JBL D120 reproductions

[horseshead]

Any one had any experience or luck finding JBL D120 copies? Tone Tubby makes some vintage alnicos and there's Weber's California. What does the E120 sound like as compared to the D120? I have heard that guitarists like Dicky Betts choose them as the best replacement sound for the D120's. And how does the E120 compare to some of these D120 copies or recones?

I have a couple of D120F original baskets (including not only the original spider, but also the original dust cap) reconed with a reproduction of the older, pre-100watt version cone - all paper including a paper surround having a different weight paper cone with a separate cloth surround. The voice coil, like the cone, is also propietary but made to exacting specifications. That is, it is edge wound alluminum on a paper former.

Rick

[edgewound]

Hi Rick...

The E120 is simply the most potent 12" extended range speaker ever made. 103dB sensitivity, 300 watts (150watts in open back) power handling. The ceramic E-series motor has more flux in the gap, 1.35T vs. 1.2T for the alnico D/K series, 103dB vs. 101dB sensitivity....results in 1-2 dB more midband efficiency giving it a little fatter tone overall. Cloth m-roll surround allows for both more low end excursion and less cone break-up, which could be viewed as a plus or minus depending on your preference. I think it makes for a much more durable and versatile speaker than the vintage all paper cone-compliance...especially with todays channel switching, clean to high-gain amps....it goes great with my Rivera Knucklehead 55.

Tha only thing I don't like about it is the added weight('bout 6 pounds) of the ceramic magnet. The E120 is like Godzilla....it really screams when you want it to...or can be velvety smooth too. You tell it what to do and it does it. Yeah....Dickey Betts, Les Paul Standard, Marshall and JBL...unmistakeable combination

Some have tried to reproduce a JBL D/K/E-120...but they're nowhere close. Eminence makes a terrible attempt at an E-120 clone....total waste of time. A D/K reconed with an E-120 kit makes for more power handling and a bit less cone break-up and increased low end. Sounds just like a K-120 which is alnico.

[horseshead]

First, so that I make sure I understood, did you say that when choosing a recone kit for a D series JBL, the E series recone kit is the closest sounding recone kit to the D series and for example Weber and Orange County recone kits are not as good?

Second, you've told of the difference in sound between the D and the E series, but what of the K?

Look at these D120's. There is a little too much glue around the dust caps to be original cones, no?
Rick

[edgewound]

First, so that I make sure I understood, did you say that when choosing a recone kit for a D series JBL, the E series recone kit is the closest sounding recone kit to the D series and for example Weber and Orange County recone kits are not as good?

I'm saying the E-series kit is what the factory specs for the D/K/E-120, and anything other than that is aftermarket. I have not seen, nor heard in my 18 years reconing, and aftermarket recone job that sounds as good as the factory parts.

Second, you've told of the difference in sound between the D and the E series, but what of the K?

The K sounds like the E with an alnico magnet. A little less sensitive...about 2dB less overall...less midrange in the 250-500 hz range.

Look at these D120's. There is a little too much glue around the dust caps to be original cones, no?
Rick

I can't tell enough detail from your pics about your speakers...other than they look like aftermarket reproductions. Usually the cones are too thick and heavy to sound like the vintage originals, and I haven't seen any aftermarket aluminum wire voicecoils...I've only seen copper. I don't do aftermarket recones on E120's...haven't yet anyway...because the sound isn't worth it.....and my customers know that I will use the parts that sound best. So far, that's the JBL kits.

[horseshead]

I'm saying the E-series kit is what the factory specs for the D/K/E-120, and anything other than that is aftermarket.

But the factory specs for the D cone is the D kit, not the E kit, right? It's just that the D kit is no longer available or let's say almost impossible to find, and the E kit is closer in sound to the D kit than any non-JBL recone kit people are using to recone the JBL D series speaker. Is that what you mean?

The K sounds like the E with an alnico magnet. A little less sensitive...about 2dB less overall...less midrange in the 250-500 hz range.

Sounds like an E series speaker but a little more like a K series speaker? In that case I'm just not clear what the K series sounds like as compared with the D series?



I can't tell enough detail from your pics about your speakers...other than they look like aftermarket reproductions. Usually the cones are too thick and heavy to sound like the vintage originals, and I haven't seen any aftermarket aluminum wire wire voicecoils...I've only seen copper. I don't do aftermarket recones on E120's...haven't yet anyway...because the sound isn't worth it.....and my customers know that I will use the parts that sound best. So far, that's the JBL kits.

