Page 4 of 19 FirstFirst ... 2345614 ... LastLast
Results 46 to 60 of 278

Thread: End of an Era. 43 years with JBL is Over

  1. #46
    Senior Member spkrman57's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    2,018

    Sorry to hear this GT!

    Unfortunately this the way of business nowdays.

    It is because of individuals such as yourself that I had great ideas to come to life.

    Thank you for all your contributions past and I hope for some time to continue!

    Regards, Ron
    JBL Pro for home use!

  2. #47
    Senior Member DavidF's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Sonoma County CA
    Posts
    946
    Ouch! No class. No dignity. All sense of belonging and holding a mission suddenly stripped off. I guess the next bummer will be not having shelves of drivers, parts and tools at hand with all sorts of folks to run tests for you. On the other hand, no month end reports, fighting over budgets, dealing with petty politics.

    One thing all here share, even those holding on to a faint fond hope about Harman, is a total sour taste with the corporation behind some really fine audio equipment. From now on I have Timbers Arrays. Not JBL Arrays.
    David F
    San Jose

  3. #48
    Senior Member Fangio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    789
    Unbelievable, after 43 (!) years. Good luck for your future GT.

  4. #49
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    San Jose,Ca.
    Posts
    184
    Harman let go G.T. ?

    To me that is like the Vatican giving marching orders to God.

    Crazy world we live in.

  5. #50
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    9,715
    Quote Originally Posted by DavidF View Post
    From now on I have Timber Arrays. Not JBL Arrays.
    I'm enjoying my Timbers Everests as I type this.

    I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping that GT keeps a hand in the game in a new incarnation. There are many options out there... taking a well deserved vacation being a good first step. Oh, and "screw the bastards".


    Widget

  6. #51
    Webmaster Don McRitchie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Winnipeg, Canada
    Posts
    1,753
    Greg

    I’ve had the day to let the impact of your severance from Harman sink in and it hasn’t lessened one iota. I can’t imagine that it has for you either, but maybe you’re a better man at this than I am. It absurd on so many levels – it’s absurdly illogical, it’s absurdly counterproductive and it’s absurdly insulting.

    As I think you are aware, my start as an audiophile coincided with your start at JBL and it was your L300 that was the first audio gear that I ever lusted after. In the 80’s and 90’s, JBL’s exposure in my local market went lower and lower, to the point that I wasn’t aware at the time that you continued to turn out superlative products like the L250 and XPL. I don’t think I was alone in my ignorance. I think it’s fair to say that, at least the high end market, largely ignored JBL at that time.

    What the market didn’t foresee was that you would continue turn out product of such excellence that it ultimately could not be ignored. Your signature designs are now regarded at the pinnacle of the art. Harman obviously doesn’t value this, but the thousands of owners of your work most certainly do.

    At the end of the day, this event was obviously something out of your control. What this action will never diminish is your legacy of accomplishment at JBL because that was completely within your control.

    Regards
    Don

  7. #52
    Senior Member pos's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    France
    Posts
    2,627
    I don't know what to say. I am speechless, and have been since I read the post yesterday...
    First JBL stops servicing their emblematic components and statement loudspeakers, and now they turn their back to their emblematic and statement employee?
    This is not only inelegant and rude, but also stupid.

  8. #53
    Senior Member Ducatista47's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Peoria, Illinois
    Posts
    1,886
    I am sorry for the shabby treatment you received at the end. Next to "living well is the best revenge", one of the best things you could do is to take some other talent with you to your next endeavor. Jerry Morro, for instance, if he has not already heard a 90 second explanation, could depart to continue his relationship with your team.

    Presumptuous I know. I don't know your circumstances with your colleagues, just a thought. I - and others here, I am certain - would urinate on a spark plug if it would help you continue with your passion.
    Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
    Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears


  9. #54
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Gothenburg, Sweden
    Posts
    761
    It is maybe not polite to ask, but how old is Greg?
    I am hoping 65, then my 4365:s are the perfect number for the last brand new speakers from Harman I will ever buy.
    Due to this.

  10. #55
    Senior Member svollmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Northern VA
    Posts
    598
    I used to have a pair of 240Ti’s. Like many, I really wanted the 250Ti, but couldn’t afford them. Some time in the mid to late 90’s I called JBL to ask them if it would be possible to purchase the additional 8” midrange and crossover and using the 240’s components make my own 250Ti’s. I naively thought I could build proper cabinets and just add the parts.

    Anyway, I made the call thinking there was only a 5% chance someone at JBL would even discuss it with me. I was routed to a very nice gentleman who told me all about the 250Ti, including the sloping front baffle that I hadn’t accounted for, how to go about making my own cabinets, and even where I could get the no-longer-available crossovers.

    We talked for at least 30 minutes and it was a great conversation. Before saying goodbye, I asked the kind man for his name in case I decided to go through with the project and needed some advice. He was quick to say he’d be happy to talk to me again if I needed help. When he said his name was Greg Timbers, I almost dropped the phone.

    Greg: you are the epitome of class. As many have said, our lives have been bettered because of your work. Thank you!

