I have a 1971 Fender Twin-Reverb that came stock with two D-120 JBLs. Amp also came with removable casters as well, which made for easier transport. I worked one summer at the JBL factory in Anaheim, California. I glued cones and spiders onto frames (cones don't "blow"; the coil could get hot while moving through the magnetic field and then short out); glued the silver dust caps onto cones; magnetized magnets; bolted magnets onto frames; pressed labels onto said magnets. Fender was located in nearby Fullerton. Once I dropped a magnet on my foot and it felt like my toes had been sheared off. Fortunately, I was wearing Red Wing boots. I still have the amp but it needs to be re-tubed. Thank you for the well-researched history.
I loved Red Wings till they became made in China, i wore out at least 5 pairs up to then.. Early 2000s. Dress shoes and socks too. Those JBLs would sure put a hurtin on your toes, ouch!!!
Those Twins sounded excellent. I remember looking to rent a Twin, where they had one installed with JBLs and the other installed with Altecs. The JBLs sounded excellent but I went with the Altecs Twin for my purposes. I was surprised to find that Pete Townshend's HIWATT setup included 2 - 4 x 12 HIWATT cabinets - one installed w/Fanes, the other installed w/JBLs. I thought wow, so that explains how he got that incredible sound, sort of caused me to rethink my HIWATT setup!
I have a 1965 Twin Reverb and took the original speakers out and replaced them with a pair of lightly used original d120’s I got off reverb. It’s crazy how much they sound like THAT sound just by changing the speakers. My favorite thing about them is setting the amp where it’s naturally compressing and playing some rhythm with it, mostly 3 string chords that have a wound open string in them against the fretted strings, it just sounds perfect for that stuff.
I notice others have also pointed out that you didn't mention the Grateful Dead as users of JBL, their famous Wall of Sound used JBLs, and earlier than that they had most of their amps were refitted with D-120s I think the Dead were pioneers in trying to make front of house sound as hi-fidelity as possible and JBL were definitely a part of that quest.
In 1975 I ordered a 2x12 Alembic cabinet with 2 JBL K120s directly from Ric Turner at Alembic who made the Dead's cabs that were the Wall of Sound. It was amazing, sounded great. He shipped it all the way to my apartment in Boston. Still have the cab, took out one of the K120s to put in my 1980 Princeton Reverb II which I play to this day, sounds much like Zac's Deluxe, sweet, pure, clean, open, and btw takes pedals great.
One of the best rigs I ever used was a 1x12 60 watt Music Man reverb and trem combo with the speaker disconnected and going through a D-130 in a closed back demo cabinet. Just fantastic. Big, clear on every frequency, beautiful voicing.
I've been a JBL fan for far longer than I've spent trying to learn how to play guitar. On Ebay, I found an E-130, designed and built my own cab, and covered the grille with Fenderesque cloth. Powered by my one watt tube amp, and my Stewmac Ghost Drive, I am a mediocre Strat player, with the tone of a rock star. Thanks for this video!
I bought a Mesa Boogie Mk I and a 1-12 cab back in the early 80’s loaded with JBL’s. To my ear they have a tight mid-range sound which I really like. They are definitely built like a tank.
It’s the sound of The Grateful Dead. I make my own cabs and I’m totally sold on them. There’s a bunch of “new” versions too that sounds pretty good. Webber Michigan’s do a nice job in a pinch. Great video Zac.
Cerwin-Vega made some orange frame 12” & 15” in 1972 for Fender I helped build most of them. I also worked at JBL in the 80’s. The black magnet cover was purely cosmetic.
I still have the Vox Pacemaker amp I bought in 1966. A couple of years later, while I was in college, I took out the Vox Bulldog speaker (not a real Celestion), and put in a 10" JBL musical instrument speaker. I have had the speaker reconed at least once, and it still makes that little Vox a killer amp.
Still use a K120F in a tiny closed-back, front-mounted cabinet. 50 years later it's still my tone. I didn't know about the polarity reverse til today. Thanks!
The polarity reverse still has me scratching my head. I install them so they punch forward on attack. I love using two amps at once. Out of phase is ugly. Chris
The Showman amps Dick Dale used had 15 inch speakers. Even if the JBL's were squeeky "clean" and "unforgiving", it didn't matter since they were drenched in Reverb.
