Factory or homebrew??

[DP Bimble]

I've been a fan of Mr Lansing's work for years and have used JBL speakers since I was a kid in high school. Altec stuff for hi-fi was only something the kids with the kind of parents who had initials AFTER their names could afford. The ones who actually BUILT their own cabs really intrigued me. Now, with the internet, we can ooh and aah and identify some of the gear we've seen thru the years. Which brings me to this forum and a request for help. I happened onto a yard sale with a couple of mis-matched systems awhile ago. One was tagged... the other was not. The one in question is a corner cab with spindle legs that does look 'factory'. It contains standard VOTT components and the grille looks like it might have had a badge before a cat found it. No other identification can be found anywhere, inside or out. I've looked at all the sites I can find and looked at all the plans that have been posted and am not even close to finding a match. I plan to sell the gear I found for the lady who owns it and don't want to trash the cabinet if it's worth more to keep it intact. Can anyone please help? We'll both be grateful. Thanks55826558275582855829

[grumpy]

http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Altec/1959-h.jpg

Homebrew Laguna-ish? Sticker on back panel?

[DP Bimble]

Not even the residue of a tag or sticker. It's the tapered legs that got me to wondering. If they were plain sticks.... Laguna has 2-803's and that threw me further off. This wasn't built from 'real' plans, then, huh??

[Earl K]

Then how about this 832A ?

http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Altec/1959-i.jpg

:)

[grumpy]

Ah, Corona. Internal construction looks very Altec like.
Could have a match there :)

[gferrell]

Sure looks like it.

[moparfan]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Altec-Corona-832A-Altec-803B-802-N-800-E-511-/251065283992?_trksid=p4340.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DUPI.GIROS%26its%3DI%252BC%252BS%2 6itu%3DUCI%252BUCC%26otn%3D15%26pmod%3D12091906716 5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8633788562777407557#ht_500wt _1203

[hjames]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Altec-Corona-832A-Altec-803B-802-N-800-E-511-/251065283992?_trksid=p4340.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DUPI.GIROS%26its%3DI%2BC%2BS%26itu %3DUCI%2BUCC%26otn%3D15%26pmod%3D120919067165%26ps %3D63%26clkid%3D8633788562777407557#ht_500wt_1203
;) And why would we expect any less?

Tho it would be a nice courtesy if they contributed a few bucks (green DONATE text in the grey line above) to help support the site.

[Earl K]

> The pics above show a different speaker than the one currently for sale on eBay ( different model woofer, an 803A vs 803B, a different mounting of the horn driver, different grill rips, etc. etc. ).

> Anyhow,,, these two orphans would be a real nice restoration project for someone with a liking for that "Danish Modern" style ( which I happen to find quite attractive ) .

:)

[DP Bimble]

The check is in the mail. No, really. You're absolutely right. As soon as I fugure out how to donate, without emptying my bank account, I will. My computer skills are quite limited. It took me a week to figure out how to even post the pics!! Anyway, my thanks to Earl and the rest of you. The link to the ebay auction should help me get some feel for a fair price, too. If anybody's interested in what my lady friend has, give me a holler. She had $200 for the pair at the yard sale and I just couldn't let her do it. Her husband passed on and left 'em and she had NO idea. I knew they were worth more, but not how much. And she can really use the money. Again, my thanks. Now that I've found this site I'll snoop constantly. And keep my mouth shut...... dan

[4343]

The check is in the mail. No, really. You're absolutely right. As soon as I fugure out how to donate, without emptying my bank account, I will. My computer skills are quite limited. It took me a week to figure out how to even post the pics!! Anyway, my thanks to Earl and the rest of you. The link to the ebay auction should help me get some feel for a fair price, too. If anybody's interested in what my lady friend has, give me a holler. She had $200 for the pair at the yard sale and I just couldn't let her do it. Her husband passed on and left 'em and she had NO idea. I knew they were worth more, but not how much. And she can really use the money. Again, my thanks. Now that I've found this site I'll snoop constantly. And keep my mouth shut...... dan

I don't believe the "donate" was directed at you Dan. Just an ongoing thing, where almost anything being discussed here suddenly pops up on ebay, sometimes with actual posts linked or lifted into the listing.

Maybe the worst is when someone comes here and posts a long, glowing description of their wares, and links to that in their ad.

Just saying that the ebay listing was not a coincidence, and that it would be only fitting that those profiting off this site chip in some of their profits...

That said, I don't think that auction has done much to establish the value of this particular item. Ended with no bids. The $700 shipping might be a clue as to the seller's idea of what they are worth though.

[Horn Fanatic]

I've been a fan of Mr Lansing's work for years and have used JBL speakers since I was a kid in high school. Altec stuff for hi-fi was only something the kids with the kind of parents who had initials AFTER their names could afford. The ones who actually BUILT their own cabs really intrigued me. Now, with the internet, we can ooh and aah and identify some of the gear we've seen thru the years. Which brings me to this forum and a request for help. I happened onto a yard sale with a couple of mis-matched systems awhile ago. One was tagged... the other was not. The one in question is a corner cab with spindle legs that does look 'factory'. It contains standard VOTT components and the grille looks like it might have had a badge before a cat found it. No other identification can be found anywhere, inside or out. I've looked at all the sites I can find and looked at all the plans that have been posted and am not even close to finding a match. I plan to sell the gear I found for the lady who owns it and don't want to trash the cabinet if it's worth more to keep it intact. Can anyone please help? We'll both be grateful. Thanks55826558275582855829

For what it's worth at this late date, the 832 Corona cabinet you have is the real deal. I have been up close and personal with many of them, and know what they look like inside and out. I have seen all four Danish boxes with and without paper labels on the back. The 830 Laguna, 831 Capistrano, 832 Corona, and the 833 Verde. I have a Verde without any markings save for the Glenn of California branded on the back, and the ALTEC tin badge on the grille. I hope you didn't give your cabinet the deep six. If in the future you find yourself wondering about the authenticity of a vintage ALTEC cabinet, the tip off is the grille fabric. The fabric on the Danish boxes cannot be found anywhere at any price, save for someone who may be sitting on a bolt of NOS. You will also be hard pressed to find a weaver who can duplicate it. The fabric has silk threads woven amongst polyester threads, and you would be lucky to find someone who will dye that material. Believe me, I have tried in vane for the last 5 years to have it duplicated, even to the point of having a weaver make inquiries in the U.K.

H.F.

[Steve Schell]

I owned an Altec Corona briefly about twenty years ago. The same party also supplied a mid 1950s A7 VOTT that contained the same components. I removed all the components (*sigh*) and sold the cabinets to an exporter who seemed especially eager to have the Corona cabinet.

While Googling for pictures of the Corona just now, I found this Lansing Heritage thread that seems to finish the story of DP Bimble's Corona. It appears that shaansloan acquired it and another similar one and refurbished them beautifully as a pair:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?34200-Finished-my-Altec-Corona-832A-s!

[Lee28]

And I literally mean branded...as with a hot poker.

Hello, new member as of yesterday.

I've been searching around for info on the Altec / GLENN connection.
Glad I found this old thread...a valuable resource.
Horn Fanatic's post above was very heartening in this regard.
i speculate that GLENN, a very hi-end furniture maker in LA made many of Altec's cabs.

IMO, those era cabs...( I have a single Verde )...that have all the stamped serial numbers and tags...were all sold loaded. Those cabs with just the GLENN brand on the bottom rear corner...were sold as empty cabs. Unloaded cabs would not have had a serial numbers. But they are the same.

I did discover that my no serial number Verde is signed in pencil on the bottom "JM 856." Could this mean it was the 856 Verde that JM made?

I'd very much appreciate it if Horn Fanatic would look on the bottom of his Verde and see if it too is signed by JM.


Thanks so much
Lee

[BMWCCA]

Old thread with link screwed by Photobucket again!