Questions for any JBL "Bel Aire" owner...

[Joel Cairo]

...who has access to a ruler. :^)

Hi, everyone-- this is my first post here. As I was researching vintage speakers to mate with an RCA 45 player (one of the "Slide-o-Matic" models), I immediately stopped and dropped my jaw to the floor when I ran across the JBL "Bel Aire" for the first time.

I picked it up, but it immediately dropped again when I found out what they sell for... :^)

Since that time, though, I've done quite a bit of measuring with the pictures that I've found on the web, and I think I've got the dimensions for just about every part of the little beauty... there are just a few that I can't quite seem to suss out. So, if it's not too much trouble, can someone tell me:

1. How deep is the bottom lip of the speaker box (the little shelf area in front of the face of the speaker)?

2. How deep is the upper overhang of the speaker box (it's probably slightly shorter than the bottom lip measurement)

3. And (if you have the back off of one)-- in the interior of the speaker, how far back do the two vent baffles (which I assume are made from 1/4" plywood) extend back from the inside face of the speaker?

Seems like a nice forum that you have here, folks-- thanks for any assistance you can spare!

- Kevin

[robertg]

I was going to make a pair so I saved pictures. I don't have any measurements though. If you search someone here made a really nice pair quite a few years ago.

[JeffW]

JohnW made the replica Bel Aires, it's been quite a while back.

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?8495-Bel-Aire-42020-copies

[Joel Cairo]

Ah-- thanks for that pic... I hadn't previously noticed the small slopes in the middle vent area. Makes perfect sense, though.

And I saw John's earlier DIY thread in my search for info about the Bel Aire... an excellent effort!

The lip measurements that I was asking for are designed to help me determine the interior volume of the speaker. I have the outside edge measurements, and since it appears the speaker is built with 3/4" material, I just need to know how far in the front baffle is set.

You know, the thing that made the most impression on me after I started considering the idea of a DIY version is just how **large** these speakers actually are... in almost any picture of them I've seen, there's nothing really around for scale. At first glance, they usually look sort of clock-radio sized. In reality, these aren't **that** much smaller than the AR-3As that are in my office-- and those are, shall we say, not insubstantial in size!

Anyhow-- what a design!

- Kevin

[Mr. Widget]

Anyhow-- what a design!

Aesthetically one of my favorites! I’ve never seen them in person, but would love a pair. I don’t have high hopes for their acoustic performance though.

...But then again, who cares? They are so cool.


Widget

[hifi]

Kevin... would you be willing to post dimensions? Thx!



QUOTE=Joel Cairo;426861]...who has access to a ruler. :^)

Hi, everyone-- this is my first post here. As I was researching vintage speakers to mate with an RCA 45 player (one of the "Slide-o-Matic" models), I immediately stopped and dropped my jaw to the floor when I ran across the JBL "Bel Aire" for the first time.

I picked it up, but it immediately dropped again when I found out what they sell for... :^)

Since that time, though, I've done quite a bit of measuring with the pictures that I've found on the web, and I think I've got the dimensions for just about every part of the little beauty... there are just a few that I can't quite seem to suss out. So, if it's not too much trouble, can someone tell me:

1. How deep is the bottom lip of the speaker box (the little shelf area in front of the face of the speaker)?

2. How deep is the upper overhang of the speaker box (it's probably slightly shorter than the bottom lip measurement)

3. And (if you have the back off of one)-- in the interior of the speaker, how far back do the two vent baffles (which I assume are made from 1/4" plywood) extend back from the inside face of the speaker?

Seems like a nice forum that you have here, folks-- thanks for any assistance you can spare!

- Kevin[/QUOTE]