I saw him live twice in the 90s. The tone was a not really clean but not really dirty kind do of thing and the reverb going into the front of a semi distorted amp at those volumes was awesome.
Always LOVED JBLs! Used a single D140 in a Traynor cabinet for years……bullet proof with great sound. D140 has copper voice coil and ribbed cone versus D130 with an aluminium voice coil and smooth cone.
I had a ‘67 Showman 12 with the D131F and projector ring. Great sound! I read years ago the reverse polarity dates back to the early days of Altec Lansing and the speaker polarity conventions in movie theatre speakers of that era.
“All they can go on is the opinion of others”: the bane of the internet. Great episode as always. Thanks Zac . Oh yeah, former JBL user in a ‘65 Vibroverb back in the late 80’s. Sounded as good as it was heavy!
A JBL 15” speaker is a thing of beauty. I started with a Weber replica and eventually stumbled on a modern Standel 1x15” cab with a custom JBL style speaker. Amazing warm clean tones.
I found Ted Webber's to sound on the order of Altecs, also the pressed frames where prone to warping. One had to be careful torquing them to the board. The CAs I had, had tight gaps and could get to rubbing. Two points for cast frames. Ted was a great guy. His son is doing a fine job. Chris
Early 70’s I had an Acoustic 134 guitar amp. 125 watts rms solid state. I replaced the stock speakers with 4 x 10” JBLs. Omg it was clean and loud! I wish I still had it. In 75’ ordered my first Mesa Boogie mark I with a 15” JBL. I drove from SF to Petaluma in my Plymouth Fury III to pick it from Randall Smith’s garage. Again, if only I still had it…
Funny, I just bought an Acoustic 150 head (same amp without the speakers). Pat Metheny loved the 134 and used them for decades until they just became too unreliable with age. That amp definitely has something special about it. I love mine.
I have a 1973 Fender Twin with (2) JBL D-120s in it...bought it new in 1973.....came with the JBLs......great speakers.....the amp weighs a ton because of the magnet's in the speakers.....my main amp for many years.... it's been sitting in a closet now..... I'm 70 and still play but not through my Twin anymore.... great job with this.....your probably the one and only to spend any time on this subject on UA-cam.... Bravo 👏
I have an extra orange JBL D120F out of a 70s Twin Reverb. Installed in an extra box for individual use. When I need clear upper mids, it comes in handy.
55 or so years ago i reconed (warrantee repair) jbl and altec . JBL quality was amazing! The little company I worked for made amps and cabs for Sugarloaf and Johnny Smith. Very little info left out there for this company. Emrad sound. I also reconed a bunch of k120s for nitty gritty dirt band. Oh those were great times.😁
I'm Blessed with 2 JBL K130 15' speakers, crazy good and earthy. Originally PA speakers but now they are guitar speakers with mini VOT cab's. Very soulful!!!
I used to use JBL D-140s for bass. Heavy weight. I wish you included in the discussion the weight of today’s Neodyne speakers, which are touted as low weight. Compare also with the Utah, 😢Jensen, Oxford speakers
I played my keyboard rig from 1978-1993 thru (2) K-120 JBL's in a box made by Allen Speaker in Houston, TX. Also played my pedal steel thru them as well. Such a clean, clear sound with great bottom end. Only blew one, once.
Just bought an old 15 inch cabinet made by Allen Speaker in Houston TX and put in a 15 inch JBL D130F! It’s amazing how well built the cabinet is reminds me of old hi fi cabinets of the time.
I've gone back and forth in my 12" cab w JBL and Gauss plus 10' JBL's in my smaller set up w/EV's, love that classic JBL sound with my Musicman 110...great speakers and a cool contrast to the British Celestion's and the Jensens in my Fender cabs...great analysis thanx
Years ago I bought an original d130 using it as a single 12-in speaker in a nice pine box cab and I absolutely loved the speaker I couldn't get enough of it. I finally blew it up by pushing a little too much with some higher wattage amps so I've got to get this one redone, but what a fantastic sounding speaker.
