700B

[jel22]

10 years ago I picked up a couple old speakers at an estate sale. One of them is clearly marked as an Altec Lansing 700B Melodist. The other looks similar. It is also a bookshelf speaker but the front is a little different and the woofer is unmarked and much heavier than the 401A in the 700B speaker. I've found a picture of the 700B in the 1954 catalog on this site, but can't locate the other. Does anyone know if the 700B was part of a set or an individual speaker? Perhaps these are a pair? Any info would be greatly appeciated.

[Storm]

10 years ago I picked up a couple old speakers at an estate sale. One of them is clearly marked as an Altec Lansing 700B Melodist. The other looks similar. It is also a bookshelf speaker but the front is a little different and the woofer is unmarked and much heavier than the 401A in the 700B speaker. I've found a picture of the 700B in the 1954 catalog on this site, but can't locate the other. Does anyone know if the 700B was part of a set or an individual speaker? Perhaps these are a pair? Any info would be greatly appeciated.

Part of a pair.

;)

-Storm.

[Steve Schell]

jel22, the Melodist was built during the mono era so was probably sold mostly as single units. Someone may have bought a second, similar speaker a few years later to make a stereo pair.

I seem to recall seeing some Melodists equipped with an Altec 755A 8" driver, a model designed and built until 1950 by Western Electric. If your driver has a has a heavy, rounded cast magnet structure with yellow or orange cloth panel in the center, this is what you have. It is worth quite a bit of money.

Does it look like this?

http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/altec/specs/components/755a.htm

[jel22]

That looks like the speaker in the unmarked enclosure. It seems odd they would be a pair. The one marked 700B has a 1-10 adjustable knob marked H.F.(high frequency?) the other only the 8 ohm speaker screw connectors. Maybe they aren't stereo but mono? I'm cornfused.

[jel22]

I have not pulled the speaker to see the cone color. The magnet has no markings, unlike the 401a in the other one. The 700b is circa 1954, I have not seen any home speakers in any of the earlier catalogs on this web site. Thanks for your help! (I'm going try and attach some photos this evening)

[jel22]

I hope this works. Both speakers are mechanically sound. Some water damage to grille only on mystery speaker.

[Storm]

They look to me like they are the same.

Probably matched sometime later in life, but essentially - the same speaker.

Slap them on eBay and see the bids roll...

:rotfl:

-Storm.

[jel22]

These pictures may show the differences a little better. The speaker with the 755a is considerably heavier, I'm guessing due to a heavier magnet. The back of it is plain vs the 700b shown. I take it the 755a was mfg. before the 401a? Thanks to all for the help. :)

[Steve Schell]

That is an Altec 755A in the mystery speaker, which was likely built earlier than the one with the 401A.

The Altec 755A was also used in the AR-1 speaker. The AR-1 is an endangered species due to so many of them being parted out for their 755As.

http://cgi.ebay.com/PAIR-OF-ALTEC-755A-FULL-RANGE-SPEAKERS-AR-1-AR1_W0QQitemZ260134317083QQihZ016QQcategoryZ14991Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Of course the same could probably be said for the Melodist, but it is also desirable as an intact collectible. The 3000 tweeters are also sought after.

Congratulations on a nice score, jel22.