New member - old speaker - need advice

[ddeand]

Hello,

My name is Dean Davis, and I'm a relatively new member to the JBL/Altec speaker family. I use the speakers in my guitar amps and cabs, and I am just amazed at how well these speakers sound. I have a JBL D120F in a Savage Audio amp, a couple D216's tucked in a Fender Bandmaster Reverb head, and I just picked up an Altec 418B (white frame, gray bell).

I have questions about the 418B - it needs to be reconed/rebuilt. There is virtually no info on these speakers anywhere, and I'm at somewhat of a loss in terms of planning a repair strategy. I will do the recone myself, and I have found a possible recone kit - but I need to know if it will work for the 418B. The kit is a 418-8H Altec recone kit. Will that work for the 418B? My guess is that it will, but I'd like some advice on this.

Also, when were these speakers made? The serial no. is 391013, but I don't know which decade the "0" belongs in. Anybody have an educated guess on that?

I've enjoyed reading many of the posts here over the past few months, and I hope I can contribute someday. If anyone can help me out with my questions, I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Dean

[pelly3s]

i may have some info on the speaker in my old altec service manual i will check tomorrow and see what i can come up with for you

[Steve Gonzales]

Welcome to the LHS ! Here is a link to the go to place for all your altec needs:
http://www.greatplainsaudio.com/ Good luck, SG.

[moldyoldy]

Hi, Dean!

Your date code indicates 1970, shortly after which the 418B became the 418-8H with a heavier voice coil, and later the 418-8HII with a stepped Alnico magnet and large frame. Your 8H kit will work fine in the 8B frame, the only exception possibly being the mtg gasket, whether 1/2" or 1" wide.

The current kits from GPA combine all the old revisions into a single kit for the 418, 421, 422, and 423. I can't tell any performance difference in originals, NOS Altec kits, and GPA kits, and have used them all in both 418s and 421s. The 8H kits and GPA kits will give you a little more power capacity with the improved voice coils.

You will need to apply surround dope if doing it yourself, otherwise, it goes just like other recones. GPA also sells pints of the gooey dope.

[ddeand]

Thanks for the responses - I appreciate it. It seems that the only place where there is info about these speakers is on forums like this, and that's a real lifesaver.

I'll keep you posted as I work through this project.

Thanks again,
Dean