ironman
01-10-2006, 09:42 AM
Purchase a pair of L-110's in 1978, my first JBL's, lost them to the girlfriend in 1981, hooked up with her in 2000 after my divorce (quick fling) and was able to comfort them again (oh, the flower pot stains, the dimpled dust covers etc., painful !).
One of my best friends from childhood ended up marrying her sister. When we got together in 2000, wound up re starting our friendship (long distance by phone, Christmas cards etc.).
I called him last spring and he mentioned the ex girlfriend was moving in with a new lover. I spotted some nice L-110 new old stock grills on ePay, called him and asked him if he thought my "ex" might be interested in them. Over the months after some LE111's appeared also on ePay - it was killing me that my "first loves" were so out of reach. Mentioned to him that it was too bad that these things were going on ePay, rare finds, and she should call me if she had any interest in them - I would bid on them and send them to her (of course you have figured out by now my real intentions !). Around Thanksgiving my friend calls me and says "by the way, your old L-110's are sitting here in front of me, when she moved (the "ex") she had no room for them and she asked if we could store them at my house (can you sense I'm moving in for the kill now LOL ?).
So close but yet so far ! At some point after Thanksgiving the sister calls me and says "I want these out of here, they are in the way so I called my sister and she says you (me)can have them if you want - sensing a "too good to be true" scenario I was wary but enthused. To get them would mean a 300 mile round trip also. Just before Christmas the "ex" herself calls me and says "my sister wants them out of her house, I don't have space for them now, so if you want them, they're yours". I try not to sound too thrilled as I don't trust women with stereo components - they know the power they have over you !
I sez "yeah, ok, I'll get them out of there, maybe the kids would like them for the basement". My mom lives within a 45 min. drive to where they are sitting. I planned on seeing my mom after Christmas. I rent a car, drive straight to my friends first. he wants to BS and go over "old times". I don't see the speakers, he doesn't mention them. I'm still feeling like this ain't going to happen - as we talk my eyes roam around the house - I don't see them. Finally we get on the subject of "health" and we compare bad backs. I bring up that I hope we can get the speakers out to the car without one of us putting our back(s) out - "if I remember correctly, they weigh about 50 - 75 lbs. ?". He says "I don't know, my son carried them in for us". This is TORTURE ! We are still sitting at the kitchen table and he seems to have no interest in showing them to me ! Drinking his coffee, smoking cigarettes and re hashing old times ! Finally I just say "why don't we go see how heavy they are ?". he says "oh, ok, they're right in my sons bedroom" - some relief ! We go in, there they are. Strike while the irons hot ! I pick one up and say "not too bad - if you get the door I think I can get it out to the car right now". One down. Directly back in for #2. A minute later they're both in the backseat ! My moms waiting for me to arrive - has dinner ready, its getting dark and I have a 40 minute ride over to her place. he still wants to BS - anything I say leads to another "old story". Any other time I'd probably enjoy the talk - now I want to get on the road and disappear into the ozone. 2 days later, they are safe and sound in my house (this past Sunday night). I have to get to bed - work on Monday. The surrounds are completely gone on the LE111A's but I have to hear if I get sound from both. Down come the L-112's. I put on some light music, low volume and wow ! Even with no bass they sound great ! The imaging blows away the L-112's I got off ePay a couple of months back ! While I'm listening I rub a little "Liquid Gold" oover the faded cabs. and they look almost new ! I can't believe I passed on the ePay grills, apparently someone's cat got to these. Well, tried to make a long story short here 'cause I have to get to work. I also have some work to do on these. I have to get going on these LE111A's - already sprung them from the cabs. Trying to learn here if they need just foams or re cone - send them out or do myself ? More to come I'm sure...
I'm still amazed on how much better the imaging is over the L-112's. Any thoughts ? Off to work here...
After 25 years I have them back ! :bouncy:
One of my best friends from childhood ended up marrying her sister. When we got together in 2000, wound up re starting our friendship (long distance by phone, Christmas cards etc.).
I called him last spring and he mentioned the ex girlfriend was moving in with a new lover. I spotted some nice L-110 new old stock grills on ePay, called him and asked him if he thought my "ex" might be interested in them. Over the months after some LE111's appeared also on ePay - it was killing me that my "first loves" were so out of reach. Mentioned to him that it was too bad that these things were going on ePay, rare finds, and she should call me if she had any interest in them - I would bid on them and send them to her (of course you have figured out by now my real intentions !). Around Thanksgiving my friend calls me and says "by the way, your old L-110's are sitting here in front of me, when she moved (the "ex") she had no room for them and she asked if we could store them at my house (can you sense I'm moving in for the kill now LOL ?).
So close but yet so far ! At some point after Thanksgiving the sister calls me and says "I want these out of here, they are in the way so I called my sister and she says you (me)can have them if you want - sensing a "too good to be true" scenario I was wary but enthused. To get them would mean a 300 mile round trip also. Just before Christmas the "ex" herself calls me and says "my sister wants them out of her house, I don't have space for them now, so if you want them, they're yours". I try not to sound too thrilled as I don't trust women with stereo components - they know the power they have over you !
I sez "yeah, ok, I'll get them out of there, maybe the kids would like them for the basement". My mom lives within a 45 min. drive to where they are sitting. I planned on seeing my mom after Christmas. I rent a car, drive straight to my friends first. he wants to BS and go over "old times". I don't see the speakers, he doesn't mention them. I'm still feeling like this ain't going to happen - as we talk my eyes roam around the house - I don't see them. Finally we get on the subject of "health" and we compare bad backs. I bring up that I hope we can get the speakers out to the car without one of us putting our back(s) out - "if I remember correctly, they weigh about 50 - 75 lbs. ?". He says "I don't know, my son carried them in for us". This is TORTURE ! We are still sitting at the kitchen table and he seems to have no interest in showing them to me ! Drinking his coffee, smoking cigarettes and re hashing old times ! Finally I just say "why don't we go see how heavy they are ?". he says "oh, ok, they're right in my sons bedroom" - some relief ! We go in, there they are. Strike while the irons hot ! I pick one up and say "not too bad - if you get the door I think I can get it out to the car right now". One down. Directly back in for #2. A minute later they're both in the backseat ! My moms waiting for me to arrive - has dinner ready, its getting dark and I have a 40 minute ride over to her place. he still wants to BS - anything I say leads to another "old story". Any other time I'd probably enjoy the talk - now I want to get on the road and disappear into the ozone. 2 days later, they are safe and sound in my house (this past Sunday night). I have to get to bed - work on Monday. The surrounds are completely gone on the LE111A's but I have to hear if I get sound from both. Down come the L-112's. I put on some light music, low volume and wow ! Even with no bass they sound great ! The imaging blows away the L-112's I got off ePay a couple of months back ! While I'm listening I rub a little "Liquid Gold" oover the faded cabs. and they look almost new ! I can't believe I passed on the ePay grills, apparently someone's cat got to these. Well, tried to make a long story short here 'cause I have to get to work. I also have some work to do on these. I have to get going on these LE111A's - already sprung them from the cabs. Trying to learn here if they need just foams or re cone - send them out or do myself ? More to come I'm sure...
I'm still amazed on how much better the imaging is over the L-112's. Any thoughts ? Off to work here...
After 25 years I have them back ! :bouncy: