BMWCCA
05-12-2008, 07:07 PM
After years of watching others snag all the good deals simply because they live on the west coast, my ship came in today.
For those who care, I've contemplated adding a pair of L7s to my collection since reading about the L-series in T Dome's thread. Realizing the limitations of my living space, I opted instead for the L5s only to find I was unexpectedly pleased and surprised by them. Sean (spwal) did the leg-work for me a few months ago making it possible for me to simply arrive in Boston and pick them up from his brother. Brutal gets the "find" credit on those from Boston Craig's List. I was a happy L5 owner but still interested in the L7s and getting more so every day with the addition to our list of some from JBL involved in their creation (Chris "CHagen7" and Rick "3dbdown"). So I kept on looking casually and occasionally placing a bid on Ebay just to keep others honest.
So last night I was doing my regular "JBL" search on DC Craig's List (I'm 100 miles away but their's is a far more fertile pond than my tiny town. I figured I'd humor myself and do the same search in my town's CL which hasn't had a real JBL other than an iPod dock for a year or more and there's an ad for an L7 pair, "You pickup, $350" and it's even listed as in my tiny whistle-stop section of our rural area. That's too much even for me to pass up. So I did the reply (no phone listed) and made an appointment to see them today after work, asking if the price was negotiable. When the seller sent me the meeting location, it turned out his house was four houses down the street from mine. Well (as I told T Dome), actually past my neighbor, past a horse farm, and the second driveway after turning at the next intersection. Still, I could easily walk it in ten minutes.
We meet, they were as advertised (all grilles intact, bases, minor scratch and tiny chip on a corner covered by the grille, probably from a fingernail). Turned out we'd met before and he's finishing his residency, moving, and had bought these from another resident leaving the area a few years back. Never really used them because he didn't have enough power or room, but they were hooked up to his Apple wireless system and home theater playing just for me. We chatted about neighborly stuff, the medical profession, dogs, cars, and after nearly an hour I told him I had no right to be buying them other than I was always intrigued by the design, but I hoped I wouldn't have to pay his asking price just to try them on a lark. Before I could even make an offer, he told me how happy he was they were going to someone who could appreciate them and would $200 be to much? I agreed and we talked some more, then he helped me put then in my pickup for the 1/4-mile ride home. It couldn't have been a more pleasant transaction.
They're currently on the front porch awaiting a bit of living-room shuffling before they come inside to see what they've gotten into next. Don't know when they'll meet their brothers the L5s upstairs but they can sing to each other! (I've got a spare PS-400 waiting for them, and a PS-200, too, if I want to bi-amp these big boys.) Looks like a deal I could only read about from you Californians on this list, but these are mine now. No shipping, nearly perfect, and, oddly enough, this guy's name was Sean, too (but, truth be told, he spells it Shawn!) Not only that but he went to MIT! What a strange small world we live in.
So now I have, in order of acquisition:
030 C37 (12/1958)
L112 (05/83)
L150A (02/06)
4412A (0706)
L20t (11/07)
L5 (02/08)
L7 (05/08)
and my wife and daughters know I'm crazy!
For those who care, I've contemplated adding a pair of L7s to my collection since reading about the L-series in T Dome's thread. Realizing the limitations of my living space, I opted instead for the L5s only to find I was unexpectedly pleased and surprised by them. Sean (spwal) did the leg-work for me a few months ago making it possible for me to simply arrive in Boston and pick them up from his brother. Brutal gets the "find" credit on those from Boston Craig's List. I was a happy L5 owner but still interested in the L7s and getting more so every day with the addition to our list of some from JBL involved in their creation (Chris "CHagen7" and Rick "3dbdown"). So I kept on looking casually and occasionally placing a bid on Ebay just to keep others honest.
So last night I was doing my regular "JBL" search on DC Craig's List (I'm 100 miles away but their's is a far more fertile pond than my tiny town. I figured I'd humor myself and do the same search in my town's CL which hasn't had a real JBL other than an iPod dock for a year or more and there's an ad for an L7 pair, "You pickup, $350" and it's even listed as in my tiny whistle-stop section of our rural area. That's too much even for me to pass up. So I did the reply (no phone listed) and made an appointment to see them today after work, asking if the price was negotiable. When the seller sent me the meeting location, it turned out his house was four houses down the street from mine. Well (as I told T Dome), actually past my neighbor, past a horse farm, and the second driveway after turning at the next intersection. Still, I could easily walk it in ten minutes.
We meet, they were as advertised (all grilles intact, bases, minor scratch and tiny chip on a corner covered by the grille, probably from a fingernail). Turned out we'd met before and he's finishing his residency, moving, and had bought these from another resident leaving the area a few years back. Never really used them because he didn't have enough power or room, but they were hooked up to his Apple wireless system and home theater playing just for me. We chatted about neighborly stuff, the medical profession, dogs, cars, and after nearly an hour I told him I had no right to be buying them other than I was always intrigued by the design, but I hoped I wouldn't have to pay his asking price just to try them on a lark. Before I could even make an offer, he told me how happy he was they were going to someone who could appreciate them and would $200 be to much? I agreed and we talked some more, then he helped me put then in my pickup for the 1/4-mile ride home. It couldn't have been a more pleasant transaction.
They're currently on the front porch awaiting a bit of living-room shuffling before they come inside to see what they've gotten into next. Don't know when they'll meet their brothers the L5s upstairs but they can sing to each other! (I've got a spare PS-400 waiting for them, and a PS-200, too, if I want to bi-amp these big boys.) Looks like a deal I could only read about from you Californians on this list, but these are mine now. No shipping, nearly perfect, and, oddly enough, this guy's name was Sean, too (but, truth be told, he spells it Shawn!) Not only that but he went to MIT! What a strange small world we live in.
So now I have, in order of acquisition:
030 C37 (12/1958)
L112 (05/83)
L150A (02/06)
4412A (0706)
L20t (11/07)
L5 (02/08)
L7 (05/08)
and my wife and daughters know I'm crazy!