a little L100 history needed...serial number info, etc.

[Lee6]

hey.....

first post....i happened acrossed this site and thought i would check into the pair of L100s that i bought in SLC, Utah way back in 1972....i have spent the last hour or so doing searches, but i haven't found that much about my serial numbers.....which are: 36082 & 36090

the original, orange, quad grilles disintigrated sometime in the late '80s but the speakers are otherwise in superior condition....:)

got intrigued (after reading some of the posts) and went back to my old files and found the purchase receipt, the "Owner's Manual" (how cool is that? a company so proud of it's speakers that it gave you an owner's manual...), my warranty card and a letter from JBL in 1978 in response to some question that i had

i guess my main question is, where do my serial numbers fall in the desireability continuum?

(side note: my wife wanted me to put them out on the boulevard today, to sell them, or "give them away"......but i just couldn't part with them like that.....) :(

[edgewound]

i guess my main question is, where do my serial numbers fall in the desireability continuum?

(side note: my wife wanted me to put them out on the boulevard today, to sell them, or "give them away"......but i just couldn't part with them like that.....) :(

Sounds like you need to give your wife a good JBL'ducation. Maybe you should suggest she put something of her's that that she's quite fond of on the boulevard as well.;)

BTW...what did you say your address is?:p :D

[Lee6]

p.s......

i looked in the System Information section but they didn't have an entry for L100s......what's up with that?

[Zilch]

http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/specs/home-speakers/home-speakers.htm

[Hofmannhp]

....i have spent the last hour or so doing searches, but i haven't found that much about my serial numbers.....which are: 36082 & 36090.......
i guess my main question is, where do my serial numbers fall in the desireability continuum?


Hi and welcome Lee,

what exactly do you want to know....?
Our Registry at this time counts 37 pcs of L100s.
The numbers you gave us are the lowest ones (1972)
The speakers are on the market since 1971 as far as I know.
The highest number in the Registry is 306772A.

regards

HP

BTW: I just added your's in the list

[Lee6]

hi.....

thanks for putting mine in the registry......but where is it? i found a couple of threads talking about building one up, but i never found where it was.....

i guess my main question has been partially answered, as it had to do with the overall production period for the L100s....i didn't know where mine were along the production spectrum.....i was curious about what they would bring if i should decide to sell them.....based only upon my browsing the site today, i would ballpark them at around $800 to $1000 for the pair....or is that too optimistic?

the other question was: is there a single thread, or some other source, where i could find out more about them? like i said, the L100s were not listed in the System Information section.......

[jim3860]

hi.....

thanks for putting mine in the registry......but where is it? i found a couple of threads talking about building one up, but i never found where it was.....

i guess my main question has been partially answered, as it had to do with the overall production period for the L100s....i didn't know where mine were along the production spectrum.....i was curious about what they would bring if i should decide to sell them.....based only upon my browsing the site today, i would ballpark them at around $800 to $1000 for the pair....or is that too optimistic?

the other question was: is there a single thread, or some other source, where i could find out more about them? like i said, the L100s were not listed in the System Information section....... IF you were to do a serch in the search box next to quick links on the top of page you will find at least 465 posts regarding these. btw i think 800-1k is a lil optomistic bt thats my oppinion it dont count, the market does.:)

[Mr. Widget]

...i was curious about what they would bring if i should decide to sell them.....based only upon my browsing the site today, i would ballpark them at around $800 to $1000 for the pair....or is that too optimistic?Many of us have been able to find them used for $200-$250 a pair... some even in very nice condition, but we have also seen them go for as high as $1200 a pair on eBay.

If you want to part with them... tell a nice story on eBay and cross your fingers... you may be really happy with the outcome or maybe a little disappointed... very clean L100s can regularly be had in the $400s...

FWIW: L100s are the only factory made JBLs I own... and my wife would love to see them on the curb as well... sorry honey, it ain't gonna happen.:D


Widget

[Lee6]

IF you were to do a serch in the search box next to quick links on the top of page you will find at least 465 posts regarding these. :)

well, i tried that....but what i was looking for was a sticky, or some sort of special section, where there would be a historical overview of a particular speaker....i didn't find that.....and yes, i browsed thru quite a number of individual threads looking for answers, but the results were slow in coming

for example.....i found one comment where a guy said something about his L100s being less desireable (worth less $) because of their build date......but, alas, that's all i learned in that thread.....no mention of what time periods were better, or more rare, or whatever......so yeah, being a noob, i suppose i could spend the next couple of months trying to cull out the info that i need by patiently going thru all 475 posts.....

and the registry....i did a search for that one as well, and all i found was a sticky "about the registry" but not the registry itself.....unless the sticky WAS/IS the registry.....my bad.....what i expected was something like a spreadsheet, listing each speaker type with serial numbers, etc., not just an informal discussion about serial numbers, with occasional new entries....and i couldn't find the entry about my L100s just now, so maybe there IS a registry aside from the sticky

sorry.....give me some more time....i'll just roll up my sleeves and dig it up the hard way....:)

[Zilch]

http://www.audioheritage.org/html/profiles/jbl/l100.htm

The Registry is a work in progress here....

