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Thread: Is there a JBL museum anywhere?

  1. #1
    Senior Member SUPERBEE's Avatar
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    Is there a JBL museum anywhere?

    Just wondering. And if so where is it?
    Paragon
    Olympus
    L-100's
    4311's

  2. #2
    Senior Member glen's Avatar
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    Steve Schell's house.
    Well, I guess that's more of a Lansing Museum. (Lansing Manufacturing, Altec Lansing & JBL)

    Actually, closest thing I know of was the History Exhibit and systems in storage at JBL Northridge.

    There was an Ampex Museum, but that collection was donated to Stanford University and is not exhibited, for scholarly research only.

    Seems like I heard of a Museum of Recorded Sound on the East Coast but I don't know if they ever got finances together to open.

    I guess this LH site is it unless JBL can be convinced to put some of their items on permanent display in a more publicly accessible area of their building (something I think we'dall love to see)
    glen

    "Make it sound like dinosaurs eating cars"
    - Nick Lowe, while producing Elvis Costello

  3. #3
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    Wink Well...

    Have you looked in my garage? My GF might characterize it as more of a JBL junkyard, but then many, many members here are in the same plight.

    One of the great things about the community is that it takes all of us to preserve the heritage. It's really bigger than one person or one company, even JBL, can perpetuate. However, if Steve S's vintage stuff were combined with JBL dog's, Robh3606's, johnaec's, JBLforever's, vettedrummer's, my own stuff and a couple other members, we'd have just about the entire production catalog covered.

    Add on the DIY element (you know who you are) and there's a collection that exceeds the model output of the original lines. Quite a feat, really.
    Out.

  4. #4
    Senior Member JBLnsince1959's Avatar
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    It's a shame I've sold my stuff over the years......but, then who knew that we would all look back fondly on these speakers

    Then again I may start selling again this fall and just clean house of everything and start all over again....

    I really wish that JBL would do a complete museum that we could walk thru but then it's not a money maker and the bean counters would most likely nix it. However, it would fit in nicely with the 60th year ann.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Steve Schell's Avatar
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    I agree with the sentiments that preserving audio history is largely the role of individual collector/enthusiasts. The public may pay money to tour a car museum, but even that can be an iffy proposition. No collection of amps and speakers is going to be self sustaining, no matter what we LH types think of them.

    Peter Hammar was the curator of the Ampex museum for several years. We spoke once on the phone, and he felt that ultimately the history of these technologies will be preserved mostly in virtual form, documents and pictures. Almost no one is willing to underwrite the fixed costs of maintaining an audio museum. Even the Smithsonian is apparently uninterested in most items unless they were owned by a celebrity or have some other connection that would grab the public's attention.

  6. #6
    Senior Member John W's Avatar
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    Charging people to look at speakers might not pay the bills, but unlike cars, planes and the like, speaker are something that everyone can really experience just by being in the same room. Here is a program from the type of JBL Museum I would like to see.

    • Tonight in the lounge we will fire up the 250ti’s bi-amped with some big McIntosh iron playing “Ladies of Jazz”. Your choice of drinks will be available at the bar, for a nominal fee

    • In the “Blue Room” there will be shootout of classical studio monitors. A head to head competition of all your 443* favorites. Bring your “Golden Ear” and vote for the one you like best.

    • Out in the barn, we are pulling out the best from the Cabaret line to see if they really can handle 1600w. Dancing till 1:00, then we have to shut it down or the neighbors complain.

    • Also, down in the basement, anyone who still hasn’t finished the baffles for their 4435s, needs to bring their router and dust-mask. The shop will be open till 10:00.
    Maybe set the museum up on a monthly subscription basis, like a health club or something.

  7. #7
    Senior Member JBLnsince1959's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Schell
    Even the Smithsonian is apparently uninterested in most items unless they were owned by a celebrity or have some other connection that would grab the public's attention.
    It's a shame that they don't recognize this as REAL technology that has REALLY shaped/( reflected current state of) our society ( which it has!!!!)

    I wonder if they would view TV's, engines the same way

    as a person who lived in/and around the Washington and visited Smithsonian alot, it's surprising they don't...

    the event of recorded and broadcast sound has shaped our current society in so many ways I can't count it...and the speaker ( and it's development) is at the heart of this.....

    Oh well

    Thank GOD we have a few brave souls like Steve and the rest to do this......

  8. #8
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
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    [SIZE="1"]
    Quote Originally Posted by John W
    Charging people to look at speakers might not pay the bills, but unlike cars, planes and the like, speaker are something that everyone can really experience just by being in the same room. Here is a program from the type of JBL Museum I would like to see.

    • Tonight in the lounge we will fire up the 250ti’s bi-amped with some big McIntosh iron playing “Ladies of Jazz”. Your choice of drinks will be available at the bar, for a nominal fee

    • In the “Blue Room” there will be shootout of classical studio monitors. A head to head competition of all your 443* favorites. Bring your “Golden Ear” and vote for the one you like best.

    • Out in the barn, we are pulling out the best from the Cabaret line to see if they really can handle 1600w. Dancing till 1:00, then we have to shut it down or the neighbors complain.

    • Also, down in the basement, anyone who still hasn’t finished the baffles for their 4435s, needs to bring their router and dust-mask. The shop will be open till 10:00.
    Maybe set the museum up on a monthly subscription basis, like a health club or something.
    That is an awesome concept! I actually think it might work. Too bad it would likely end up in California!

  9. #9
    Senior Member JBLnsince1959's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWCCA
    [SIZE="1"] That is an awesome concept! I actually think it might work. Too bad it would likely end up in California!
    yes, I particularly like the bar part. Maybe we could get the Hooter girls to help out..That way we could get more people than just JBL groupies and maybe it would pay for itself....

  10. #10
    Junior Member fini's Avatar
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    I don't know how you all feel about Klipsch speakers, but a month ago I (and 50-75 other Klipsch Forum members) were in Hope, Arkansas for a company-sponsored pilgrimage. This year (it's an anual event) we got a tour of the plant (in production!), a critical listen to their new products, a demo in the lab (very casual, it felt like engineer Roy Delgado had invited us into his home), and a "behind the scenes" tour of the Klipsch museum (by engineer Jim Hunter, himself an avid collector, who even let us wander around the basement, which to the casual enthusiast might seem like a bore, but to myself and the rest of our group felt like treading on hallowed ground). Klipsch even put on a killer BBQ, and a live, 3-band show! Not "glitzy" at all, it felt like a family reunion (without the obnoxious relatives). If anyone is interested, there are plenty of pictures on the Kipsch forum. Yeah, I know, this is the Lansing Heritage site, but to me, it's all good (well, excepting Bose...). Hey, anyone seen those 60th anniversary Khorns? I saw 'em being put together!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by fini
    (well, excepting Bose...)
    Some of the older cabinets and xovers are good. Just replace the woofers, and SHAZAM! I found some series 1 501's and replaced the woofers with 4 ohm polks. I must say for some small 2 ways they sound very nice.

  12. #12
    Senior Member Ducatista47's Avatar
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    Fini, what a great attitude for a for-profit company to have. Obviously, Harmon employs a much more modern/common corporate culture model.

    Wherever the growth model of business rules, every planning decision is made in the shadow of "We owe it to our stockholders to...." The down side of this thinking includes shortsightedness, considering many employees costs instead of assets (IT to India, manufacture to the ChiComs, a nation not the least bit friendly to anything we stand for in the Americas and Europe), and an eternal excuse for saying no to anything without a provable, direct, immediate revenue enhancement.

    The growth model is not the best method to safely (and without incurring debt) keep market share already posessed, or to serve customers and employees well. Why is it so "American" to employ it? It makes a few - a very few - wealthy beyond reason or earthly use. The disparity between the haves and the have less's is greater in the US than in most third world nations. Also, one percent of the citizens own - is is not 80% - of the assets and wealth? They are the stockholders, pretty much. Look up the 1930's terms "Plutocracy" and "Plutocrat."

    In the global picture, Harmon is not an evil Corporation is any way. It is average or better in its culture and has been very, very kind to this community. But its thinking is firmly in the mainstream.

    Don't get me wrong, I am 100% behind Democracies. Democracy without socialism (like India since about 1991) makes citizens unequally wealthy. Communism and radical socialism make citizens equally poor.

    So, in the corporate culture arena, go Klipsch!

    Clark in Peoria
    Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
    Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears


  13. #13
    Senior Member JBLnsince1959's Avatar
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    Fini


    that has got to be one of funniest avatars I've seen....however, I hope this isn't the start of a whole rash of naked people avatars ( but then I quess I should talk )

    I think the attitude that Klipsch and WestLake ( Ken Pachkowski's tour) is a great one that i wish more companies would follow ( hint, hint)

  14. #14
    Junior Member fini's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JBLnsince1959
    Fini

    I hope this isn't the start of a whole rash of naked people avatars.
    ...or organ avatars...

  15. #15
    Maron Horonzakz
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    That really is FINI playing his organ.

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