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toddalin
01-07-2018, 02:07 PM
What is the model number for the 8" woofers used in the L212s?

Thanks

rdgrimes
01-07-2018, 02:11 PM
http://manuals.harman.com/JBL/HOM/Technical%20Sheet/L212C%20ts.pdf

toddalin
01-07-2018, 02:17 PM
Thanks.

Seller doesn't know the model number, but a mirror in the port should show it. Does this look right, other than outside refoam? LX-11 crossovers.

https://images.craigslist.org/00O0O_4NC32GZge9n_1200x900.jpg

speakerdave
01-07-2018, 02:19 PM
The 4315 2108/2108H being identical.

toddalin
01-08-2018, 12:43 PM
OK, I am officially confused???

The guy said his father built them over 20 years ago. We pulled the crossover and the woofer says it's an LE10A (white foilcal looks untouched), but it is a ferrite (H) structure. :blink:

Cones are the dark color (not white), and were refoamed on the fronts with a clear coating applied to the cones (a bit sloppy in spots). The cones show the ribs (ala 2108/112) through the coating, whereas LE10As have no ribs.

Maybe a Frankinwoofer???

Seller received low ball offers ($40) and would not take them. I told him not to take any low ball offers and said I would research the woofers and get back to him.

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/ele/d/custom-jbl-2-way/6450748119.html

From the rear, the woofer looked like that in the picture.
http://www.speakerrepair.com/repairpicshtml/jbl-le10-back.jpg

mech986
01-22-2018, 05:34 AM
Todd, the L212 uses the consumer numbered 112A/112H 8 inch midbass which is exactly like the 4315's pro model 2108/2108H. It has the squircle shaped frame and similar rib structure to the older LE8T series and similarity to the larger LE10 used in a number of vintage JBL speakers including the similar LE111 woofer used in L110 and 4313.

my guess is these 10" drivers may have been reconed with later or aftermarket cones and then coated.

Looks like the seller has deleted the ad.

toddalin
01-22-2018, 12:43 PM
Todd, the L212 uses the consumer numbered 112A/112H 8 inch midbass which is exactly like the 4315's pro model 2108/2108H. It has the squircle shaped frame and similar rib structure to the older LE8T series and similarity to the larger LE10 used in a number of vintage JBL speakers including the similar LE111 woofer used in L110 and 4313.

my guess is these 10" drivers may have been reconed with later or aftermarket cones and then coated.

Looks like the seller has deleted the ad.

Thanks Bart,

I did research and told the seller what he had, and was very honest with him as I am in all of my dealings.


Todd,

Thank you very much for getting back to me with this information. I found an old reconing sheet that had my father's note on the back, "$30/ea for Cerwin Vegas", (referring to others that I had), so they may have done the JBL also. I don't know. That was from Eddie's Reconing Service in Cypress.

Would it surprise you that learn that my dad's hearing was a bit off, between an ear infection and mastoid operation as a child in about 1930, and his WW2 duties as a 40mm anti-aircraft gunner? All the kings horses and men and orange county's finest audiologists couldn't much help his hearing with all manor of hearing aids.
Although my dad was quite a fine engineer in his day and knew how do things exactly right, he did realize the value of diminishing returns. Thus cutting a few corners in order to remedy a busted cone was probably good enough for him.

Pitty they are not collectible, but I hope someone will enjoy them.

Thanks again for the insight. Although these are my only JBL, (I have Vandersteen 2ce sigs at home) it think it might have been fun to discuss other audio matters with you, but believe that I won't be in the neighborhood for long.

Best regards,
Eric




--------------------------------------------
On Tue, 1/9/18, craigslist reply
Subject: Re: Custom+JBL+2-way
Date: Tuesday, January 9, 2018, 12:55 PM


Hi Eric,

I did some research and said I would
get back to you.

As I said, I've been into JBLs since
the 60s. The foilcal (label) on the
woofer, as we both saw it, said
LE10A. So, as you probably surmised, this
is a 10" woofer. These were
actually "under-sized" for a 10" so are easy to
confuse with an 8".

Now it gets really interesting, and
confusing.

The magnet, and we saw it, was the
later ferrite version of the LE10H, and
not the AlNiCo version used on the
LE10A.

Here you can see the difference in the
"A" (smaller round AlNiCo magnets)
and "H" versions (flattened, widened,
ferrite magnets).

https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.7LT9WybeHzAY5IEyUJNXTgEsDe&pid=Api

http://www.speakerrepair.com/repairpicshtml/jbl-le10-back.jpg

Then there is the issue of the cones.

The LE10A cones are white and smooth,
whereas the LE10H cones are dark and
smooth. But note that neither
cone has the ribs that show through under the
coating that was applied after the fact
on your woofers. Also, note that in
both cases, the foam is mounted under,
rather than over the cone as was done
with yours during the refoam. I
noted this when we talked, but now you can
see the difference and know that I was
being straight with you. Ordinarily,
this would kill the resale value to a
collector because even if the foams
were redone to the rears, the scars of
the old glue would show on the fronts
of cones. But because the cones
have been sprayed with the aftermarket
coating, and don't appear to be the
proper cones anyway, to restore the
speakers to original would require a
complete recone.

Speaker Pros in Garden Grove does this
and still may have some original
cones for the "H" model, of which this
actually appears to be. They charge
$218 +tax each, unless prices have gone
up again.

http://www.speakerrepair.com/repairpicshtml/jbl-le10-before.jpg

http://audio-heritage.jp/JBL/unit/le10h.jpg

The best that I can figure is that your
father/someone created what is known
as a Frankenwoofer, that was made of
parts put together from other models.
These rarely perform as well as the
originals.

http://www.speakerrepairpros.com/services.html

Don't take a low ball offer, but don't
expect high dollars from a collector.

Take care,

Todd

BTW, I actually started a thread about
these on the JBL website and you get
some advertising from it. You can
follow it at the link:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?40497-Woofer-Model-Number

toddalin
02-10-2018, 06:25 PM
So I got a call from the owner today. He was packing (house in escrow) and he came across the badges that his father got way back when. They were never installed.

Well sure! And I invited him over to hear what the big JBLs sound like. He came and we listened for a while and he was really impressed and so glad he came. I think he was even more impressed with the ESS AMT in my 18"/2251/AMT three-way.

BTW, he got $200/pr.