 

[DanR]

Yes they’ve been great to deal with so far, I first looked at trying to make CLS work in my room but they just won’t fit in here, and Ron at ML had already sent me the instructions for what was involved in doing the CLS panels. Also these Odysseys do not have the stat stops so I’ll have to request those too, I have plenty of time.

 

[Robert D]

Yes they’ve been great to deal with so far, I first looked at trying to make CLS work in my room but they just won’t fit in here, and Ron at ML had already sent me the instructions for what was involved in doing the CLS panels. Also these Odysseys do not have the stat stops so I’ll have to request those too, I have plenty of time.

Yeah. Mine shipped and got here fast. They are easy to put on. Mine have a hole in them that last screw on the bottom of the panel goes through. It is a bit tricky to line up but nothing too bad. So you end up having to line up the hole on the plastic frame with both the wood frame hole and the hole in the stat stop.