Yeh, a D-120 is THE super clean speaker, with an incredible array of frequency production as well. I have both a D-120 and a D-130 hanging out in my closet, both needing to be reconed, plus a Fender cab with two D-120 orange frames which sound incredible! Vibrasonics were awesome and rare. Essentially, a PRO with a bigger output transformer and a D-130. That coated surround seemed to allow the cone to travel further without knocking out the voice coil. The Dual Showman was a toneful powerhouse! Yeh, those connections were also backwards on their studio monitors in the early '70s .... The attack response is very fast! One of THE best rhythm sounds you will ever hear, is a Gibson 335/345/355, through a single or dual Showman with one or two D-130's, similar to the sound of The Airplane's, "Don't You Want Somebody To Love." Incredible drive. Tonetwisters, over and out ...
A couple years back, I bought a Standel 25L15 Vintage Plus with a JBL D130. The first couple of times I played through it, I thought “Uh oh. What did I get myself into?” Very responsive and present and unforgiving. Nowhere to hide. Steep learning curve, not just getting a good tone but actually being comfortable playing through it. Glad I preserved, cause I can’t imagine it not being in the collection now.
Dickey Betts blew up a few JBLs and nearly blew up poor Jack Pearson too with that wall of sound. Great article, Zak. Been waiting for yourself or 5 watt to come along with more 120 info...much appreciated.
Around 1975 I got my two new JBL 12 inch speakers directly from the dealer/parts place in the North outer Mission here in San Francisco; not but a few blocks from Rocker Guitars Shop. I put them in my 1968 drip edge 2x12 large cabinet Fender, to use with my 66 Fender Band-Master. We have not parted yet. JBL's tell us what the other speakers of the day could not. In full disclosure I have many 60's and 70's vintage guitar amp speakers. I love them all. Zac I really enjoyed your presentation.
As the house mouse at my local music store, I saw a few JBL equipped twins come through in the early 70's. Mostly for people who played pedal steel. The shop always had at least three steels on the floor. Emmons earlier and then they switched suppliers, something like Mesa maybe. Can't remember. I passed on a black face with two JBL's in it that came in on a trade. Not proud of that. I still have a '76 silver face Twin from that shop, and a '67 Epiphone Olympic, but the most important thing I have from there are the lessons I learned from Rick Hannon about how to treat people. A great player, and a great man.
I have a 15” JBL 130 in my Evans 500 Lg.Cab.Steel Guitar Amp. It sounds so good but it’s Soooo heavy. I can’t imagine 2-12’s in a Twin.It would feel like it was bolted to the floor.
My 73 Twin came with factory loaded K120s. I play a Tele so it was pretty bright. I swapped in a pair of EV SRO speakers one time and OMG, that is The Sound.
I have formed the hypothesis that, the bigger the magnet, the more of that harshness or clang or whatever is perceived when solo'ed, but in a mix the same harshness is great plus all the other benefits of the big speaker from dynamics to clarity to low end etc. When for example I compare medium magnet greenback-types to heavy magnet ones, I hear a sweetness in the highs of the medium magnet, along with a compression and blurriness. The heavy magnet of the same structure, gives you power handling, dynamics, clarity and that signature so-called harshness that stands out in a mix. The EV Coffee Cans I mentioned in a prior comment, have superlatively enormous magnets in them, and they have the "JBL harshness" in spades. Same goes for the Eminence red coat wizard I have in a fargen. Yuge magnet = "the JBL sound."
What I love about JBLs is that, like EVMs, they are very transparent. They don't color the sound like a Celestion. I've used all sorts of speakers but always enjoyed speakers that let the true sound of the amp come through. A speaker should just assist the amp in getting the true tone out, not coloring it. Always keep in mind that mics will add their own variable in interpreting what comes out of the speaker. I tried a Dumble Overdrive Special at a boutique shop in '87. It was a 150-watt head and a cab loaded with EVMs. It sounded incredible. It was so clear, even at very high volume. You heard the real gain of the amp, not a coloration from the speakers.
