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Altec Lansing speaker question [message #6881]

Sun, 09 April 2006 23:38

912anthony
Messages: 8
Registered: April 2006
Location: Statesboro, GA

Junior Member

Old Kustom junkie here. My Kustom Tall Boy (circa 68) 3-15 (Black T&R for Sound Quality) needs a cone job on one of the speakers (stupid me, I used it in my woodworking studio during a lull in playing, of oh... 25 years). Having Simply Speakers in Pinellas Park FL recone it. Question: it's model is a 418-B, was this a common Altec for 1968. Reading lit. they -Kustom- listed Altec Lansing # 421-A (?) as their normal AL. Anyone know the differences. One for Bass-One for Guitars?

912anthony

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Re: Altec Lansing speaker question [message #6884 is a reply to message #6881]

Mon, 10 April 2006 08:04

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

The 418 models have alinco magnets that are smaller than the voice coil rear face of the speaker frame, and they have different models, some with more heavy duty cones for bass use. As far as I know, and others please correct me if I am wrong Kustom only used the 418 models for guitar. I have 2 such equiped cabs, when it came to Kustoms upgraded bass model speaker they always used the JBL D140 models. The Altec 421 model is a ceramic magnet speaker( much larger magnet) that was made for bass but can also be used for guitar. I have altecs spec sheets for both, I can fax you copys if you like.

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Re: Altec Lansing speaker question [message #6891 is a reply to message #6884]

Mon, 10 April 2006 22:00

912anthony
Messages: 8
Registered: April 2006
Location: Statesboro, GA

Junior Member

Steve, Again you're my savior,(also answering the foot pedal bypass question for 2-15J-2 head) thanks. Would love the specs. Fax 912 764-2462. Best Regards t

912anthony

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Re: Altec Lansing speaker question [message #6894 is a reply to message #6891]

Tue, 11 April 2006 21:44

BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky

Senior Member

Steve is right. I had a couple of 418s in a 250 cabinet labeled 2-15A.......according to the literature section this was a guitar cab. The bass cabinets were the 2-15AB which had the 421-A altecs. I used the 418s with bass at an outdoor blues festival once and the sound man asked me to TURN DOWN! I was not pushing them hard but the projection was great! Personally, I think the 418s are the best sounding guitar 15! But I am a 4 stringer so what do I know! BC Cool

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Re: Altec Lansing speaker question [message #6896 is a reply to message #6881]

Wed, 12 April 2006 07:27

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

The Altec 418 model and the JBL D130 are very similar sounding speakers for guitar, the Altec 421A and the JBL D140 thru K140 models are quite different. I prefer the 421A over the JBL. The JBL is too upper freqency limited for my needs, I would also have to have a horn in the cabinet with the 140 and I hate the unsmooth crossover dip with those set ups.All though the 140s if they still have there orignal cones have a little more punch then the 421A . May be its just the JBLs lower frequency range that seems to concentrate there power more.

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Re: Altec Lansing speaker question [message #6897 is a reply to message #6896]

Wed, 12 April 2006 09:46

C4ster
Messages: 686
Registered: June 2001
Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...

Senior Member

The JBL 140's only have a frequency response from 40 to 2500 Hz. The 130's have a response from 50 to 6000 Hz. Considering that the horn crossover in a 2x15 or 3x15 is at 2500 Hz, the 140 is a very poor choice for a 2 way system. The 130 would work great in a 2 way with a little less bottom end. The power handling of the 130 is less also. The voice coil in a 140 is copper. A little heavier with slower movement, hence the lower frequency response. The 130 has an aluminum voice coil so the response is better. I have no history with Altecs. Every driver in my PA except for the horns are JBL E series speakers. I don't think I will ever use anything else. If I wanted to reduce the weight I would use D or K series JBL's.
Conrad

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Re: Altec Lansing speaker question [message #6901 is a reply to message #6897]

Wed, 12 April 2006 20:49

BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky

Senior Member

I think I like the 140s a little better than the 421s for my use...I have them both and I seem to always go for the JBL as a choice. The reconed Altecs seem to punch harder than the reconed JBLs but the 140s go a little deeper and I like that. I need to use them both sometime so I will have it all. I have played several games with cabinets mixing speakers for increased range.....perhaps a 140 and a 130 would make a good match.....Mixing an Altec and a JBL would probably create a polarity problem. My 3x15 sirens have CTS in the bottom and Jensens in the middle....it really increased the range! BC Cool

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Re: Altec Lansing speaker question [message #6903 is a reply to message #6881]

Thu, 13 April 2006 07:51

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

I`am having trouble finding all my speaker info, so bare with me!

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Re: Altec Lansing speaker question [message #6905 is a reply to message #6903]

Thu, 13 April 2006 09:42

C4ster
Messages: 686
Registered: June 2001
Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...

Senior Member

I am toying with the idea of building a 3way 3x15 cabinet(s) for a more compact PA for small rooms. But I think I would like to split the cabinet into 2 sections with the subs in their own ported enclosure and the mids unported with the horn in the same section. I don't know what this will look like though but I will use JBL E140's for the subs, E130's for the mids and the siren horns as Bud intended.
Conrad

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