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crustmeister
02-14-2006, 10:48 PM
Does anyone know a way of dating jbl signature drivers by their serial #'s? I recently aquired a pair of LE 8's that have serial#s 7285 and 7284.Thanx for any help! :banghead:allHere are a couple of shots of the LE 8's.Sorry about quality,but I am hurt'n for cert'n for a decent digital camera for my Mac.The numbers that are stamped on back of cones appears to be original with only reference to model,the #'s on both are LE 8 101.Whatcha think?

Nightbrace
02-14-2006, 11:03 PM
Carbon Dating seems to work.

Steve Schell
02-15-2006, 09:53 AM
Welcome to the forum, crustmeister!

Unfortunately it is not possible to date older JBL drivers by their serial numbers.
JBL production records were lost in the Northridge earthquake. About the best we can do is to make an estimate based on the systems they were installed in, or variations in decals and pot structure in the case of 1950s and earlier drivers.

Robh3606
02-15-2006, 09:59 AM
With the LE8 some of the early ones had whizzer cones and there were variations on what side of the cone the Lansplas is on. Can you drop pictures up?? Like Steve says it's only an aproximation but that's as good as you can get. You could also check the cones backs. Sometimes if there were reconed they will have dates on the backs as well. Just gives you a ballpark.

Rob:)

glen
02-15-2006, 02:48 PM
With the LE8 some of the early ones had whizzer cones
Rob:)

The original LE8 (no "T" on the end) WITH the whizzer cone seems to first appear around1959 and is still listed in the 1962 catalog:
http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/catalogs/1962/page08-09.jpg

The LE8T with the white Lans-a-plas cone and NO whizzer appears in this flyer, publication SB4, that has an attributed date of 1960(?)
http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/specs/home-comp/le8t/page1.jpg

It also appears on a 1962 price list that does NOT include the original LE8 even though it was in the 1962 catalog, so it looks like 1962 was probably the end of the line for the orignal LE8.

If what you have is the LE8T, then it is later, and harder to date as production continued into the 70s.

Please post some pictures of your speaker!