Great video! I'm 70 years old and put JBL's in all my Fender's back in the day starting with a D-120 into my original mid 60's Silverface Princeton Reverb which I bought new. I was never happy with the original speakers that came with them because I didn't like the frequency response. Not only did you get a 3db boost in volume due to the speaker efficiency but it also equated to being able to turn the volume up more without it distorting. This was a slight problem with rock and roll until Dallas Arbiter from England came out with the original Fuzzface with the geranium transistors that can be heard on Jimi Hendrix's first two album. While the Maestro Fuzztone from Gibson which was the first fuzz made was available it didn't sound as good. This was first used on 'Satisfaction' by The Rolling Stones. With the Fuzzface it evened the bar with guys that were using the stock Fender speakers which varied in manufacturer quite a bit. I later used the K series when the D series was no longer available. Personally I liked the K series better but most people like the D. The K and D both used Alnico magnets. With the introduction of the E series they started using ceramic magnets which drastically changed the tone. That said, the E series sound better with acoustic instruments.
@@christophergallagher531 Those are great. I won a bet with my dad when I was in high school and he had to pay up so we ordered a JBL Equipped Fender Twin Reverb. The thing sounded incredible but even with my friend it was so heavy it was difficult to put it in the trunk of my mom's Chevy Impala. I did one gig with it and sold it and bought a Silverface Princeton Reverb. My friend made a new baffle board and we put a D-120 in it. Much easier to move and the D-120 gave me a lot more headroom so it worked for all of the gigs I had which at that time were mostly high school parties. That said I'm really sorry I sold the Twin even though now my Quilter Steelaire sounds just as good if not better. The speaker in it is a custom made Eminence that is similar to a D-120 but has a neodymium magnet in it. The whole amp weights 35 lbs and has 200W RMS.
At the time (we are the same age) I wanted a Magnatone , based on what I read in 'Boy's Life'. I was sweating the draft, and lost. I stayed acoustic until the mid '80s and got a BF Champ and a Gibson L6s. I still have the Champ, the L6s turned in to a Tele. It has been a big circle. A little stock Supro Delta King 10 has been a gem of late. Hey for a while I had a SF PR with a Weber Ca. That was like a secret weapon. My 68 Super R had 4. I will never play that loud again! Ted warned me. Good story getting to use your ma's Chevy! Chris
@@BeachJazzMusic No, sorry Ted Webber. As it happens I have a Fender 52 RI Tele, which is based on a 52 Ted Greene lent Fender to copy. This is before the custom shop existed. 1981. Webber is still making speakers. Chris
I found out the hard way to NOT ship any JBL by air freight.........I bought a 70's orange frame D-120F and had it shipped USPS air......USPS subcontracts with FedEx to fly freight.....FedEx does not have pressurized freight cabins and when my JBL arrived the aluminum dome was crushed from lack of pressure in the cabin, I intially thought it was mishandling freight damage but there was no damage to the box, and I later found out it was caused by lack of pressure.........USPS denied all claims I made...........got lucky and had it fixed by Victor at Heavysound in California........the lesson here...........don't ship it airfreight.
I've always liked the sound of JBL's with a tube amp. May need to get one for my Princeton or Excelsior. Great job Zac, thanks for reminding me of a great sound. Well done.
I have a pair in my 66 Pro Reverb. I recommend them for any amp, I replaced the Celestion in my Matchless with a JBL, the ultimate in tone. Great show as always!!!
My amp is a Standel 25L15 circuit I had made by a great local amp builder. I looked for months before I found a clean all original D-130 for it. It sounds phenomenal. Although the amp is only 25 watts, it is LOUD. It is also extremely clean all the way up till about 8 or so. I typically play it at 3. In the bedroom about 1. One thing about the D130 is they were widely used as a hi-fi speaker. They are really impressive in that realm. I do think the paper cones sound better than the cloth. I’ve read the copper windings in all the D130s were hand wound which contributed to their high price and eventually their demise. Finally, if you decide to go the 15” JBL route have a strong back. They are heavy!
Can't believe you didn't mention Jerry Garcia! To me that's the epitome of JBL+Fender tone. EVH used 2 JBLs in the the top of his 4x12 on the first album at least. I'm thinking of making a 2x10 baffle for my Deluxe Reverb so I can put a pair of E110's I have in there, I really do like the way they sound.
