cooky1257
pfm Member
Is this really the case though? I think at the factory the Girdacoustic ribs were fitted to the cone after the surround (see here: http://www.44bx.com/tannoy/recone1.html) therefore to fit the surround under the ribs requires their (at least partial) removal and reinstatement. The surrounds being glued to the rear of the cone is only enabled due to the sequencing of construction.
Cutting the notches out to clear the ribs will allow the cone to be rear mounted maintaining the factory appearance but does mean that cone-surround interface is marginal (1mm?) at eight points around the circumference. I think it is better to have the full width of the surround lip glued to the cone lip (5mm all round) on the front if you are not going to go to the extent of removing and replacing the ribs (which in itself is a risk).
Obviously full cone replacement is preferable, but do yourself or Cooky have any other objections to the front attachment of replacement surrounds beyond appearance? Nearly all of the recones I see are glued to the front of the cone lip without any cutting of the surround lip.
OK heres my 2p worth;
A refoam is a compromise.
Rear mounting the foam helps you ensure the driver voice-coil position(height) is correct in the gap when the cone is at rest. The cone edge sits in the small elbow after the roll in the surround. As the spiders in these drivers may be getting on a bit it avoids introducing yet another variable.
Ideally it would be best to get the foam edge under the ribs but it's very awkward as originally the foam will have been compressed by the petal/hot glue, often the foam under the glue hasn't rotted, you run a high chance of cutting into the cone edge in trying to remove it and finally when you do get the foam under again it can leave a tell-tale shallow pinch/dimple in the surround roll.
So if this proves a sod to do I notch the surround-it's more like 3mm at its narrowest as you have the cone shoulder/edge to glue to too and I sometimes run a very narrow bead of glue in the elbow I mentioned above from the front.
If the 8 points of 3mm concern you, bear in mind the 15" 3833/36's drivers get by with about 4 mm all round.
Just my honest opinion of course, there are others equally of value.
P.S. Pay particular attention to the tightness/evenness of the spider clamp ring nuts-avoid any deformation of the ring.