JBL Speakers?

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 23 Aug 2004 7:16 am

Guys

What's the difference between D series, K series, 120's and 130's?

thx

bob

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 23 Aug 2004 12:06 pm

120s are 12", 130s are 15".

The D series was the original series made in the '60s and discontinued in the '70s. If there is an F at the end it is an instrument speaker. These have a slightly wider voice coil gap that is more robust, but slightly less efficient.

The M series was a JBL copy of the D series for certain manufacturers in the '70s.

The K series is the current production series that seems to be the closest to the old D series.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 23 Aug 2004 12:18 pm

Thanks, Dave

Is there a preference by steel or guitar players? I'd assume older is better?

thx

bob

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 23 Aug 2004 2:29 pm

i believe the K series had a higher power rating than the D series
i prefered the Ks to the Ds for sound quality, clearness and reliability
in the long run i did blow 'em out on C6 and distortin' channels on my Twin
i switched to Peavey Black Widows, they handled a lot more that JBLs and sound darn good too !

Murnel Babineaux · Post by **Murnel Babineaux** » 23 Aug 2004 2:44 pm

The M series of JBL's were "vintage" marketed speakers, discontinued in about 1996.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 23 Aug 2004 3:57 pm

The D-130 was actually designed in the <u>late '40s</u>, and carried a power rating of 25 watts. The "F" (Fender) series was originally rated at 35-60 watts, and improvements led to their ratings being increased to 100 watts by the '70s.

IMHO, all the "D" series were fine sounding speakers, but they were doomed when big amps took the jump to over 100 watts of power in the '70s. The "D" series was, for decades, simply the best you could get for most applications, but some speakers today are far more robust and efficient. For most of us, reliability takes precedence over sound quality. Having the best sounding speaker is a rather moot point if it melts down half-way through a gig.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 23 Aug 2004 4:01 pm

So, for a small tube amp like a Deluxe reverb or even a Peavey Bandit, the D-120 is the ticket?

bob

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 23 Aug 2004 4:21 pm

Soundwise, yes.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 23 Aug 2004 4:27 pm

Are the K series really still available? The JBL website shows them as obsolete:
http://www.jblpro.com/pages/obsolete.htm

bob

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 23 Aug 2004 4:51 pm

K series JBLs are no longer being made. I even heard a rumor that the most recent E series speakers are not being made either.

Dave Z

Greg Sullivan · Post by **Greg Sullivan** » 23 Aug 2004 5:00 pm

Being new to steel guitar, I dont know much about speakers,but I have 2 Altec Lansing 417
DiaCone speakers that really are heavy, but do they ever great sound great.

Was JBL and Altec and JBL some sort of connection?

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 23 Aug 2004 5:32 pm

Greg

I believe there were 2 brothers, James (JBL) and ? (Altec). I think there was a falling out and they went there separate ways. But I might be full of xxxx

bob

Ivan Posa · Post by **Ivan Posa** » 23 Aug 2004 11:15 pm

I have found PV BW speakers to be superior to JBL's for steel. I am using a 1203-4 BW in my Webb in place of a K 130-4 JBL. Much sweeter tone and plenty of grunt....IP

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Daniel Vorp · Post by **Daniel Vorp** » 24 Aug 2004 4:16 am

My ears hear it the exact opposite way. I prefer the sound of JBLs and always have JBL speakers in my steel amps. The clarity of highs is like pinging a crystal and my Webb amp with an E130 generates terrific string seperation in the lows.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 24 Aug 2004 4:47 am

For tons of great info on JBL and Altec check: www.audioheritage.org !

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 25 Aug 2004 4:47 am

spend a little time with BW speakers and you won't care what D, E, M, means

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 25 Aug 2004 5:41 am

jim,

I've spent 25 years with BW speakers

I love the original spider web decal BW in my Session 400 but find the newer "no decal" ones sterile sounding. I don't know if it's a paper cone thing or what. Never could get a definitive answer on the differences on the BW speakers over the years.

bob

Brian Davis · Post by **Brian Davis** » 25 Aug 2004 9:04 am

I have a K120 in my Deluxe Reverb and would accept no substitutes. There is one for sale right now over in For Sale: Electronics...somebody should scoop that up!

Woody Woodell · Post by **Woody Woodell** » 25 Aug 2004 9:24 am

James Lansing was born in Illinois and his last name was Martini. He moved to California and changed his name to Lansing. He had two brothers who moved to CA and changed their name to Martin. JBL started a very small speaker factory and his brothers worked there. They made 6" and 8" speakers for radios. At night they would wind voice coils at home. Sound came along in movie theatres and Western Electric practically sewed the sound installation business up in movies, so much that the government made them sell it which some of Western Electric's engineers bought. They named it ALTEC for All Technical. Before long they realized that they needed better speakers than were available so they bought James Lansing out and he and his two brothers went to work for them. They named the Co. Altec Lansing. After WW2 James Lansing left and started up his own company and blew the industry's mind when he finally came up with the D130. He was $20,000.00 in debt and took his own life in 1949. A guy that worked with him took it over and made JBL what it is today.
Woody Woodell

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 3 Sep 2004 11:47 am

Mike Brown has provided historic info on the differences in the BW speakers here on several occasions. A search in the Electronics section should turn it up.

Some of the "newer" speakers had Kevlar impregnated cones as opposed to paper-only cones. The 1501-4 Shallow Basket speaker (smooth paper-only cone) sounds pretty nice!

The 1502-4 with the ribbed cone that was used for a while in the NV 400's is voiced differently than the 1501.

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Patrick Smith · Post by **Patrick Smith** » 6 Sep 2004 8:06 pm

Woody, that is by far the coolest post i've read in a while. So much so, i had to go back over it several times. Very very very cool!

PMS

jim milewski · Post by **jim milewski** » 7 Sep 2004 2:24 am

for sure the older BW with the spider web is the best in my opinion, will make any amp it's in much better, the 1501 shallow basket with the paper dust cover