Still I would venture Jerry tone drives the prices on vintage 12" JBLs, none of those other players mentioned, as it's a key tonal aspect of his sound. Aside from all the hippy culture BS, Jerry's playing is worth a listen. Europe '72 and One from the Vault or Tree from the Vault are great examples of the JBL sound. For acoustic playing Pizza tapes with Tony Rice and David Grisman is killer stuff. AND we haven't even mentioned his pedal steel playing! Ask Don Kelley graduate Daniel Donato or John Mayer what they think of Jerry's "jamming hippie" playing sometime.
@@ER-yq1lc In the rock world, it is Eddie Van Halen’s use of them that drives the demand. The average rock player has no idea they were even used in Country music!
Well I don't know about that. I reconed the D 130s and D120s almost every week for the Asleep at the Wheel band when they worked out of Austin in the mid 70s. The roadies came in red eyed and sqyinty so we joked "here comes sleepy wheels" loved those guys.
Useful, 95+% accurate information according to this 50+-year -- starting with a BF Dual Showman purchased used in 1968 -- JBL fan. It should be noted that Kustom -- the kings of cushioned naugahyde cabs -- was another major JBL OEM. They ordered theirs painted black. Thanks, Dylan! 👍
I was talking to an amp tech today, apparently a lot of those old Kustom 200Watt Tuck & Roll heads still function and still sound great, people swear by them, guitar and Bass and if the proprietor of Kustom spec’d JBL’s for the cabs too those amps, the amps wide use and reliability seems all the more plausible. Good choice, & they weren’t cheap, and weren’t light Me personally?, the JBL’s mid bass, sounds too flabby, the high end too piercing….with a guitar? Cone movement? Dunno? On the other hand, any bass sounds better through any JBL, any size, the only speaker that comes close to an old school JBL 15, is an EVM 15L Guess EVM’s are just what my ear wants to hear, My 70’s Altec 12” is also a little too strident for me, (but great mids & Lo’s) although I play through it nightly almost. I use it with my EVM12 , set to very clean and a couple of DB lower than my distorted tone, fabulous definition both 12”’s together that way, combined. But I’m getting spoiled using both, but I don’t gig out anyway……so I finally decided to just play both, always …🤓🙂
@@jonathanstrand2474 -- The classic D-, E-, and K- series JBLs are indeed quite bright compared to what most folks would consider a "normal guitar speaker." By the 1980s, JBL had responded with the criminally underrated MI- series, which are voiced more "normally" and sound pretty much perfect IMO -- but like their predecessors, they had heavy cast aluminum frames and hefty price tags, so they never gained any traction to speak of with guitarists and were soon discontinued. I use two MI-10s in separate little open-back cabs and I might try a variant your method by driving one cab clean and the other into some breakup -- thanks!
That is truely the best sound of any amp I've ever heard on your channel Zac. Now I have to find myself a pair of JBL's for my Fender Princeton 2/10 amp. Really a great sound Zac, thanks.
Cool video and that amp sounds great. I remember a Joe Perry interview in an issue of Guitar Player in the late '70s where he talked about swapping out all the Celestions in his Marshalls with JBLs and then deciding he didn't like them. I think this happened with a lot of the '70s hard rock dudes that could afford the best but didn't actually like the clean headroom the JBLs afforded them.
It sure happened to me! I remember in 1973-‘74 this guy at a shop sold me on Cerwin Vega guitar speakers saying that you get more volume, better sound and better quality for my 2x12” Carvin cabinet and the whole nine yards. After I understood through a more honest shop owner about efficiency not being good to the ear like Celestions are, my Cerwin Vegas got used in monitor wedge cabs. Where I really could’ve used them is when I blew the cheap CTS speakers in the Carvin cab when they sent me the 100 watt head instead of the 80 watt I ordered in 1970. Maybe if the speaker handling capability was figured extra close because of cost $ is why they blew in mine and an identical cab belonging to a friend of mine.
JBL D, K, E 120. Huge part of the Jerry Garcia sound. Basically, the sound of guitar in the 70s. Been using Jbl's since then and I always called it the "JBL SQUIRT ".
In 72 or 73 I had an Ampeg VT22, blew out the stock speakers 3 times under warranty, finally the store manager sold me 2 JBL K120s. Played that amp for a long time, until I couldn’t carry it any longer. Then I bought a Boogie Mark 2a with a EVM 12 L, had a road crew by then.
