HOME - Back to board
 

Pioneer Hitachi Hybrid

jaybee - 2011-03-18 14:25

Finally finished my project. Got a Pioneer SK-95F recently and although I love the LED meters, sound quality and overall build quality, I was not keen on the cloth grills that they come with. Too fussy, I know.
I thought I would have a go a putting some metal ones on instead, so armed with a donor Hitachi TRK-8800, I merged the two and even conected up the front headphone socket for an added bonus. It took some patience I can tell you (3 weeks worth and a lot of grinding) but I am really pleased with the results. Have a look at the pics and see for yourself. Some may say its so wrong but not me I love its new look and it still sounds awesome.

RIMG0055
The finished product

RIMG0067
Angle shot

RIMG0058
New grille up close, including new phones socket

RIMG0074
Love the LED meters

RIMG0068
Also love the tuning direction indicator

redbenjoe - 2011-03-18 17:00

thats a spectacular piece of work , jaybee -
and an awesome idea

i hate the crappy//cheapo cloth grills on the pioneer 95-
and the other pioneeers --

reli - 2011-03-18 18:28

Whoah, that is incredible.  100% improvement!

retro - 2011-03-18 18:48

Great job, it looks better and those LED's are sweet.

brigadier.vytas - 2011-03-19 01:55

Well done, man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lav.loo - 2011-03-19 06:09

ye i agree with the guys, very clever, looks sweet JAYBEE, congrats in order

driptip - 2011-03-19 08:36

It looks much much better with the metal grills , great idea,  at first with out reading your comment i looked at the pics and thought, i should get me one of these pioneers i really like this one!, hehehe that was funny.
it remindsme  of one of the crowns with the square grills.

radio.raheem - 2011-03-19 10:43

the box looks great REALY it does but im the argumentitave type and i think the pioneer with the cloth grills looks better...mind you does the pioneer have those sweet led's i can't remember...but yo congrats are in order...

retro.addict - 2011-03-19 11:37

That's brilliant!! Those Pioneers look really strange with the original grills, quite ugly even, in my opinion. Did the Hitachi's grills just happen to be the same size? Or did you modify them to make them fit? Moving the front headphone socket from the Hitachi and putting it on this one is certainly a great bonus, and very handy to use. I'm very, very impressed with the custom box you've created, it just goes to show what some imagination and hard work can do. I love that box!

jaybee - 2011-03-19 12:26

Thanks for the comments guys. Just wanted to share my joy.
In reply to the last comment:
Unfortunately the Hitachi grilles are not the same size as the Pioneers. It took a lot of cutting at the bottom and careful grinding and reshaping. Thats why it took so long. Also the new phones socket is in addition to the one fitted on the side, so either can be used.Also had to cut the phones plastic case part from the old Hitachi case, cut it down and glue it to the Pioneer one. A very nervous moment. Biggest nightmare was getting the sucker apart as they are definitely not fixit friendly and as for the tape deck. Don't even go there. Just glad its all fixed.
Been listening to it all day with a big smile. Need another box to fix soon or I will get the shakes. :-)

radio.raheem - 2011-03-19 14:24

Hang on your saying this was one of those pioneers with the foam on the speakers....Hell thats mad skill and yes those pioneer decks are one of the harddest decks i have worked on...hats off to you jaybee

skippy1969 - 2011-03-19 17:55

It looks AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

gagaeyes - 2011-03-20 05:05

beautiful work, well done!!

wildbillo68 - 2011-07-02 06:13

ooohhh yeah...Those pioneer decks are the worst to fix...I ended up gutting the thing out and using it as a storage hidding place (Money, Gun..whatever ya want)

  kudos on the custom job!! I played around with a customizing task on a SK-31 i believe it was, Till the deck gave me fits...So- I just painted it and stuff..nothing that hard- like yours.... I love the new look! Awesome!!! I'm gonna look around the house for something to do now..hahaha

ghettoman - 2011-07-02 15:31

Originally Posted by wildbillo68:

ooohhh yeah...Those pioneer decks are the worst to fix...


I bet its not as hard as the aiwa Tpr/stereo 990 deck..i had one,that deck is aload of crap !! complicated,totally unnessassery,totally,completely no need to have made a deck that silly,that radio caused me to give a New Philosophy just on the aiwa 990 deck..

If at first you dont succeed,F**k it and f**k it off !!

hated that stereo,and i dont want to ever see another ever again,working or not !!

wildbillo68 - 2011-07-03 05:01

Hahhaha...right.... If I don't suceed I destroy it...I have tossed a couple out in my day. Like the Pioneer...ripped the guts out, and made storage (secret) space of it..classic idea, and practical too...it still plays the radio..

  Also..another tough one...Sanyo X920 series....wow..Buried under everything, and no slack in the wires (of course) like they built the Boom around the tape deck!!!

pioneer - 2011-08-13 11:52

Whooa Jaybee it's like home improvement to a boombox,love what chu done with the place...lol          look's great man and quite alot of hour's aswell ..but look at the finished product  FLAWLESS!........................................................PIONEER

litfan - 2011-08-13 12:58

Amazing job. Why this box didn`t come like this in the first place, i don`t know.

litfan - 2011-08-13 12:59

What do you think to the deck on these things.? Had me scratching my head.

tony.cruz - 2016-04-23 22:25

Almost 5 years later (I'm new in town!), and here's my comment. There's nothing about the original grills I did not like, however, this is a phenomenal job at the very least! Bloody f... %#@*& Wow!

It does look way more badass than the original. It looks like factory made, what great patience and determination. I hope you kept the original grills though. If they were in good shape you will get good money for it.

I know it may feel wrong having changed it, but not when it got finished like this! You'd get a line up of even the most extreme purists to buy it. I'm one of them, as this is a favorite box for me, and I'd line up in a heartbeat! NICELY DONE!

mystic.traveller - 2016-04-24 01:53

Great hybrid  - I like Pio new looks.