JBL Hartsfield Question

[cptnose]

Hello out there,
My father generously gave me an old Hartsfield (I think) and I was wondering if anyone could help me learn more about it. He got it a while ago from a friend of his(the original owner). Everything in it is supposed to be original, as purchased, but it still sounds really nice (is that even possible if it's over 50 years old?). I've attached a composition of several photos if that helps.

Thanks

[Robh3606]

Hello

Very nice! You have a bit of history there.

http://www.audioheritage.org/html/pr...hartsfield.htm

Rob

[Harvey Gerst]

It's very nicely done, but it doesn't look like a factory Hartsfield; too many little things wrong, sloppy, or at least, not standard JBL practices.

Still, a great piece, nonetheless.

[cptnose]

It's very nicely done, but it doesn't look like a factory Hartsfield; too many little things wrong, sloppy, or at least, not standard JBL practices.

Still, a great piece, nonetheless.

How would I be able to tell? Should there be anything I can check on it to see where it was made? Or when?

[farleybob]

Is there a little script "L" on the front toward the bottom right side? This was JBL's logo at the time. You might have to get close to see it. It looks like a factory one to me. I have one with the same date code on the crossover (409-XX). That puts it in September of 1954. The construction looks just like mine, down to the cutout for the crossover.

[cptnose]

Is there a little script "L" on the front toward the bottom right side? This was JBL's logo at the time. You might have to get close to see it. It looks like a factory one to me. I have one with the same date code on the crossover (409-XX). That puts it in September of 1954. The construction looks just like mine, down to the cutout for the crossover.

Wow, there is an L engraved into the wood as a part of the words Jim Lansing. 1954? Jeez. These things were built to last.

[Cooljjay]

Very nice speaker, wish I could inheart something like that. Remember that the speaker is very low wattage, don't go plugging it into some high wattage 4ohm home theater system, it would be a sad sad day if that diaphragm in that horn was blown. Now go out and get a nice little tube mono amp and tuner...you will have a very very nice system

[patpong]

Congratulations.... that piece is as real and original sort after as the Hartsfield gets... try runs it with Mcintosh MC 30...