I used to take that aluminum cone off and replace it with a paper cone instead. That aluminum cone had a frequency that drilled a hole in my ear! That'l fix that little problem. Don't have many speaker techs where I live now.
I was driving down the street one Sunday in the early 90’s and saw one of those notoriously badly designed mid-late 70’s 135 watt Fender Twins at a yard sale for $350 which I bargained down to an even $300. It had orange D120F’s in it. The amp and speakers were really still like new. Original owner told me that especially with the heavier transformers for the 135 watt power section and speakers-it made the amp extra heavy, he stopped using it and got a Music Man leaving the Twin sit. After soldering a broken solder joint on the reverb tank, the amp was fine. The Alnico in JBL’s and Altec’s magnets wear down over time-different examples of ones I have, prove that sound wise-not sure if it’s that “half life” I’ve heard about or speaker vibration or whatever. These in this Twin were showroom new sonically and physically. As far as that weird sound Zac describes that JBL’s make-a local amp builder/tech described it as a “tinking” sound. It think it could be because of the aluminum dust covers. Tapping the dust cover reveals that. As Classic as D120F’s/D130F’s are-they’re not for me, they’re too efficient sounding and of course I don’t like that harshness they have. They’re great for being clean sounding though.
I like the EV 12L zakk wilde speaker I use them for my Marshall. I did use JBLs when I played down in Fla. Right now I have a celestion cream back in my deluxe reverb.
I had two K120's a long time ago in a Bassman style 2x12 cab. I used a early 70s Bassman 100. It sounded big for cleans, but I didn't like the character with overdriven / fuzz tones. Somehow they had some cone cry going on, and I never had that with any other speaker. Also there was debris that got into the magnet vent, but I managed to vacuum clean that out. Anyhow, it's a specific sound that can be great if that is what you're looking for. I thought they sounded best for cleans, but a lot of players have used them with their Marshalls too.
The tone of that speaker put me in mind of Jerry Donahue. No idea if he used JBL but man, that's a lovely tone. Excellent video as always Zac, thank you.
About three years ago i snatched a pair of orange D120f Fender/JBL for 49 € in my smalltown in France. That was in a 'pawn shop' (they don't lend money there, just buy and sell..) , they didn't know what they had for sure.. Sold them to a friend for 200 and he was still quite happy of the bargain... The speakers are currently in a 'blackfaced' SF Twin and sounds really nice. And they have that really cool 70' look..
Zach, great video. Don’t forget about the Peavey/ JBL connection in the early session 400s the first year or two they were branded JB Lansing and after that they were actually marked Peavey by JB Lansing. Sounded incredible, but the session 400 kept blowing them up, which led to be developing the black widow.
Hey Zac! 'Really interesting. My first guitar amp at age 19 was a 9-year-old brown Vibrolux. It took me no more than two weeks to blow the original Oxford speaker. (stupid youth!) I'd heard about JBL speakers being "unblowable", so I found a used D131 in the want-ads and bought it for like $30. That speaker served me well in that amp for several decades. Great clear tone. Alas, I sold the Vibrolux a few years ago to a good friend who has a nice collection of amps. I've downsized to a Vibro-Champ and Princeton-Reverb.
I'll add that Terry Kath the original and highly underrated guitarist for Chicago used Fender Showman's with D130F JBL's. I played in bands starting in the mid 60's through the early 70's and JBL was the dominant premium speaker used by most lead, rhythm and bass guitar players. Usually, one had a Fender amp with Jensens because they couldn't afford JBL's but they still coveted them. James B. Lansing created some of the first precision loudspeakers. As you mentioned most (all?) paper cone speakers of that era were stamped steel frames with small voice coils and magnet structures. The critical surfaces of JBL's cast aluminum frames were machined to precise dimensions. The voice coils were 3 inch on the D120F and 4" on the D130 and 140F which was twice the diameter of competitive speakers at the time. JBL also used edge wound ribbon wire in their voice coil windings further aiding in efficiency. Something not mentioned was that JBL also was the dominant studio monitor of that era. When the musicians mentioned by Zac went into the studio to record they usually saw and heard their playback though JBL monitors. When James B. Lansing developed his first 15" coaxial driver (speaker that incorporated both the low and high frequency drivers within the same frame each with it's own voice coil) in the 1940's Bing Crosby was so amazed with the sound of his voice played back though it he insisted on using it for all recording sessions. Great video and a walk through memory lane for me.
