Is this cabinet an early model of 4530?

[Richard Long]

Hi guys,

I got this barn find today and can´t identify what exact model these cabinets are. Are those early 4530 or a professional C43? I can´t find fotos in the Lansing library of 4530/C43 without a base/socket. All cabinets have a Lansing sticker, but without description plate.

Peter


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[Riley Casey]

I've never seen any JBL shop built 4530s with a half inch corner round like. Are they fir plywood or baltic birch? Birch would definitely be a third party wood shop build. The triangle blocks for grills are also probably later adds or signs of an aftermarket build.

[macaroonie]

The round over was prob applied to allow the Flight Case style corners to fit properly.
Having said that back in the day there were probably third party cabinet makers in Europe , shipping costs , import duty etc.

( ASS and Martin in England )

[RMC]

Definitely not originals nor good copies of the JBL 4530 which were around 47-48" tall.

Based on single unit horizontal pic, top half is about 18" high assuming 15" driver, and is roughly equivalent to bottom half, so another approx. 18" high. Both together giving around 36" tall or a bit more. Appears to be missing say 10" height or so vs a real 4530.

British Fane Acoustics designed one of these, their's is also shorter at 40" tall. Comparing that pic to Fane's plan reveals it would be a poor copy of that one too, e.g. missing the hardwood edge battens around the horn's mouth shown on that plan.

May still have been used with some JBL driver, however this doesn't make it a legit JBL cab or nice clone. More likely a so so DIY job i guess.

Richard

[Mike Caldwell]

What ever they were loaded with had the magnet stuck into the fiberglass, I'm guessing the drivers
were something JBL based on the square mark left from the pole piece vent trying to draw air in and out.

[grumpy]

Haha... noticed that too.
jbl tag on the back might have some interesting info under the paint...
or maybe would have if the foilcals weren’t missing. Perhaps on the other two?

[Mike Caldwell]

I have a guess......based on the style of the name badge that they are C43's with the base extension cut off to make them more portable and or into an install cabinet based on the painted cable and maybe flown from the added hardware.


I do remember hearing that at one point JBL did have authorized cabinet builders overseas to build cabinets to save on shipping.

[Richard Long]

Haha... noticed that too.
jbl tag on the back might have some interesting info under the paint...
or maybe would have if the foilcals weren’t missing. Perhaps on the other two?

No, all 4 cabinets don´t have a typ description

[Richard Long]

I have a guess......based on the style of the name badge that they are C43's with the base extension cut off to make them more portable and or into an install cabinet based on the painted cable and maybe flown from the added hardware.


I do remember hearing that at one point JBL did have authorized cabinet builders overseas to build cabinets to save on shipping.


That´s what I think too. The cabinets were installed in the late 60´s in a German dancing school an did their work there till the late 90´s (only one owner, after closing the schoiol they stood 2o years in a barn, the high section was equipped with potato horns and LE drivers). They are build like a tanker and they don´t look build plump. I don´t think that in the late 60´s anyone clips stickers on a cabinte too pimp an imitation cabinet to a brand cabinet. Outside dimensions are 101x60x60 cm.

Enclosed the picture from the bottom:

88159

[HCSGuy]

I have zero experience here, but did find one pic of a C435 and mention that it can be shortened by cutting the side legs off.

88165

[RMC]

Why would an authorized JBL overseas cabinet builder, normally expected to follow factory specs/dimensions, would end up still 2 1/4" shorter than C435 height with side legs cut-off ? Somewhat of a mystery.

Custom job in order to fit in a defined space, as previously mentioned? Then why flying hardware?

Moreover, if flown from the added hardware then there's no need to make it even shorter than with legs off?

Which brings yet another question: could the "imprint" of drivers on the fiberglass suggest either the back cavity was made smaller than normal for the driver, or later another deeper driver replaced the original one?

When bought the 2205H drivers in 1980 (DIY enclosures) each woofer box contained a metal plate to stick on cabinets "Loudspeaker Components by JBL". They might well have provided a different one in prior years too. Simply to say having a JBL badge or sticker doesn't guarantee its an OEM cab, mine aren't and have that metal sticker plate they gave.

Richard

[Riley Casey]

I'd suspect from the presence of the metal corners that these boxes started life in portable service for live sound use and were repurposed for install use when the original users discovered they weren't particularly good horns for loud music.


Why would an authorized JBL overseas cabinet builder, normally expected to follow factory specs/dimensions, would end up still 2 1/4" shorter than C435 height with side legs cut-off ? Somewhat of a mystery.

Custom job in order to fit in a defined space, as previously mentioned? Then why flying hardware?

...

Richard

[Eaulive]

What I notice is the "square" folds in the horn instead of the rounded "toboggan" design.
Also the 4530 had a notch on top to make space for the 15" driver because the baffle was noticeably shorter than this.

It might very well be a custom job, then all bets are off regarding performance ;-)