That picture was not my speakers. Those speakers were a pair of D120F's that sold on ebay last night. I was wondering if I should go for them but I remembered a post last March a year ago on this forum somebody said from looking at a picture that I posted of my D130F's that one of them looked like was possibly reconed with an original D kit in the JBL factory very early because the glue around the dust cap is a little thicker than the glue of an original cone. I wound up not buying the D120F's last night even though the auction ended with an unbelievable price. Ebay just doesn't have unbelievable prices anymore on JBL D series guitar speakers so that's how you know somethings is probably up with that pair.

I still have only the one pair of vintage all paper cone reproductions to load my newly acquired vintage fender quad reverb. That amp takes four speakers. On top of that, each speaker is supposed to be 16 ohms. My all paper JBL 120's still probably sound better than any non-JBL speaker, for example the four Utah V12PC's that are in there now. Whether I have my JBL's reconed and how they will be reconed will depend on what I try to match them with, the kind of JBL I choose for the other two speakers. From talking to you, I already have decided that if I recone my speakers, I would use the E series kit.

I play all styles but generally gravitate toward quieter things like jazz and international styles of music.

Any ideas about how to load my new amp with JBL's if you were me?

Thanks for your help

[Tom Loizeaux]

With a Fender Quad Reverb being an open back cabinet, I think you could mix differant types of drivers, as long as the effiencies and impedances were close. Flat response, hi-fi, or speaker cabinet loading are not issues here.
Most guitar players like some cone break up and peaky responses, so JBLs may not really give you that sound. Guitar amp speakers are a very subjective area! I use many JBL musical instrument drivers but they are only working in my bass amp cabinets and PA and stage monitor boxes.
The best advice is to try as many combinations as you can.

Tom

[toddalin]

I have a line on a possible pair of K120's reported to be in good condition (someone is in line infront of me though). Are those of interest to you and if so, how much are you looking to spend?

[horseshead]

I have a line on a possible pair of K120's reported to be in good condition (someone is in line infront of me though). Are those of interest to you and if so, how much are you looking to spend?

If only I knew what the K120's sounded like I'd be able to say. I don't want to sound like the guitarist from the song in that home depot TV commercial that they also play on the phone when you're on hold, so...... no E120's for me I guess. No one yet seems to be able to describe the sound of a K series, only the D versus the E series.

Rick

[edgewound]

If only I knew what the K120's sounded like I'd be able to say. I don't want to sound like the guitarist from the song in that home depot TV commercial that they also play on the phone when you're on hold, so...... no E120's for me I guess. No one yet seems to be able to describe the sound of a K series, only the D versus the E series.

Rick

I described it a few posts ago. You're just gonna have to try them yourself. No amount of description will satisfy your liking them or not. If you don't like them....somebody will.

[toddalin]

If only I knew what the K120's sounded like I'd be able to say. I don't want to sound like the guitarist from the song in that home depot TV commercial that they also play on the phone when you're on hold, so...... no E120's for me I guess. No one yet seems to be able to describe the sound of a K series, only the D versus the E series.

Rick

OK, I let them go. Too bad too. At $90/pr, price was pretty good.

[horseshead]

OK, I let them go. Too bad too. At $90/pr, price was pretty good.

I am intested in the K120's. It just took me a week to realize this because it can get a little confusing reading different opinions from different people posting here, but I have decided that the best way for me or anyone to find the model JBL that I/they like the best is to try the different models.
Rick

[horseshead]

I have a line on a possible pair of K120's reported to be in good condition (someone is in line infront of me though). Are those of interest to you and if so, how much are you looking to spend?

Are those the ones you already let go for $90? If not, then I would need to know if they are original cones before offering a price.

Rick

[toddalin]

Are those the ones you already let go for $90? If not, then I would need to know if they are original cones before offering a price.

Rick

Gone. You snooze, you loose.

[dtdionne]

What a fantastic thread...thank you for all your hard work over the years at JBL, its amazing to see those people posting here!!

Anyway, I know this thread is a bit old but the search continues for many...personally im trying to get EVH1 tone and im certain that I need a pair of D120's to go along with my pair of scumback M75s (amazing pre-rola green replicas). Has anyone checked out the weber 12A125, 12F125
12A150, 12F150 speakers? https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/ I'm thinking about trying a pair of them...

[jcrobso]

http://www.usspeaker.com/beyma%20liberty-1.htm

I have not listened this speaker, but I have do have some other Beyma speakers and they sound very similar to JBLs.

However used JBLs D/K/E 120 can be found for less than this speaker's new price. John