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thrift store JBLs

PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 1:31 pm
by nyazzip
just brought home some JBL Lancer 77 speakers....$6.99 USD each.
i took the grill off one at the store and it looked clean, so i went for it. unfortunately one of the tweeters seems like it is out, and even worse, after a few minutes of playing i started to hear noise, and sure enough, the surrounds were deteriorating.... :'(
i can return them "if they don't work", so i may, but at 14 bucks its almost not worth it. maybe i can find someone local and see if i can get the surrounds redone, and get a couple cheap tweeters. hmmm
here they are....and nevermind the carpet ;)


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Re: thrift store JBLs

PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:33 pm
by Geek
Score!

Yeah, most higher end speakers I see in thrift stores suffer from foam rot :'(

The good news is JBL's can usually be re-coned or re-foamed. I think AES sells kits?

Cheers!

Re: thrift store JBLs

PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 7:09 pm
by nyazzip
each enclosure has a passive radiator....so it kinda sux to have to recone or re-surround a passive radiator, seems to me....i wonder if i could just pull out the passive radiator and "brick in" the hole.....the insulation looks identical to the Dynaco A25 stuff- fiberglass. i removed a driver, they are very nice aluminum frames, large voice coil; heavy(but enclosed) magnet; crossovers are housed in an aluminum box; nice heavy wire....these were decent quality speakers i'd guess. 1971 is what i read.

Re: thrift store JBLs

PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:03 pm
by DeathRex
70s speakers are some of the best. I refoamed my ESS 1Bs, wasn't that hard, just have to keep everything aligned. If you mess up buy another kit. Looks like those are about $200-$300 speakers. I can't even find soundesign speakers here. :'(


What's with the carpet???!!!! :P

Other things of note: Sweet metal bar stool, sweet white column/speaker holder and speakers, and sweet endtables.
You should have your own room makeover show; in each episode you just add a ST-35 and 2 sets of speakers, BOOM instant makeover.

Re: thrift store JBLs

PostPosted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:28 pm
by nyazzip
What's with the carpet???!!!!

been tearing it out the past 4 weeks....figured i'd leave a few patches to preserve the floor till the dust settles

Other things of note: Sweet metal bar stool

nope, thats the edge of a '50s kitchen "diner style" formica-top table i got off craigslist.....came with 4 original chairs too

sweet white column/speaker holder and speakers

thanks, those columns have been in and outside for the past 15 years. gonna paint them. speakers are dynaco a25s that are 4 years in to a rehab....need to sand and paint them; the white color is Killz primer

and sweet endtables.


my parents got them in the early to mid '60s. as you can see, i am in to the whole midcentury-modern thing
:))

Re: thrift store JBLs

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:06 am
by FastlaneAudio
nyazzip wrote:each enclosure has a passive radiator....so it kinda sux to have to recone or re-surround a passive radiator, seems to me....i wonder if i could just pull out the passive radiator and "brick in" the hole.....the insulation looks identical to the Dynaco A25 stuff- fiberglass. i removed a driver, they are very nice aluminum frames, large voice coil; heavy(but enclosed) magnet; crossovers are housed in an aluminum box; nice heavy wire....these were decent quality speakers i'd guess. 1971 is what i read.



Being JBL speakers, I would think they are worthy fully restoring to original operation.

Re-foaming is very easy, you can get kits on ebay with instructions.

Dave

Re: thrift store JBLs

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:31 pm
by nyazzip
...ah but i ended up returning them for "store credit" :|
i have way too many restoration projects on various back burners as it is; the fact that a tweeter was roasted was the straw that broke the deal....not to mix metaphors or anything
moral of the story: just because antique drivers look cosmetically OK in the store does not mean that the surrounds won't turn to powder at the first sign of an audio signal....