    One unsolicited suggestion: start your own small high-end company. I think Greg Timbers Audio, or GTA has a nice ring. J

  11. #56
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Europa Union
    Posts
    130
    What about organizing an international petition to ask Harman's CEO to address official excuses to Greg Timbers. May be, if this is really anoying, he will thank the guilty guy under him in less than 90 seconds.

    It is not a matter of age, there are plenty of talentuous senior employees for whom the employer has to say that it is time from now to stop working together. It is the way how this was handled (I know it is a usual procedure in USA to fire people in some seconds) for an employee who brought probably billions to this company, at least a small ceremony would have been more appropriate.

    dn92

  12. #57
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Denmark
    Posts
    28
    Well .. Very sad news.
    Greg Timbers became a star on my sky decades ago for the speaker designs he did.
    Thanks to that I went into Harman 2006 but was dumped by a Harman decission in Europe years later - despite I had put HUGE efforts into JBL.
    I was driven by passion but wiped out like a dog who had dirt on its feet.
    That left me with a feeling that the biggest assholes are the ones who wears the nicest suits.
    There are MANY MANY VERY NICE suites in Harman management.
    Obviously they all don't know - or have forgotten - what Greg Timbers did for JBL.
    If relations must be stopped for some reasons or other, at least do it nice.
    Shame on them assholes.

    Take good care Mr. Timbers, Thank you SO much for all the good advise I got from you regarding fine tuning my DD66000 as we corresponded in 2012.
    I am sure your phone will call very soon from the many out there who really admires you for your skills in speaker designs.

    Very best regards
    Hans-Henrik Sannerúd
    dynamax.dk

  13. #58
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    7,735
    Quote Originally Posted by svollmer View Post
    Greg: you are the epitome of class. As many have said, our lives have been bettered because of your work. Thank you!

    One unsolicited suggestion: start your own small high-end company. I think Greg Timbers Audio, or GTA has a nice ring. J
    I couldn't agree with you more. My aggravation grows every time I think about how this was handled. Our problem is we love JBL and Greg's designs so much we think we have some stake in the operation of the company. But it's now even more obvious this company couldn't care less what we think, what the public thinks, or what the future of the JBL name is. Waterproof Bluetooth speakers in bright colors seems to be their claim to fame today.

    On a new startup from Mr. Timbers, I suppose some of the reason for the quick and un-ceremonial way in Greg was shown the door had to do with his unique designs and creations which are not his property. I can't see why Moron International (excuse me Heather, that should be Harman) would actually care if they're parting with the creator of their innovations, but who knows. Greg would have to start from scratch. Too bad there's not a viable business model to be made for the maintenance and upgrading of existing legacy products from the now JBL-We-Don't-Care-About-Your-Products company. But then if Kenji can make a killing off re-purposing old 43xx systems, think what a Timbers Design reproduction or upgrade would do! If Andrew Jones can make a living selling his name to Pioneer (yeah, I know they're pretty much out of the audio biz now), then what is the Timbers name (and expertise) worth in the high-end speaker market?

    After the whole Altec-Lansing, Jim Lansing, JBL name game, I wonder if Harman even owns the rights to the name Lansing anymore? How 'bout a new line of Lansing Heritage speakers with the Greg Timbers signature on them?

    I know Gerald Stanley has made it almost 50-years at Crown. Is he next, or has he also been purged by the Harman Board?
    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

  14. #59
    Senior Member JuniorJBL's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Utah
    Posts
    1,723
    Hi Greg,

    This is saddening to hear the designer of the speakers I have always loved has been "Escorted out" of what most would call a long living legacy.

    I will always remember the evenings in LA that we all had to enjoy your company and talk shop with you!!

    My best friend of 40 years (who has passed) and I started listening to JBL's at the age of 9. We started with a pair of 4301B's and drove them with a Pioneer SX780 receiver and it was a daily ritual to listen everyday after school and all summer long. Thankfully I was able to share our LA get-together with him and give him the the signed article before he passed. It meant a lot to both of us and he admired you by always pointing out that Greg made these!!

    I would like to wish you the best for the future and can't imagine there would not be lots of companies knocking down your door to work with them.


    Thanks for all of your contributions to this hobby of ours for so many years.


    Shane
    Always fun learning more.......

  15. #60
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    SC
    Posts
    97
    First let me say I'm very sorry Mr. Timbers for what happened, I'm sure you loved your job and took great pride in your accomplishments.

    Second, it never ceases to amaze me how we can go from valued employee with the run of the office/lab/computer systems/etc., staying late, working weekends to persona non grata in the blink of an eye. Here is a box, empty your desk, turn in your badge, vacate the premises, don't come back. I know it is a shocking experience, I hope you are taking it well. The last time it happened to me I knew it was coming and didn't take it personally, they laid off the entire 50 person engineering department. I went home and opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate the future. Good luck in what ever direction you take.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 3 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 3 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. years of ears
    By oldr&b in forum General Audio Discussion
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 07-01-2016, 02:19 PM
  2. My First JBLs after 30 to 35 years
    By SansuiFlorida in forum Lansing Product General Information
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 09-28-2006, 10:06 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •