loose parts inside PL20 (RE20)? How to open?

[JohnSuitcase]

I have an Re20 that had the foam problem. I called them and they sold me new foam for $25, I think.

I couldn't get it open, they use a special hex wrench. I called, they sent one to me for free.

I got it apart, but jacked up the XLR, and still couldn't replace the foam. So I called, and sent it back.

A few weeks went by, and one day teh mic came back! Woohoo!

Then I got my next credit card statement, they had charged me $230 or so to fix it.

So, my $300 RE20 actually cost about $600. But, it sounds fantastic, I use it all the time.

I'd just advise buying one new, and if yours is broke, send it in for repair, but be prepared to lay out $300.

I've heard that if you're the original owner, they are very good about repairing it for free. It's just the used/second owner ones that they charge big repair money to, or so I've heard.

[emrr]

The foam is nothing too special, the work is the hard part.

Telex sent me the foam inserts, and after an hour of Black Belt Ninja level disassembly experiments I got it open, cleaned, and refoamed successfully. Not at all for the non-mechanically minded, AND I had the exploded parts view to look at while doing it. Mine was a pre-1991 version, which appears to have a few internal assembly differences from the later.

The side foam condom is the standard thin open cell stuff, the front foam I received was a larger cell stiffer type. Fairly thick, and I guess larger cell for more openings for high frequencies to flow through.

[b3groover]

Buying an RE20 used is always a gamble. For one thing, they've been making them for roughly 1 million years, so you never know how old the one you're buying is. And secondly people tend to beat the crap out of them.

I bought one off eBay a few years back for $300. When it came it had a buzz. Luckily it was just the ground wire on the XLR; an easy fix for me. But reading all these horror stories makes me feel mighty lucky.

[emrr]

got mine for $200 not knowing the deal, and have been regretting it up until the moment it actually re-assembled and worked. I'd buy new from now on; not worth my time to do this.