Fillmore East Duane Allman's JBL D120F

Hi this is my first thread, I'm hoping I can get some advice on these speakers and the impact they had on this historic rock recording.
One thing I cannot fathom out and it seems to go against the grain is the comments about JBL speakers being brittle sounding especially with Marshall amps. How can this be? Duane Allman's tone was just pure magical. I approached a well known boutique amp builder a year or two ago and was told that only Celestions produce this type of tone. Do the original D120F speakers have some magic in them that Duane knew about? Is it true that unless these speakers have the original cones you will not get the tone. If you get one needing a recone can someone like Weber's get it back soundwise to the originals. I have a friend who had an E120 years ago and he said it was a totally different speaker to the D120's Any advice would be great

Hi!

I had labored for years under the assumption that Duane used JBLs as well. I just read the book, SkyDog: The Duane Allman Story, where the author says he used whatever the Cerwin Vega copy of the JBL D120F was. Like you, I have repeatedly heard that the aim was to make the amp smoother. He did, however, cut out portions of the backs of his Marshall cabs in order to make them behave like open-back cabs (less mids, less focused). Hope this helps a bit!

Bob

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Originally Posted by mountainjam

Hi this is my first thread, I'm hoping I can get some advice on these speakers and the impact they had on this historic rock recording.
One thing I cannot fathom out and it seems to go against the grain is the comments about JBL speakers being brittle sounding especially with Marshall amps. How can this be? Duane Allman's tone was just pure magical. I approached a well known boutique amp builder a year or two ago and was told that only Celestions produce this type of tone. Do the original D120F speakers have some magic in them that Duane knew about? Is it true that unless these speakers have the original cones you will not get the tone. If you get one needing a recone can someone like Weber's get it back soundwise to the originals. I have a friend who had an E120 years ago and he said it was a totally different speaker to the D120's Any advice would be great

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have you tried a brown soun in socal?

they do alot of work for the bands. they are a trip to talk to, literally.

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Originally Posted by mountainjam

Hi this is my first thread, I'm hoping I can get some advice on these speakers and the impact they had on this historic rock recording.
One thing I cannot fathom out and it seems to go against the grain is the comments about JBL speakers being brittle sounding especially with Marshall amps. How can this be? Duane Allman's tone was just pure magical. I approached a well known boutique amp builder a year or two ago and was told that only Celestions produce this type of tone. Do the original D120F speakers have some magic in them that Duane knew about? Is it true that unless these speakers have the original cones you will not get the tone. If you get one needing a recone can someone like Weber's get it back soundwise to the originals. I have a friend who had an E120 years ago and he said it was a totally different speaker to the D120's Any advice would be great

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Here's a totally different take on the idea of D120F's or E120's sounding harsh.

Two carpenters...or artists...have the same hammer, saw, and chisel laying in front of them. One carpenter has 20 years experience honing his craft, making him a master craftsman, the other is an apprentice who has just started out.

They both go to work building a house. The master craftsman builds a beautiful English Tudor style bungalow that would withstand a hurricane. The apprentice builds something that resembles a storage shed that would fall over in a light breeze.

In the end...it doesn't matter if you've got the same great tools to work with, it's what you create with them.

The master craftsmen always use the finest tools for their masterpiece.
The apprentice will in time learn how to use the best tools available.

This is what musical instrument loudspeakers are all about. No two players will ever get the same tone. It's what comes through their heart, hands and fingers.

Yes... the D/K/E120 have lots of potential high-end harshness to them, but it's up to the player to know what to do with it.

:applaud: :applaud: :applaud:

What is the general consensus on the tone of vintage altecs? I have been seeking good tone... led me to set amps and full range hemp drivers. I didnt end up with the hemp speakers because these altecs were way too good to pass up, but i wonder what general consensus is on the older altecs.

417s or 418B for guitar, keys, monitors, 421s for bass. All however, are what most would consider "clean" speakers, and just play what they're dealt, depending on the signal to already have any tone coloration you want. The fact that THD might be desirable in certain applications is a concept that Altec engineers apparently couldn't accept. Probably just as well.

(Add/edit) Early versions are fairly power-limited, Series II went to kapton formers and handle heavy juice much better. Check ratings for applicability. Recones for any will be series II equivalent. All are typically Altec-efficient though, and play much louder per watt than most. Can turn a lower-powered tone monster amp into something you can gig with.

GPA is developing an Alnico reissue of the 417, currently prototypes are being auditioned by some select pickers for final approval. Should be released by summer.

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Originally Posted by spwal

...snip... led me to set amps and full range hemp drivers....

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Finally.....a useful application for SETs....:applaud:

(he said as he dug out his Kevlar....)