The early Hagstrom PA speaker cabinets sported a "Lansing" badge. We were all very impressed by the shiny dust cover you could just make out through the baffle front cloth. Aaah... those were the days...
My Dad was a rentaband player for the Nashville One Hit Wonder Stars back in the 80s and early 90s and he swore by either JBL of EV speakers. Right after COVID I found a beautiful and clean 1972 Twin with JBL D120F speakers in it. I drove for six hours to pick it up and the guy sold it to me for $850 bucks since the reverb tank was not working. It's so heavy but man does it sing with my Telecaster and Strat. I just wish I didn't hurt myself every time I try to move it.
my fav cabinet setup for guitar is one jbl e130 15 inch speaker with two webber dt10 inch speakers with the 15 under the 10s like a mickey mouse shape. jbl. two of those stacked has an enormous sound. way bigger than 412 cabs.
Great info, the curious part is that Altec was JBL’s hi fi competition back in the day, in fact they split off from JBL, late 50’s I believe, over design philosophy differences, their design was stiffer, less cone movement, deeper cone, smaller aluminum dust cap, I was lucky enough to get a 12”, and I put it in a Theil cab, but unlike my EVM 12L (same cab but even stiffer, less cone movement in an EVM) I removed the middle port opening to let it breathe/move easier, it’s a great cab for bass or guitar….🙂 But I read later that Santana used them in his early Boogies, and more recently Randy Rhoad’s used them in quiet riot and for Ozzy in his closed back stacks. I also inherited 2 15” Altecs…..which I use daily as part of my stereo system, they replaced the blown 15’s in a big 60’s sealed back Jensen design, no port, makes for a tight, deep lo end. Doing that with JBL’s would likely ruin them, JBL’s need a port, lots of cone movement. I have a bunch of smaller vintage JBL’s I reconed , some 8” ers with the Crinkle powder coat magnets, and the old oval emblem, some K110’s but also one older series 1 10” But my EVM 12L is my main guitar cab, nothing else compares for me, it sat needing a recone for years, but the minute I payed it again, I gave up on the Boogie Black shadow and the celestian. I like the celestian’s in a 4 x 12, but at 66, I’m not likely to lug a 4 12 anywhere, only if I played outside….I don’t like open back cabs, or combos, too loose, not focused enough, but great sounding for thin piercing country type licks. I like a lo mid thick focus, Santana style but a bit more gain for my less physical weaker hands. I wonder if there is much history on players who used Altecs, before they were in my stereo , they were in guitar cabs from the 60’s!
I picked up a 68 vibrolux with 2 d110f’s this amp was on the Johnny Carson show. ( blue caps) I had to readjust my volume. They push and yes they are articulate and clean. I’ve not found them bright at all.
In high school I had a cabinet with two Fender labeled JBL D120 Speakers. My amp was an Ampeg V4. Later I found out the was the early Steve Morse setup.
I used a JBL 12 in a Deluxe Reverb back in the Eighties. It started making weird noises. I observed that the aluminum dome had a hole in it (where there had once been only a dent), and it then proceeded to tear itself apart. Got weirder with every gig, so I eventually tore off the dome altogether. It looked ugly but I thought at the time that it sounded better. Eventually, I had it and another JBL re-coned with paper domes. I loved 'em. For me the quintessential JBL sound (with aluminum domes) are the solos on the song 'Southbound' from the Allman Brothers 'Brothers and Sisters' album. Dickie has really got the "beer can" sound of those domes goin' on.
One of the best amps I ever gigged with was a 70s Deluxe Reverb with a JBL. But I had to use a MXR Limiter with it. Marvelous clean sustain to dirt sustain in a second !!!
Hi Zac, have a 66-67 Deluxe reverb with Factory upgraded JBL 120E. its very very loud, very heavy and very articulate. I also run a Tl-808 cabinet extension speaker with an ;83 EVM 112s. that brings on more bass and some mids.
Late to this but prior to Dual Showman intro you could get single 12’ & 15” JBL Projector Ring cabs as illustrated 1965 catalog. I have prototypes from Leo’s office. obtained early in 66.
