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Vandersteen Model 3 owners- I have a couple Q's...

Hi,
I am currently looking for a pair of model 3A signatures, but have decided the cheapest way may be to buy a used model 3 (or 3a) and have them upgraded. My questions are-
How much do the Vandersteen model 3's cost to ship? Does anyone have a good idea?
Also, do you know if Vandersteen completely replaces the end caps when they update? For instance, if all I could get was a used Model 3 (or 3A) that had black end caps, would Vandersteen be able to switch those to the standard (oak?) endcaps they normally ship with, at no extra charge?

Last question: Is an upgraded model (from 3 or 3A to the signature) just like a brand new model 3A Signature?

I plan on asking my local dealer these questions, but I thought I would try to get an idea through the forum first.
If you can think of any reasons why doing this would be a bad idea please let me know.

Thank you for any help

Will
wberdan
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Craig is right. I think new end caps cost about $80.00. I will say that the total cost of 3s + upgrade usually seems to be more than the price of a pair of 3Asigs, but then you are getting many new parts.
judit
217 posts
 
Vandersteen has you ship them UPS in their original boxes, guaranteeing that if they get damaged he will repair them. He then uses a professional shipping firm to return them to you strapped to pallets. You pay the up front UPS, the return shipping is included in your upgrade price.

When I inquired about this, the upgrade came with new socks but NOT new end caps.

The upgrade from 3 to 3Asig costs $1600. Add this to the price for used model 3s (~$900) - be certain to have them shipped from the previous owner directly to Vandersteen.

Upgraded 3Asigs are routinely available on Audiogon for $2800 plus shipping
imkennyg2
3 posts
 
I bought a pair of Model 3's on ebay for $749 and it cost $115 to have them shipped from Nashville to Detroit. They weigh around 100lbs ea. DO NOT use UPS or FEDEX to ship them. FedEx caused over $400 damage to one of mine and it took over 1 month to settle the damage claim. Vandersteen recommends you use a commercial motor freight co. to ship them. The upgrade costs $1600 and includes return shipping from Vandersteen, but not shipping to them. They also sell new boxes for $40ea if you need them to ship the speakers to them. I don't know if the upgrade is worth all the trouble because I've never heard the 3Asigs.
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