WOW!
Steve Schell where are you , please tell us all about it. Was this set a find out of the blue like in a church or smilar ? Goodwill ? Does it all still work without issues and does it sound good ?
Great pics Thanks for sharing.
Mac
Read! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_8372wt_1185Originally Posted by macaroonie
Below is the unedited text from the auction... this is in no way an endorsement or verifying the validity of any claims made, but I thought it might be interesting for posterity.
BTW: I also changed the name of the thread.
Widget
What you are bidding on is a 1930's Lansing "Iconic" Two-Way Field Coil Speaker system. This was the first serious two-way system, the first serious studio monitor, and the first serious public address system speaker. It is the precursor of the fabled Altec 604 speaker and cabinet, and the caveman version of all modern professional speaker systems. I say "caveman" to be funny, but this statement is serious as a heart attack--this is a fully modern 2-way system, except that it was made in the 1930's. To hear one of these things at volume is a marvel of sound reproduction. This statement may sound hyperbolic, but the proof is in the pudding and the winner of this auction will corroborate what I'm saying.
Here is a history of the Iconic system from the Lansing Heritage page, written by Don McRichie. More info can be seen here: http://www.audioheritage.org/html/pr...mco/iconic.htm
And here is a MIX article on the Lansing Iconic: http://mixonline.com/TECnology-Hall-...tudio_monitor/
Many, many more photos of this Iconic can be seen here:
http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...ker%20Systems/
"The Lansing Manufacturing Iconic has to be considered one of the most influential loudspeaker systems ever produced. It was the first, successful implementation of a two-way system using a 15" bass-reflex driver and high-frequency horn. This configuration has subsequently found application in home speakers, studio monitors, public address and sound reinforcement systems. To this day, it represents the most common configuration for professional sound loudspeakers.
"The Iconic was recognized as a ground breaking product in its day. It was widely accepted as the finest speaker available. It was used as a laboratory reference speaker in the labs of NBC, CBS and UCLA. It immediately found acceptance in the movie, phonograph and radio industry as a playback monitor. The photo to the right (below) shows Les Paul working in his studio with a Lansing Manufacturing Iconic hanging from the ceiling. It was also developed as one of the first high-end home speakers in versions built to furniture quality. Altec's later interest in acquiring Lansing Manufacturing was, in part, due to the high opinion of the Iconic held by their vice-president, George Carrington. The advance represented by this design is best exemplified by the fact that the basic concept, and derivatives of its high frequency driver, continue to find application to this day."
I found this Iconic tucked away in a Burbank, California, garage, where it had been sitting for decades. The unit was entirely original without one screw turned on it when i found it, however it did not have the "Iconic Amplifier Unit" which sits on the right side of the cabinet. It is possible this unit was sold as an 812 unit without the amplifier, but it does have holes drilled where the amplifier would have been, so it is probably an 814 unit that is missing the Iconic amplifier unit. (One interesting fact: On the back of the cabinet "802" is written in pencil. Not sure what that relates to, but it appears original.)
When I examined the unit the 815-I speaker was blown (probably why it was put in the garage to begin with). This began an exhaustive search for me to get the 815-I speaker reconed with an accurate cone in an authentic manner, and boy did I luck out! I called every speaker repair guy in California, looking for a guy who had been doing speaker repair for a long time, and would know what this speaker was. I really lucked out, I found an elderly gentleman in San Diego who found a NOS speaker cone that fit the Lansing perfectly. He told me he thought that the cone was a Jensen, but it has no markings so there is no way of knowing. However, this gentleman reconed the speaker with expertise with a vintage, accurate speaker cone and the results are marvelous--the speaker sounds fantastic. This was done about ten years ago and the speaker has always sounded great.
The speaker cabinet and top components got paint splattered on them during the long period of cold storage in the garage. Most annoying was a splatter of gold paint on the top, and brushed gold paint across the front of the cabinet. A meticulous restoration was done on the cabinet and grill to restore it to a vintage appearance black. The back panel of the speaker cabinet has been left original and you can see that the newly painted cabinet and original back are quite an accurate match--minus the paint splatter on the original back panel, of course. On the components on the top of the unit, I have cleaned off the gold paint (and white paint) as much as I can without destroying the original paint of the Lansing components. The paint drippings are a bummer, but are barely noticeable when viewing the cabinet from the front. I have tried to take many detailed photos so you can see the paint splatter that is still left on the horn, driver, crossover and power supply.
The original 801B driver has the original diaphragm and works perfectly. I have seen a couple of 801 drivers sell on ebay recently to the tune of $5000+ which is partially why I've set the reserve where I have on this auction. The lead (pewter?) diaphragm cover for the driver is cracked, as they all do, and has an old repair where somebody kept the cover holding together with some glue and fabric. Although it is ugly, you can't see it from the front and it does the job, and it is original.
