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CountD
03-13-2010, 06:39 PM
I thought I would post one of the rear labels from the C533 ‘Bob Fine’ monitors. Both envelopes stapled to the back were still untouched, and I was hoping to find some more information about them inside. Unfortunately, it was like Geraldo opening ‘Al Capone’s Vault.’ As I opened the envelope, I was greeted by a catalog with a picture of a Paragon on it that said ‘JBL LOUDPEAKERS ARE BEAUTIFUL’ Great. Inside there were three brochures (speakers, enclosures), warranty card, and finish care guide.

Does anyone know additional information about the C533 or know anyone that owns a pair? I have searched the forums and all I can come up with is a schematic for the crossover. I am trying to find more information on the C533 but I have not found a whole lot. Thanks for reading.

http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx255/mongolger/BobFineLabel-Speaker1.jpg

http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx255/mongolger/

http://s761.photobucket.com/albums/xx255/mongolger/http://i761.photobucket.com/albums/xx255/mongolger/BobFinesVault-1.jpg

cosmos
03-13-2010, 09:25 PM
Here is some info. Search is your friend:

"Around the same time, Ed (May) developed the compact 4310 monitor. This, and it's domestic conversion, the L100, would become the most successful loudspeakers yet produced by JBL. The 4310 was developed at the request of Bob Fine, an influential New York studio operator and engineer. Bob had just acquired a new Ampex 8-track recorder that was a significant advance on the previous, standard 3-track recorders. Bob's first thoughts in implementing this new technology was to have 8 studio monitors in the control room, or one speaker for each track. Using the industry standard Altec Lansing 604 Duplex would not work in this application since the enclosures for that driver were far too large to allow 8 in a control room. Therefore, Bob approached JBL to develop a monitor that had the same sonic signature of 604 but in a small package. The starting point was the two-way L88 that Ed had developed two years previous. It used a modified D123 called the 123A. It eliminated the duraluminum dustcap since it would not be needed in a two-way system and added a thick Aquaplas coating to extend the low frequency response. This driver was mated to the newly developed LE20 tweeter."

And it can be found HERE. (http://www.audioheritage.org/html/people/may.htm)

CountD
03-14-2010, 04:08 PM
Thanks, yes I read this several times, and the search has not been my friend. But when you read these, it's basically wrong, because the 4310 was NOT made at the request of Bob Fine, the C533 was, and the 4310 came later as a real legitimate JBL Pro commercial product. And after talking to the owner of these, Bob did not use 4310s - but C533s - and he knew about it because Bob was a close friend of studio owner Tom Higley who originally starting using C533s on the west coast. I have read all the basic blurbs on Mr. Fine on the net, read about it in the JBL book as this seems to be the generic basic things known about the C533 (though it is never referred to the C533, just the basic development of the 4310), about Bob Fine, etc. I was just trying to figure out if there are actual references to the C533 monitor, or if any other pairs are out there, because it does seem like a lost speaker and although they somewhat look like a 43XX series, an L166 looks more like it.

But I do want to thank you for taking the time to add this to the thread.

cosmos
03-14-2010, 05:12 PM
although they somewhat look like a 43XX series, an L166 looks more like it.

I don't think what you have is anything really significant from a collectible standpoint. Not to say it isn't nice and worthy of investigation. The "C" letter designation was used when JBL built a cabinet that could be configured with different component setups or "loads".

I would guess that the C533 was a 3 way derivative of the C53 Libra, which predated 43xx and was typically loaded with a larger LE-14A woofer and LE20 tweeter or LE-14C (coax) woofer.

Further, IMO, L100 gains it's high value relative to performance because of it being known and common, not because of rarity..

I am curious though what makes you think it looks more like a L166 than a 43xx as the drivers match those used in 43xx and not L166. It might be worth discussion and interesting.

Thanks

Wagner
03-14-2010, 05:55 PM
Thanks, yes I read this several times, and the search has not been my friend. But when you read these, it's basically wrong, because the 4310 was NOT made at the request of Bob Fine, the C533 was, and the 4310 came later as a real legitimate JBL Pro commercial product. And after talking to the owner of these, Bob did not use 4310s - but C533s - and he knew about it because Bob was a close friend of studio owner Tom Higley who originally starting using C533s on the west coast. I have read all the basic blurbs on Mr. Fine on the net, read about it in the JBL book as this seems to be the generic basic things known about the C533 (though it is never referred to the C533, just the basic development of the 4310), about Bob Fine, etc. I was just trying to figure out if there are actual references to the C533 monitor, or if any other pairs are out there, because it does seem like a lost speaker and although they somewhat look like a 43XX series, an L166 looks more like it.

But I do want to thank you for taking the time to add this to the thread.

I would love to see some pictures of the system!

Thank you,
Thomas

herki the cat
03-15-2010, 07:58 AM
Here is some info. Search is your friend:

Bob Fine, an influential New York studio operator and engineer had just acquired a new Ampex 8-track recorder that was a significant advance on the previous, standard 3-track recorders. Bob's first thoughts was to have 8 studio monitors in the control room, or one speaker for each track.
And it can be found HERE. (http://www.audioheritage.org/html/people/may.htm)


Holy Toledo! Eight channel stereo master tapes, and the industry did not really know then how to implement four channels for the Quadraphonic four channel stereo LP.

Well, it did provide eight tracks, one track for each instrument group, aka: the Strings, the Cello, the double bass, the Brass, the percussion, the piano, the vocalist, the vocal chorus, etc. It did simplify implementing intra-instrument group "frequency-spectrum balance" & isolation, minimizing cross talk or leakage amongst the various group directional-microphones, for laying the primary tracks, plus stereo Live acoustic environment sound" aka, " large auditorium Live reverberation quality" optimized & peculiar to each instrument group. The ultimate mix-down of "two channel LP stereo format" was performed on a very high quality, low-noise Sound-on-35mm Film Medium for the final LP stereo release mix, for which, Bob Fine & Wilma Cozart Fine were famous on their exquisite "Mercury Label"

Cheers, herki the cat

CountD
03-15-2010, 05:53 PM
The thing about the C533, is that it was not sold as a cabinet, it was sold as a complete speaker through what was coming to be JBL Pro, and as it says in a few threads on this board, that the C533 had its own crossover. I was under the impression from the cabinets like the C53 that they did not have a serial number and these do.

From a collectible standpoint I am not interested in, but from a historical standpoint I would say it is very significant - in the fact that Bob Fine had these made to his specs and these became the 4310. And, no one outside Bob Fine or Tom Higley in California had them. So, I would say that they would be not only collectible, but maybe the only ones around. I would say that C53+3 would make sense, but it was not a catalog ordered cabinet, and has two adjustments at the bottom like the 4310/4311. The owner sold them as the 4310 Prototypes, which in a sense they are, but this may be misleading too. Thanks for the comments.

Wagner
03-16-2010, 05:51 AM
The thing about the C533, is that it was not sold as a cabinet, it was sold as a complete speaker through what was coming to be JBL Pro, and as it says in a few threads on this board, that the C533 had its own crossover. I was under the impression from the cabinets like the C53 that they did not have a serial number and these do.

From a collectible standpoint I am not interested in, but from a historical standpoint I would say it is very significant - in the fact that Bob Fine had these made to his specs and these became the 4310. And, no one outside Bob Fine or Tom Higley in California had them. So, I would say that they would be not only collectible, but maybe the only ones around. I would say that C53+3 would make sense, but it was not a catalog ordered cabinet, and has two adjustments at the bottom like the 4310/4311. The owner sold them as the 4310 Prototypes, which in a sense they are, but this may be misleading too. Thanks for the comments.

Please share some pictures! :bouncy:

I've never seen one plus the fact that Bob Fine/Mercury hold high place of respect in this house.

Please share.

Thank you in advance,
Thomas

Don C
03-16-2010, 09:19 AM
The pictures are in this older thread.
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=27653

CountD
03-16-2010, 02:03 PM
Thanks Don - I will also be adding my own closeups today or tomorrow.

Wagner
03-16-2010, 02:12 PM
The pictures are in this older thread.
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=27653


Thank you!

Thomas

herki the cat
03-17-2010, 03:26 AM
I guess the C533 was a 3 way derivative of the C53 Libra, which predated 43xx..... The C533 like the C53, did not have a serial number and these do. The [ultimate] "L100" gains it's high value relative to performance ....



Originally posted by CountD http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=282757#post282757)
The C533, was sold is a complete speaker through what was coming to be JBL Pro. In fact Bob Fine had these made to his specs and these became the 4310.

Web Master, DonMcRitchie traces the history of the "time-honored studio monitors 4310/4311 against the Altec 604 in this interesting Link:

(http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=3747)

Don McRitchie also traces the 4311 morphed from the Ubiquitous, Awesome L100 in post #1 of the thread = "L100 and 43XX Monitor Legacy" in this Link:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=1389&referrerid=12038 (http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=1389&referrerid=12038)

Ca suffi com ca; cheers, herki the cat