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Re: 2x15 bass speaker cabinet [message #11197 is a reply to message #11194] |
Sat, 13 June 2009 05:46 |
C4ster
Messages: 686 Registered: June 2001 Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
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Senior Member |
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Let's try this again. I had a 13 page response that got lost when I tried to preview it. First off does the nameplate on the front say Kustom Electronics or does it say Kustom by Ross? The Ross cabs are older. They also had the portholes as an option. The Electronics cabs all had ports. The Ross ports were aluminum and the later ones were Chrome. On the back, the speaker jack should say what the original speakers were. The older ones have a large model on it, i.e. D140F. The newer ones had more info on it including the model, Jensen, CTS, D130F, Altec. After removing the back, there should be 2 matching speakers, Jensen’s have the name on the back with a round magnet. On the basket rim it might say C15N or something like that. These speakers were used for guitar. The CTS speakers have a large square magnet and a serial number on the basket rim that starts with 137. These are bass speakers. The JBL's came in either D130F for guitar and D140F for bass. The D130F's can be used for bass. They have a higher frequency response but lack some bottom end. They also have a lower power rating because the voice coils are aluminum for lighter mass. Last on the list of speakers was Altec Lansing. Others more versed in these speakers can add their input here. These are all 16 ohm speakers wired in parallel. Kustom used a red and black #18 gauge wire running to the lower speaker and then to the upper speaker. The entire cabinet except for the speaker baffle has black sprayed fiberglass sound insulation stapled to the inside. Then there is a back board support that is attached between the 2 speakers with lots of staples. This connects only to the back on one side only. We have had many discussion on that. WHY? No one knows. After that all of the back screws should be Phillips oval head screws. Any deviation from this might be attributed to senility, mine, or a mod by a previous owner. I sometimes change out speakers for my own uses or change the impedance for power reasons. All Kustom Frankensteins and K200 series amps were rated for 4 ohm operation. This meant a cabinet needed to be 8 ohms so that 2 cabs could be connected to the amp. 1 cab would run at about 65 watts instead of the rated 100 of the amp. 2 cabs were the maximum you could attach for a total of 4 ohms. The amount of air that could be moved was incredible. I change the speakers to 8 ohms so that 2 speakers would yield 4 ohms and I would get the full output from 1 cab.
Conrad
[Updated on: Sat, 13 June 2009 05:47] Report message to a moderator
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Re: 2x15 bass speaker cabinet [message #11202 is a reply to message #11197] |
Sat, 13 June 2009 11:47 |
tsprad
Messages: 9 Registered: February 2008 Location: Dallas Texas
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Junior Member |
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Conrad, thank you so much for your help. I see now that the link to my pictures disappeared, so you couldn't have seen them. If you can get to pix.talent-free-studios.com you'll find the pictures in a few mouse clicks.
The front nameplate says "Kustom Electronics Inc." and the back nameplate says "D-140F". The grillcloth has no holes for the portholes, so that suggests that the grillcloth is not original. There are two matching speakers, wired in series. The only markings I have found say "52-19 67-8550" stamped on the round magnets. A Radio Shack special?
The black fiberglass insulation is there, and there's a cluster of bent staples on the right-hand side of the back, near the middle vertically. The ports are blocked off. You'll have to look at the pictures, I can't describe it.
And Mineral Spirits works even better than WD-40 to get the traces of the gasket around the back cleaned off. Shines up the Naugahyde nicely, too, but it didn't get the traces of blue spray paint off.
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Re: 2x15 bass speaker cabinet [message #11207 is a reply to message #11202] |
Sat, 13 June 2009 15:22 |
C4ster
Messages: 686 Registered: June 2001 Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
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Senior Member |
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OK I fanlly got the pictures to load. The grill looks original or at least a very good replacement. The lack of ports does not mean has been modified. But the crappy port closers certainly do. Kustom had many examples of amps that crossed bounderies in production so it's hard to say if that grill is original or not. You are correct, those are not JBL's. I can see where the center support was mounted between the speakers. It needs work and wheels and handles and 2 D140's, well that can come later.
Conrad
[Updated on: Sat, 13 June 2009 15:35] Report message to a moderator
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