The heavy tar-filled 8-cell horn and the field coil power supply and the crossover unit are all original to the unit. The power supply unit has had the filter cap changed as to be usable. A NOS 5Z3 rectifier tube has been installed.
WHAT IS ORIGINAL ON THIS UNIT:
1.Every component, screw, nut and bolt is original to the unit--it is a complete 1930's unit, not a unit pieced together from parts
2.Original diaphragm 801B driver
3.Original nameplate
4.Original horn, driver, diaphragm, crossover unit, power supply (one replaced filter capacitor), speaker cabinet, speaker frame, and all wires (except for a new power cord installed)
WHAT HAS BEEN RESTORED/CHANGED:
1.The 815 speaker has been reconed with a vintage NOS speaker cone that fit the Iconic 815 basket perfectly. The recone was performed by a seasoned professional who knew the Iconic and knew how to do it correctly.
2.The speaker cabinet (wooden cabinet only) has been repainted with a vintage patina black paint (the speaker cabinet back panel has been left with the original black paint).
This Iconic performs as well as it did when it was new, or even better. It sounds fantastic, exactly the way you think it would. The super-high quality components and built-like-a-tank construction make for a cabinet that can get LOUD without any problems.
Here is a video I shot of this Iconic unit in use. Keep in mind the Flip Camera Video leaves a lot to be desired, but the dB meter and the closeups of the woofer and horn will tell you that this unit is working properly! Cut and paste this link or just go to youtube and type in "Lansing Iconic"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2LjNtQwt80
I tried to get an ohm measurement off of the speaker and driver but was unable to get it to work--could be my ohm meter or it could be a misunderstanding of how to measure a field coil unit. If anyone has suggestions let me know and I'll try again and post photos. You can see by the video that the unit performs well, so the ohm measurements are more than likely close to factory spec.
I have never seen another complete 1930's Iconic unit for sale on ebay, and even the small bits and pieces of Iconic stuff that comes up for sale sells for big bucks. This is a very serious vintage tube audio piece and your bidding should reflect that. It is unlikely that you will see another Iconic system for sale any time soon, if at all. The only other one I have seen in person is the one that JBL has at their "museum." A very rare, rare bird indeed!
This item is for local pickup only in Los Angeles (I am in Northridge, in the San Fernando Valley, zip code 91343). If you are serious about bidding on this item then you wouldn't want to risk shipping it anyway. The unit weighs well over 100 pounds, I'm not sure what it weighs exactly but I can find out if you hire a company to come pick it up. If you want to email me, call me, or even possibly view the item in person please send me an email from the "Contact Seller" link on this auction. I will not end the auction early. The only way I will consider shipping this unit is if the buyer hires a freight company to come to my house, box it and crate it, and take it away from my doorstep with no cost or effort on my part. These arrangements must be discussed and agreed upon before the close of the auction.
The reserve is set fairly high, but I believe with the rarity of this item that the reserve price is well within the limit of this item's worth. If the item fails to sell for the reserve, I will accept offers.
TONS MORE PHOTOS HERE: Check it out!
http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...ker%20Systems/
Good idea!
You called, macaroonie? LOL I don't think I know the seller, so I cannot comment on the provenance. Any working Lansing Iconic these days is something to celebrate, and none have ever come to me as complete units. The remaining examples had to survive several decades of being regarded by the uninformed as nearly worthless, and most were disassembled to some extent.
The auction unit is hits and misses from a collector standpoint. I have never seen a Lansing 801B rear cover fall apart like that, and it looks to me like it m1ght be a later WWII cast pot metal part (the "star" cover) from the mid '40s Altec era. The 801B with the oxblood label and high serial number is very late Lansing Mfg. Co., like 1941. The woofer looks earlier to me, but I cannot be sure. The recone job is far from original, with a cone that appears intended for the earlier wide rim basket, but may work fine despite the completely wrong unvented dustcap. The 612 bass box is original, though the shiny outer finish looks like paint rather than the original stain. I have only seen perhaps one other oxblood box badge (if that), and it is a really cool feature if original.
I imagine the buyer will be thrilled with his purchase. An Iconic will often stun a first time listener with its dynamic, detailed sound combined with a disarming naturalness and relaxed presentation. They don't make 'em like that anymore... hey, maybe they should!
Hello: I'm looking for a pair of Lansing Iconic badges. I know they are as rare as hens teeth but thought that there might be some reproductions available ... as there are for Altecs. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Allan
Find 9957easy on eBay. He was just trying to sell a repro pair and he might know where to get the repro badges.
Good Luck!
Thank you, Tom. I saw those repros when they were originally posted for sale. I had to ask twice but did get an answer that none were available. In the meantime, I have applied an Altec decal that matches the 802b compression drivers I have in use. Will try to post a photo or two.
Nice job on those.
Try thedelihaus on Audiokarma.org
I think he can make them.
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