best driver for Leslie/Hammond

[aaronz28]

So, I know Bill Beer used the 2482 with his modified B3s - but I wonder if anyone has other experience with JBL drivers for use in Leslie Speakers with Hammond B3 organs?
and if so - is the 2482 the end all be all? or is there other drivers that I should consider?

I just scored a D140 as my woofer - and would like to also replace the stock jensen driver with a JBL.

I think there is some concern as to whether or not the driver will be able to reproduce the frequency range of a Hammond - but i can't believe that a proJBL wouldn't outperform a stock Jensen.

The amp is the 40watt 147 Tube amp which is 2 6550 in push-pull.

I fully expect to have to create or buy an adapter - but i think that has been covered by several aftermarket people.

any help would be most greatly appreciated -

thabnks

aaron
[email protected]

[toddalin]

Out-perform in what way? The stock Jensen driver is in large part what gives the Hammond its characteristic sound. The JBL may be more efficient and even clearer, but that's not the Hammond sound. Just like the later, higher-powered transistorized Leslies are less desireable than the 122/147.

JBL D110s/D120 may be "better" than Celestron "Greenbacks," but few would put the JBLs in a Marshall for "better performance" because its not the desired sound.

BTW, if I were to use the JBL driver, I would probably use the LE175. Anything above 6KHz is just noise on a Hammond, though that noise may be desireable to some, and the LE175 is "warmer" than the LE85. This assumes that you cannot find a phenolic driver.

[aaronz28]

Outperform was a bad term - but "sound better" is another subjective term.

As you said - some people wouldn't never think of replacing the stock celestions with D120f - yet it is a truely amazing sound if you like that sound.

BUT - Celstions are in part what gave MARSHALL's their voice - much like the Jensen/Leslie/Hammond combination.

So - i guess what i'm after - are recommendations on JBL compression drivers - that would be within the expected frequency range of a B3.

certainly - key click is part of the sound - but too much may not be desirable... i'll have to try.

i have a d140f on the way as my 15" for the leslie - i'm going to try an Atlas PD60 which is one of the recommended drivers to replace the Jensen V21 in a Leslie - i'm jsut curious to know if anyone has had good luck with any specific JBL drivers for the treb rotor.

Thanks

Aaron

[Tim Rinkerman]

The Jensen V-21 sounds really good for Hammonds because it rolls off above around 6-8000 hz. The JBL 2482 sounds good because it does too. It was originally designed as a foghorn driver, and later on a mid-range driver in high power audio systems. They also share the same type of diaphragm construction...phenolic resin shaped fiber. The 2482 is a 2" exit driver, you really "neck it down" to adapt to a Leslie upper rotor.
JBL also makes the 2470 driver that I kinda prefer over the 2482 because it is a 1" exit driver, about a third smaller and lighter than a 2482, and still uses a phenolic diaphragm, and rolls off above 8000hz.
I really like Leslies with JBL's in them. They seem to provide an audio, for lack of better words, "firmness" the stock drivers don't. JBL's have always had so much more accuracy in reproducing what goes into them, I think they make a good set up sound great. However, being a Hammond lover as well, I respect the the school that believes they allow you to hear some stuff that was never originally meant to be audible....

[jaybird]

All I use now for upgrades in leslies are Atlas PD60 drivers and Eminence delta 15b woofers when I'm using the original crossover.The Atlas is a little bright when new but after you get a few miles on it, it smooths out. The eminence brakes up just right when you want it to growl. JBL's go in almost everthing else for keyboards if changes are needed.

[Steve Schell]

I once owned a JBL high frequency driver that had been pulled from a Leslie cabinet. It was an early 1960s vintage JBL variant on a 375 (black crinkle paint, oval foilcal), labeled a "375H." It used a phenolic diaphragm and was probably an early version of the 2480, built before the pro series drivers debuted. A beautifully machined insert provided a slower throat taper than the stock 375, and simply pulled free when tugged. It would have coupled the driver to the rotating horn/dummy horn. I sold the driver many years ago on ebay... for $375! I also had some sort of blue Jensen compression driver in the shed for a while, still mounted to the rotating split horn from a Leslie. I wonder if Booker T ever played through these things? The mind boggles!

[Pawnansell]

I got a tall boy leslie 30 years ago. I was in a rock band we traveled all over the east coast.I got tired of the Marshall amps drowning me out I has a 122 Leslie with a Blond B3 I miked it but we were a very loud band. So I built a powerfull Leslie. It screamedI put in the tall boy a Altec 290E driver for the top I moved the rotor upside down so the roter was under the horn then I put a 18 " Vega speaker in now to get more bass I used the rest of the cabinet, I put a scoop like the JBL cabinets had. I put the slant off the back ov the speaker then scooped it.For power I used a Phase Linear 700 amp with a electronic crossover. It screamed and sounded great. But it was too clean of a sound for a rock band and the sound covered the whole stage drounded everything out! Haha! So after a month or so I bought 2 122 Leslie's and stuck two mikes in the one Leslie just turned the pa up but the the origional Leslie's are great all I did to them was put a electro voice EVM 15B speaker 8 ohms gave it a fater sound with the Hammond Grind and pop! Nothing like it!

[1audiohack]

Hi there and welcome.

I would love to see and hear that!

Barry.

[Pawnansell]

It was loud! Extreamlly loud even for a good size rock band in the 70's when marshall amps and Svt rigs would blow u off the stage. I never took a pict should have but that's history.