See also:

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=108232#post108232

[Lee6]

Zilch.....

thanks for the links, especially the one with the history...

btw, here's a pic of one of my speakers:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/leehixsonc6/d16e7435.jpg

[Zilch]

The grille is wrong, of course. Talk to forum member Sonofagun about acquiring new Quadrex foam grilles in your choice of color.... :thmbsup:

[Lee6]

email to him a few hours ago....awaiting a reply:)

[glen]

The highest number in the Registry is 306772A.

I have seen a few serial numbers lower than yours:
18380
18696 & 18697

but they are still very early, which may make a difference to some potential buyers. More important than the serial number would be whether your L100s were part of the early series, with the three drivers arranged in a vertical line, or the later L100s with the midrange offset. (see attached pictures below)

But this will not matter to many buyers.

Think it over, there are lots of folks who have sold their old JBL's and lived to regret it!

Glen

[Hofmannhp]

........and the registry....i did a search for that one as well, and all i found was a sticky "about the registry" but not the registry itself.....unless the sticky WAS/IS the registry.....my bad.....what i expected was something like a spreadsheet, listing each speaker type with serial numbers, etc., not just an informal discussion about serial numbers, with occasional new entries....and i couldn't find the entry about my L100s just now, so maybe there IS a registry aside from the sticky
......

Hi Lee,

the Registry is an Excel Spreadsheet, not stored in the forum yet.
But you can get it by mail from me. (like all others too)
Just PM me your e-mail adress and I will send it to you.
There you can add your systems (you can see that your L100 are included)

HP

[Lee6]

...More important than the serial number would be whether your L100s were part of the early series, with the three drivers arranged in a vertical line, or the later L100s with the midrange offset.
Think it over, there are lots of folks who have sold their old JBL's and lived to regret it!
Glen

Glen....i just went back to the garage to check and the speakers are vertical...in the early series....cool

and yes, i am having second thoughts about selling them...

[Hofmannhp]

Hi Lee,

take a look to your mail box...:)

HP

[Lee6]

HP....

thanks for sending me the spreadsheet....it's on the way back to you

i checked, and my L100s are the early series models.....

plus, i checked my L200s in the living room and their serial numbers are 10648 and 10650.....apparently, also the oldest ones on the registry!

wow! these past couple of days have been great! all the memories flooding back, from the thousands of hours me and my friends spent listening to these fabulous speakers....and how i went into hock to get them! got my uncle to co-sign them and made payments while going to the University of Utah full time, and working part-time.....whatever it took to get, and keep, these speakers....paid for them all myself, under difficult circumstances.....

anyway......thanks for your input, and help and for being a part of a great website...;)

[joe]

I just took delivery of 33717 & 33747 , the reason I felt compelled to post on this thread is cause they came in the original boxes and the info on those boxes might be useful .

Well only one box is matchin the box numbers are 33717 & 34352

33717 was shipped from jbl may 11 1972

34352 was shipped from jbl may 22 1972

LOVE these speakers so far ! I'm listening to dark side right now.

LOVE the 4m so far !

One of the things I find particularly classy about the woofers ( I took one out to have a look just because) is that jbl stamped the screw head in red wax ! Where the motor attaches to the basket that is .

Need more amp though ! more watts ! more juice ! MORE !

[BMWCCA]

Hi Lee,

the Registry is an Excel Spreadsheet, not stored in the forum yet.
But you can get it by mail from me. (like all others too)
Just PM me your e-mail adress and I will send it to you.
There you can add your systems (you can see that your L100 are included)

HP
Does this still accurately reflect the status of the Registry today?
I'm asking because I'm now the owner of an early pair of L100 Century originally purchased by a life-long friend (since high-school) and passed to me a few years back that I've completed a restoration for their historical perspective and importance. Not interested in selling but more to fill out my JBL "museum" collection. Happy to contribute to any registry and interested in anything I can learn about production dates, etc.

For all my years of participation, I've yet to decipher how one accesses the data collected in the Registry.

This pair are serial no. 34314 and 34316.
123A-1 #59254 and 59235
LE 5-2 #46022 and (still looking for that photo)
LE20-1 #146142 146202 (replaced with 124658 and 47557)
(I replaced the tweeters but kept the originals)

Happy to contribute, even happier to be able to see the data collected so far.

Thanks

[Mr. Widget]

Does this still accurately reflect the status of the Registry today?
Not sure, I never participated in the registry, though I think it is a great idea.
Shoot a note to HP? He hasn't visited the site in almost 2 years, but he may respond.


Widget

[BMWCCA]

Shoot a note to HP? He hasn't visited the site in almost 2 years, but he may respond.Done.

HP and I haven't spoken in years, either, yet we shared matching interests. Hoping all is well.