Help with newly acquired speakers?

[dibmem]

Hello all - First off, this is our very first post, so we apologize ahead of time if we didn't do enough research on the forums before posting...

My wife and I are owners of several sets of JBLs (L-88 / L-166 / L-65) and we love them all! Unfortunately, our house isn't big enough to have all of them set up at the moment, so the L-65s are our primary speakers - they rock.

We have purchased another set of speakers today but have been unable to figure out exactly when they were made, etc...

Label on the back reads: "D-48 S-5 WX"
We have found only that the WX means walnut oil finish, but would like to know approximately when they were manufactured and (if anyone has the info) operating info. There's quite a few connections in the back and we're a little lost.

Thanks in advance!

*edit*
We've taken some pictures to help with information. :)
Yes, those are casters on the bottom of the speakers - Anyone have advice on how to fix the holes that will be left when we remove them? They each have four tiny screws per wheel.

[rdgrimes]

A picture is worth 1000 words, grasshopper. ;)

[boputnam]

Wow - that is a real beauty. A treasure.

Here's some info on the S5 system. I don't know the D48...

D47 and S5 System (http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1962-d47/page2.jpg)

[dibmem]

Thanks a bunch for the info!
I just finished cleaning the High/Low pot with Deoxit and gained back the rest of the tweeter range. :)
We're trying a few LPs to see how they sound and so far - very lovely depth.


Wow - that is a real beauty. A treasure.

Here's some info on the S5 system. I don't know the D48...

D47 and S5 System (http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1962-d47/page2.jpg)

[grumpy]

http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/catalogs/1962/page22-23.jpg

... appears to me. Don't know the exact year span of manufacture,
but this is close.

[boputnam]

As for the screw holes, unless they penetrate the cabinet, they may not be too difficult to mend. You could just touch-up around the hole and use some dark colored wood putty (I know audiobeer is going nuts on that recommendation! :p ). Alternatively, if they do penetrate the cabinet, I'd be inclined to drill them clean and dowl them. Trim, sand and stain to match.

btw - where'd you come across them? They look like a "one owner" model toe me.

btw2 - do you know anything about those Lansaloy surrounds? They "look" in great shape, but if they've not been refurbished should sure as hell be cracked / dried at their age (like me... :o: ).

[dibmem]

I went ahead and took off all of the casters and put the speakers on stands - they sound even better!! They were held in with approx. 1" wood screws, so I would assume the cabinet was penetrated. The holes are small - maybe 1/8" each. I believe we'll make a trip to the store to look for dowels to plug the holes and ensure it is repaired the 'best' way possible.

We found these at a local estate sale this morning for $80. I fussed over the price only because I've picked up so many other sets for even less - our L-65s were $35 at Salvation Army. But I couldn't leave them there and brought them home.

The surrounds are in very clean condition - no cracks or splits. I pulled one of the woofers to look inside (out of curiosity) and the speakers are very heavy overall and also seem to be as they left the factory - the rubber seal on the back of the woofer was quite difficult to break initially.

The speakers seem to be a one-owner situation, but you never know.

Thanks for the interest!


As for the screw holes, unless they penetrate the cabinet, they may not be too difficult to mend. You could just touch-up around the hole and use some dark colored wood putty (I know audiobeer is going nuts on that recommendation! :p ). Alternatively, if they do penetrate the cabinet, I'd be inclined to drill them clean and dowl them. Trim, sand and stain to match.

btw - where'd you come across them? They look like a "one owner" model toe me.

btw2 - do you know anything about those Lansaloy surrounds? They "look" in great shape, but if they've not been refurbished should sure as hell be cracked / dried at their age (like me... :o: ).

[mech986]

If the woofer is the LE10 and has a white to yellowish surround, the surround then is made of a material called Lansaloy. Initially it is a very effective and pliable surround. However, most if not all of them become dried and stiff as the material ages and eventually contracts, sometimes to the point of cracking or solidification.

If yours are still pliable, that's a great exception. However, to be back to almost OEM, there are ways of treating them so that they would be almost as pliable as new foam surrounds. But it does involve using some noxious materials to treat them.

Playing them at anything beyond background volume without treatment might cause a split so may pay to be cautious.

Nice Score!

Regards,

Bart

[Regis]

Those are a beautiful pair of speakers! Great score! I'm up here in the AV as well and have owned the L65 in the past (my first pair were the L-65's back in 1978!). Nice to see another JBL enthusiast up here as well (besides the new ones I converted). I'm on my tenth or twentieth pair of JBL's and finally settled on a pair of 4315's, supplemented with some nice subs. PM me when you have a chance. :applaud:

[dibmem]

The surrounds are quite stiff and barely move when pushed on. We would definitely prefer to keep the speakers as close to original condition as possible... What's the trick to refurbing the Lansaloy? I like noxious chemicals - they are my friends. :blink: I mean - we have space outside and could get the task done easily.

We'll keep them at a lower volume in the meantime.


If the woofer is the LE10 and has a white to yellowish surround, the surround then is made of a material called Lansaloy. Initially it is a very effective and pliable surround. However, most if not all of them become dried and stiff as the material ages and eventually contracts, sometimes to the point of cracking or solidification.

If yours are still pliable, that's a great exception. However, to be back to almost OEM, there are ways of treating them so that they would be almost as pliable as new foam surrounds. But it does involve using some noxious materials to treat them.

Playing them at anything beyond background volume without treatment might cause a split so may pay to be cautious.

