[smrtby123]

Ok I finally got a chance to get some pics of the whole setup

This is the cabinet that the JBL's are in

This is the cabinet that holds the turntable, the amp and some vinyl storage

This is the set of speakers on the wall. I don't know what they are yet because the backs are held on with staples so I may have to tear them apart to get to the speakers but I am hesitant to just go at it with a screwdriver.

This is the turntable cabinet that is upstairs. It says Magnavox on the front right side. I am almost positive there is a tube amp in there because it is around the same time period as the set downstairs but it is covered and there is no way to get to it without going in from the back.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smrtby123 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok I finally got a chance to get some pics of the whole setup

nice. The big one with Magnavox on it is probably a gramophone with speakers, amps and turntable inside and if you are lucky even a valve tuner. this the knid of thing I thought you'd described before as its the most common configuration in this period.

If those JBL speakers are in separate cabinets altogther then you may not need to build new ones. The main issue with gramophones is acoustic feedback from the speakers into the turntable stylus, so putting it all in separate boxes is the best way to go. '50s WAF along the lines of "Honey why do we need 3 boxes?" meant it had to look like an oversized cocktail cabinet.

I had some Goodmans dual concentric speakers like this in original enclosures and I researched getting new material for the fronts which believe it or not are still made

so you could restore these to their original condition if you wanted too. If the wood is good quality and can be refinished and you like those retro lines then it may be better to simply redo the cabinets on the inside with new lining and rewire etc...

Mullard EL34s are cool, seriously fat and warm sounding. '50s British military spec valves. You can obtain NOS ones from places like Watford Valves if they've popped but they'll cost you a little more than 10USD, more like 70USD a piece.

 

[smrtby123]

I may leave the speakers for a while and just work on getting the amp up and running again, but I wanted to make some new cabinets anyway if not for sound, then just because I can, and also to make it a little more contemporary. I was thinking about doing a nice vented woofer+tweeter combo depending on what is up on the wall down there.

From what my grandfather said, the last time he fired her up was 8~9 years ago and all the tubes were running fine, so I am not sure how they will be now. I don't have access to a variable supply, plus the fact I want to re-cap and re-resistor the whole thing anyway. As soon as I get the originals going I can start tube rolling maybe.

The main section has 4 tubes but there are 8 in the amp altogether, I am not sure if they are all Mullards or the other two are something different. They look about half the size of the other ones (I am not too knowledgeable on tubes yet, all I've got is a TLE Cmoy I just made)

 

[Ori]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif you could get away with a putting Sprague Orange Drops inside. Those run $1-$2 each

The best kept secret in tube DIY are the Dayton foil/film caps around $1-2 from Parts Express. They are only available in 4 values and 400V max, but that's perfect for EL84 and 6L6 amps.
Orange drops are metalized. They are better than old beat up caps but do not sound nearly as transparent as foil caps.

 

[tstarn06]

Another vintage speaker story. I have a very nice Gizmo Class-D amp (replaced my T-Amp) and wanted to add some speakers to my office setup. A friend's elderly parents were moving to a smaller apartment, so he asked if I wanted an old pair of bookshelf speakers. I figured I would give them a try. They turned out to be KLH Model 24 speakers, circa 1964-66. They are butt-ugly from the years (see photos, with and without grill), but wow, do they sound great using the Gizmo and my Zune80. I can't believe how fantastic they sound. I have a pair of small PSB Image CLR speakers (which retailed for like $169 each), and the KLHs outperform them. To be fair, the tiny PSBs require a sub to really hit their potential (and I don't have one for them), but still, free 40+ aged speakers. Made for a very nice office setup.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif KLH Model 24 speakers, circa 1964-66.

Speaker design hasn't really changed all that much since the '30s in terms of the fundaments of the drivers. They could look quite cool if you buff up the cases and replace the fabric on the grills.

 

[tstarn06]

Good thinking. I may take that on as a DIY project. Any ideas on buffing up the wood? I am not really too good at this sort of thing. But I think I can handle the new grilles.

