Craigslist find: A piece of history.....

[gabewg]

Well, I picked up some AMAZING 1950's era stuff today off the local Craigslist.... An original owner Blonde James Lansing D-1005 and A Mint condition Stephens Trusonic Triaxial driver... But now, I am not sure what to do with the big behemoth.......

Not a bad days work

[SMKSoundPro]

Great score!!!
Wow!

[farleybob]

Very nice D-1005! I have its slightly cosmetically challenged twin, but yours is in nicer condition. Definitely a scarce speaker and looks like it was built in 1950. Congratulations.

[gabewg]

Thanks guys! This one isn't perfect either codmetically, some chips in the veneer... Probably just going to leave it as-is though... The drivers are perfect! ....

[Steve Schell]

Thanks for posting the pictures, gabewg. The Stephens is a decent mid to late 1950s 15" wide range speaker worth $300. or so. The D-1005...WOW. This was Jim Lansing's design, likely built shortly after his death in September, 1949. The simple elegance of the cabinet typifies his work. I think the woofer serial numbers refer to 1950 (Glen, you out there?), while the 175 decal still shows the Van Nuys location of months earlier. Shortly after this they used "cut corners" decals with Los Angeles, Calif. included. Anyway, this D1005 system is extremely rare and collectible. There was a fellow trying to sell a pair of later, mismatched systems with the same cabinet design for $15k a year or so ago on ebay. Score!

[tomee]

An amazing find! Thanks for sharing that with us. It's really neat to see that a dual woofer format with a horn mid-tweeter was as high-end as it got back then as it is now! Maybe set it up in the corner of a room with a a good vintage mono tube amp to play some classic 1950s jazz (or whatever you like...)?

[gabewg]

Thanks Steve, for the info!
I feel like I just went on the antiques road show, and they flashed a value on the screen for me.... "Valued $5,000-$10,000"

[Teleguy61]

Beautiful!
How does it sound?
George

[brutal]

There was a fellow trying to sell a pair of later, mismatched systems with the same cabinet design for $15k a year or so ago on ebay. Score!

That pair of D-1005 has been up for sale quite a few times in the past 2 years and the biggest issue, other than the price and inflated provenance was that one of the speakers was a photoshop of what it WOULD look like if he ever actually had it repaired as he continually stated he was having done for a year or two every time it was up for sale.

[Steve Schell]

That is just as I remember it, brutal. Do you (or anyone) know if he ever finished the second speaker or sold the pair? In one of his photos he seemed to be cleverly cropping out that the later speaker had woofers from the early cast pot (1953-1956) era.

[gabewg]

Well, I am a nerd, and I took a video of it in action for you guys... Ill try to upload it later for all to see!

[gabewg]

Also something pretty cool about it, is that one of the woofers has a big imperfection of the casting of the frame. It has a chunk missing and has the original paint over the top of it.... I can imagine Jim himself, seeing that imperfection, and knowing that they were running a very tight budget, saying that it would have to do, even with the imperfection.... Such a cool cool piece.

[Steve Schell]

Gabewg, your woofers were likely assembled after Jim Lansing's death, at a time when Bill Thomas was striving to increase production. IMO Lansing would have never let a defective piece like that slip by.

[speakerdave]

. . . . But now, I am not sure what to do with the big behemoth . . . .

You could sell it all and send a disadvantaged child to college.

[gabewg]

Gabewg, your woofers were likely assembled after Jim Lansing's death, at a time when Bill Thomas was striving to increase production. IMO Lansing would have never let a defective piece like that slip by.

Well you just took all the fun out of that for me