Nice Score!

Regards,

Bart

[hjames]

I do NOT have a pair of lansalloy drivers, but in my travels around the site,
I've read of treating the surrounds with brake fluid as a possible way to soften up the hardened material.
Do an Advance Search on this site to get more specific info ...

do it in stages, be patient, and good luck!


The surrounds are quite stiff and barely move when pushed on. We would definitely prefer to keep the speakers as close to original condition as possible... What's the trick to refurbing the Lansaloy? I like noxious chemicals - they are my friends. :blink: I mean - we have space outside and could get the task done easily.

We'll keep them at a lower volume in the meantime.

[mech986]

The surrounds are quite stiff and barely move when pushed on. We would definitely prefer to keep the speakers as close to original condition as possible... What's the trick to refurbing the Lansaloy? I like noxious chemicals - they are my friends. :blink: I mean - we have space outside and could get the task done easily.

We'll keep them at a lower volume in the meantime.

LOL!! Yes, per hjames, DOT3 Brake fluid has been used sparingly to soften the hardened Lansaloy. However, you should definitely search and read up on the technique - done correctly and sparingly, you can get the surrounds softened and avoid any cone discoloration. Too much applied, like anything done to excess, can cause potential damage that could be unrepairable except for a complete resurround (which could be complicated by brake fluid adsorbed on the cone edge).

One other thing, some members have found reapplication may need to be done as the brake fluid slowly evaporates and the surrounds harden again, YMMV. You might have to look over a number of threads to get a sense of the process and its results.

Regards,

Bart

[jblsound]

I do NOT have a pair of lansalloy drivers, but in my travels around the site,
I've read of treating the surrounds with brake fluid as a possible way to soften up the hardened material.
Do an Advance Search on this site to get more specific info ...

do it in stages, be patient, and good luck!
I did that for a pair of L55s, years ago. But this year I cut them off and replaced with foam surrounds

[dibmem]

Thanks for the info everyone! We will likely go ahead and replace the foam surrounds and avoid the possibility of staining or ruining the cones...
When we first obtained our set of L-88s - They had no surrounds at all... Only what could be described (at the time) as 'stubborn white gunk' around the edge. The project took a couple days to complete, but we know what to expect and the weather is still nice outside. :)


I did that for a pair of L55s, years ago. But this year I cut them off and replaced with foam surrounds

[wsilva]

Those are some sweeties!

I really like the look of the cabinets, fantastic find :)

[hjames]

Those are some beautiful looking cabinets!
From the brackets on the back, looks like the were meant to be hung horizontal ... interesting!



Label on the back reads: "D-48 S-5 WX"
http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=35731&stc=1&d=1228519031

[speakerdave]

Those speakers are a real item for anyone into collectible JBL bookshelf systems. They are quite unusual. The tweeters look to be in quite good shape. If you want to really cherry out these speakers you can have the woofers reconed at about $200 each.

As for using brake fluid on the surrounds:
1-understand that even if you get it right you will be doing it again in the not too distant future.

2-unless you have something else to practice on, the likelihood is very high that you will get brake fluid into the material of the cone at its edge. If that happens the cones may not be salvageable because the glue for a new surround may not stick.

3-if the surrounds have hardened with the spiders in an off-center position, then the speakers really need to be reconed.

4-So, pull the woofers and see if the spiders look flat (not dished or mounded) when you look across them through the frame struts.

5-Somewhat counter-intuitively, if the spiders are flat I would suggest that you do not try the brake fluid, but rather have then refoamed.

6-If the spiders are not flat, the woofers may not be worth refoaming, and there is much less downside to fooling around with the brake fluid. Before you do it, though, examine them for any signs of cracking. If there are cracks in the yellow foam (now crust), the surrounds are goners.

David

[57BELAIRE]

A beautiful pair of L5 equipped C48 Madisons for $80...
and you quibbled? :jawdrop: The tweeters alone are worth $300 (to some).
Check the envelope on the back for dated material. These were
from the early sixties and are the first I've seen with dark grille cloth.

Very nice! :applaud:

[dibmem]

Unfortunately, no paperwork inside either of the envelopes. :(
We've had extraordinary luck with getting JBL speakers for very little - Our L-65s were $35 at Salvation Army / L-88s were $20 at a yard sale.
Just learning the ropes here, so we had no idea what the speakers' value would be or more importantly - what they would sound like. Hopefully, after the surrounds are replaced - they will sound lovely. :)


A beautiful pair of L5 equipped C48 Madisons for $80...
and you quibbled? The tweeters alone are worth $300 (to some). Check the envelope on the back for dated material. These were
from the early sixties and are the first I've seen with dark grille cloth. Very nice!

[BMWCCA]

We've had extraordinary luck with getting JBL speakers for very little - Our L-65s were $35 at Salvation Army / L-88s were $20 at a yard sale.
"Kalifornia sucks!" -BMWCCA




;)

[57BELAIRE]

Unfortunately, no paperwork inside either of the envelopes. :(
We've had extraordinary luck with getting JBL speakers for very little - Our L-65s were $35 at Salvation Army / L-88s were $20 at a yard sale.
Just learning the ropes here, so we had no idea what the speakers' value would be or more importantly - what they would sound like. Hopefully, after the surrounds are replaced - they will sound lovely. :)

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. LE30 is one of my faves...very smooth.

I have two pair: one with the S5 linup, the other with the LE8T.

It would be nice to get those serial #'s for our registry...these don't show up all that often.