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ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3820]

Sat, 06 March 2004 19:50

willy
Messages: 9
Registered: February 2004

Junior Member

Hi Kats, I was the new-to-the-forum clown asking all the questions about a 250 bass amp with a 2 X 15 cab that my son discovered someplace (no questions asked!). Thanks to all who responded to my questions and special thanks to the "goddess of low frequency." Finally got the little beastie home today and pulled off the back. Lo and behold there sat, staring me in the face, a pair of white frame Altec Lansing Dia Cone 421A's that looked as clean as the day they were made. Printed on the frame of both speakers was the number 391217. I suppose this may be good news 'cause they both work but now it screws up my little speaker replacement project. I fully expected to see the lesser CTS speakers lurking in the cab. Now the question to you Kats. Is there any use in trying to improve the sound by replacing the Altecs? Has speaker technology progressed to the point that 421A's are yesterday's news? Come one, come all! Opinions cheerfully encouraged! Little Willy '2' Shoes

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3821 is a reply to message #3820]

Sat, 06 March 2004 20:43

LesS
Messages: 477
Registered: December 2002

Senior Member

Hey Little Willy �2� Shoes, I have the 12� version of those in my Kustom 2x12 cabinet � they were the original speakers. They sound great � it would be hard to improve upon them. Your speakers were made the 17th week of 1972. They are probably the original speakers; if the amp and speaker were made about the same time, the amp�s serial number would be somewhere around 88500. -LesS

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3826 is a reply to message #3821]

Mon, 08 March 2004 07:40

stevem
Messages: 4756
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

No need to replace speakers now, those Altecs are still as good as anything newer out there!and have a great richness in the mid band with a responce that goes pretty flat up to 5000 cycles and still hanges in there to 8000 cycles for great top end. To be on the safe side keep the RMS wattage input to around 150 to 160 an dthey will last another 30 years.

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3827 is a reply to message #3821]

Mon, 08 March 2004 07:40

stevem
Messages: 4756
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

No need to replace speakers now, those Altecs are still as good as anything newer out there!and have a great richness in the mid band with a responce that goes pretty flat up to 5000 cycles and still hanges in there to 8000 cycles for great top end. To be on the safe side keep the RMS wattage input to around 150 to 160 an dthey will last another 30 years.

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3835 is a reply to message #3827]

Mon, 08 March 2004 22:00

QModer
Messages: 413
Registered: June 2003

Senior Member

Good for you.

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3837 is a reply to message #3820]

Mon, 08 March 2004 23:56

BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky

Senior Member

Hey Willy. I play in clubs regularly and I have two of the 250 cabs...one has Altec 421s and the other has JBL D 140s......I love them both as they have their own sounds....but if I had to choose I would pick the JBLs. This weekend I may use the power module and both cabinets just to intimidate the sound man! BC

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3839 is a reply to message #3837]

Tue, 09 March 2004 16:40

QModer
Messages: 413
Registered: June 2003

Senior Member

Some sound man is gonna be giving you a tonque lashing there BC.

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3847 is a reply to message #3837]

Tue, 09 March 2004 23:44

Anonymous

BC, Thanks for the info. Where in God's name do you play that you would need two of these things? Put the one 250 amp and one 2x15 cab on volume 3 and the wife comes asking if I'm drunk again. I then put it up to volume 5. Just 'kiddin'. Seriously, you gotta be playin'in a big venue to have two of these babies goin'. As a new guy I'm not used to the volume, and crisp volume, that these Ole Kustoms put out. Quite a piece of gear. no? Little Willy '2'Shoes

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3849 is a reply to message #3839]

Tue, 09 March 2004 23:46

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

Senior Member

On JC's Kustomplayer.com web site, I have a couple of pictures of my son playing bass through 2 3x15 JBL E140 equipped with horns powered by a 600 watt Sunn amp. The K200 is lined into the Sunn and the sound man did have fits, but the sound. FANTASTIC!!!! Conrad

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3853 is a reply to message #3820]

Wed, 10 March 2004 00:51

BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky

Senior Member

I don't know where I would actually NEED the 500 bass rig other than an outside gig. It's sort of like all the people you see driving 4x4 SUVs that never see anything but pavement. But, I can tastefully play with both cabinets in larger clubs. Our keyboard player is our sound man too.....also a Kustom fan....so he understands. The good thing about the tuck and roll is you can take extra gear in that is never plugged up and the visual statement adds to the setting! BC

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3870 is a reply to message #3853]

Mon, 15 March 2004 20:48

Anonymous

so what is the opinoin of the original Kustom Speakers , compared to the jbls. and Altec? just curious , I have a Blue sparkle gem with the 250 head and 2 15 bottom. Thanks!You can reply to me at jmsamps@charter.net thenks again...

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3873 is a reply to message #3820]

Tue, 16 March 2004 20:14

QModer
Messages: 413
Registered: June 2003

Senior Member

No no put it up I'd like to hear what everyone thinks of the CTS speakers too. I'm sure a lot others would too.

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #3966 is a reply to message #3820]

Tue, 30 March 2004 15:28

KustomBlues
Messages: 490
Registered: June 2001
Location: Michigan

Senior Member

Willy, you are welcome!!! Deb (aka the Low Frequency Goddess and unofficial and unpaid Carvin speaker spokeswoman) :-)

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #5459 is a reply to message #3837]

Sat, 12 February 2005 05:53

Kustomgonewild
Messages: 2
Registered: February 2005
Location: NC

Junior Member

when you say power module are you meaning it s in your 2/15 cabinet or is it another 250 head sitting on the stage. If it is the modual in your cab, do these ever come up for sale and couldn t I just rig one up mounting an extra 200 or 250 inside my extra 2/15 cab. Thanks

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #5464 is a reply to message #3820]

Mon, 14 February 2005 07:58

stevem
Messages: 4756
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

When kustom came out with the 250 heads, the 500 serise amps where a 250 head driving one cab and the other cab had a 250 watt power module in it to make it a 500 set up. The module was driven of the 250 head and had its own a/c cord.

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #5472 is a reply to message #3820]

Tue, 15 February 2005 14:10

edforgothispassword
Messages: 202
Registered: July 2004

Senior Member

The CTS are good speakers... warm, round...breakup is not brittle...and I'm not knowledgable, but I thought the kustom
KEI also sport a 137 code which would mean that at least the pre-assembled components came from CTS at the time?..

I'd add only one thing to all the real bassists that have chimed in on this thread...if you're playing mostly active bass...I'd tend to lean towards the Altecs instead of the JBL D140s...but personally I love the 421As...and no....you won't find a current driver that does any better in our relatively low power kustom amps and the airspace that's available in the cabs...congrats on the rig...you done good! ET

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #5486 is a reply to message #5472]

Thu, 17 February 2005 21:30

BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky

Senior Member

Yes...my power module is external. I got the idea from Roy Crane. He was kind enough to let me play his home built Kustom 500 and I was smitten.....I had to have one. The module was pulled from a 250 style cabinet at one time. Roy had twin 2x`15 cabinets and the tone was phenomenal. Pleat let me play his 500 with twin 1x18 cabinets in Indy also.......all I can say is WOW! NOW......Imagine a white 300 PA head on top of red and blue 3x15 cabinets....the PA drives one and the module drives the other....that is my patriotic 4th of July amp!BC

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Re: ALTEC LANSING SURPRISE [message #5489 is a reply to message #3820]

Fri, 18 February 2005 13:09

edforgothispassword
Messages: 202
Registered: July 2004

Senior Member

Show off...

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