 

[chadbang]

DO NOT TOUCH A THING on those speakers! Have you watched Antique Roadshow and watched people's faces drop when they learn the "old cabinet" they have is worth $2k when -- IF THEY HADN'T REFINISHED IT - would have been worth $20K? Do not change the grills! Those old JBLs are HIGHLY collectible. Before you touch a thing do every bit of research you can on them. Spend a couple days if you have to until you find the exactly model and their value from several sources. Play with the turntable and amp, but don't futz with those speakers! And do not not remove those grills. You will tremendously drop their value if you do. Collectors want ALL original. If you don't know anything about refinishing, you WILL screw up the cabinets. Uneven removal of lacquer, stain, etc and get a crappy result. Those speakers on the wall look like a vintage 60s design, probably separate JBL tweeters. Don't tear them open yet! I'm telling you, please don't mess with anything.

 

[chadbang]

An example:

JBL C40 Folded Horn Speakers D130/Bullet Tweeter N2600! - eBay (item 160325588913 end time Apr-08-09 18:29:00 PDT)


Post your information and pics at Audiokarma and the guys there will help you identify exactly what you have and what it's worth. There is also a JBL - Lansing forum with more experts. I hope you will show those old JBLs the respect they deserve. It's been my dream for years to make a find like yours! New speaker designs? Bah! The greatest speakers I've ever heard were a set of 1973 JBL OLYMPUS-SOVEREIGN. Amazing!!

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadbang /img/forum/go_quote.gif IF THEY HADN'T REFINISHED IT - would have been worth $20K? Do not change the grills! Those old JBLs are HIGHLY collectible. Before you touch a thing do every bit of research you can on them. Spend a couple days if you have to until you find the exactly model and their value from several source

You probably have a point there. Those JBLs you linked to looked like they came in JBL cabinets though so originality would be more of an issue. At the time these were made I think Hi-Fi equipment was more commonly sold in components and the onus was on the buyer to design their own enclosures. Hi-Fi was more of an enthusiasts hobby a little like building your own PC and the whole consumer electronics phenomena was a long way off.

Still we are veering into antique furniture design here and these pieces tstarn06 has look cool so I totally agree that doing some research into this aspect of it is definitely a wise move.

When I eventually decided to sell my own '50s Goodmans the buyer shipped them to Japan which cost him a fortune, as much as the 'speakers themselves, and he was definitley more interested in the drivers than the cabinets, but the fact that they were completely original was obviously a selling point.

I have quite a collection of vintage Hi-Fi and when I buy I always look for originality, but then I want to use it as well. Essentially this is it's purpose and anything mechanical doesn't benefit from not being used, it will decay and this also lessens it's value. Collectors look for different things but unless you just want some sort of objet d'art, then surely utility is an important issue.

If the outside is damaged and looks tatty then a repair which is sympathetic to the original design, ie. as close as possible given differences in available materials is usually what I end up with. Sometimes I just get the internals replaced so it's as close to original working order as possible. But then there are issues with things like old parts which arn't easy to come by, things like Germanium resistors. Many collectors wouldn't want details like power leads changed for instance although modern ones may be more Hi-Fi.

Ultimately Hi-Fi like this is an investment as it can only go up in value, but it's also a family heirloom which you probably don't want to sell ever and should keep using in order to maintain it's functional value.

 

[smrtby123]

Ok ok I get the picture lol. I will make a post over at AudioKarma (I have to wait for a mod to activate my account? seriously?) and see if I can get more info. I will have to do some more scouring on the cabinets to see if there is anymore info maybe on the bottom or something. The whole system is original except for the turntable, because the original one crapped out so my grandfather dropped a new one in the cabinet. They have been in the same spot for probably 50 years. It would be nice if they were worth some money but I don't think I could ever part with them.


--I found something on ebay that is pretty similar to the magnavox console that is in the living room.

Vintage Magnavox Sterephonic console

The turntable in that one is the exact one in mine.

 

[smrtby123]

Ok so I got a chance to peek behind the Magnovox console. It is a Magnavox 4 CP-605 console, and alas, no tubes. There is a nice sticker on the backside that says "Warning: This Unit Uses High Voltage. Do Not Open Back Cover, This Unit Is Completely Transitorized, And Contains No Tubes Or User Serviceable Parts"......sigh