I saw Derek & The Dominos . Clapton used a dual Showman head with a Marshall cabinet. I did not see any domes. That one concert was his best playing I’ve heard. Incredibly smooth.
D130F 15" speaker is the best I've found for the Fender Vibroverb. I have two D110 10" also and they are similarly amazing. I need to put those into my '65 Vibrolux but they are heavy and I kind of like the Vibrolux as my small and light amp.
Loved this - thanks Zac. I know what you mean about the enunciation of the note thing with that speaker. Interesting how they have such a recognizable character - Don Rich with his (twin reverb?) sound seems to be the ultimate example for me.
Had a Twin Silver Face in the eighties with the orange JBL's. Great clean sounding amp. Weighed a ton, of course. It went away in one of those stupid trade things.
@@searing7549 Yeah Im just making shit up. I don't know what Im talking about. I don't own a 52 black guard or a black face Deluxe, never have. Never played Tele or fiddle on stage for 20 plus years. You know everything, your wisdom is needed in the music industry and Im sure of that . Satisfied now?
@@32251 If I had just taken your advice 25 years ago and put your selection of speakers in my black face I would have made it big in Hollywood. If I ever need anymore advice on "what sounds good" I will contact you.
My Deluxe Reverb has a D-120 JBL and 5992 tubes. I use it to drive my Fender Rhodes rotating speaker that has a JBL. Real cool video Thanks for posting.
It all boils down to this.......When asked.."What is the most important part of your instrument?"....the old music teacher replied....."Your Ears"....hence, just listen to your instrument, your amp, your speaker, etc., etc....and let your "EARS" tell you what sound is best,.....not necessarily the brand, the model, etc. Just keeping it real (from this old music teacher). Oh, and thanks Zac for your Fender history lessons!! ......Russell D.
I had a Fender Twin that I installed Electro Voice EVM 12s. That thing was so heavy it bent the casters on the amp. Later I had a Mess Boogie MKI with a JBL 12 that could peel paint off the back wall. It was like a laser beam. I also way back had a SUNN 1200s with 6 metal center cone 12s that may have been JBL. That amp was so heavy that it affected the rotation of the earth and when I took the amp off of standbys all the lights in the neighborhood dimmed for a split second.
hi Yes!!= I enjoyed this episode Very Much. I too love JBL D series speakers. my first ones came in my used at the time 1969 fender Dual Showman Reverb with 2 JBL D-140's I just love those with my all original 56 Stratocaster, oh yes. Any of my guitars in fact sound excellent with them but I really do like the 140's I think more than my D 130. There is more or a fatter bottom end to the sound especially with a thinner sounding Strat. Don't let anyone fool you D140's are fine with guitar as they are with bass too.. I think they called them extra heavy duty upgrades. moving on I also a few years ago found my blonde 1961 Fender Showman serial # 573 and I have a JBL D 130 in that cabinet. also amazing sounding. My first amp with A JBL was a 1959 Fender Vibrasonic the brown one serial #197 with a factory installed JBL D130 in it. My mistake was selling that amp in 1994 for it is worth a fortune now a days. even in 94 I sold it for more than I paid for it in 1986.... Then a couple years ago I went on a hunting mission and was able to find and install a bunch of JBL's in quite a few of my amps.. In my 2010 Tweed Fender blues Deluxe I now have a JBL D131, my understanding was that the 131 meant the voice coil and the guts of a 15 inch in a 12 inch speaker less chance to blow it up. Hopefully. then I was able to buy from the 1950's 2 JBL D 123 speakers just great sounding speakers I put them into 2 of my Fender Blues Jrs' one a blonde 2001 the other a 2012 Tweed one with lacquer on the tweed they sound incredible now and then I also found and bought 2 JBL-D 110F speakers and installed them into 2 of my 3 tweed Fender Pro Jr's a 1194 and a 1995. also incredible. lots more headroom in all those amps now. I left my 66 Princeton reverb alone kept it all original and for the 15 watts size amp I am preferring those Little Pro Jr's and Blues Jr's right now over my 12 watt Princeton reverb. my first bigger amp as a kid was back in 1975 When Music Man came out I bought the 65 watt head and had a custom built 2- 12 cabinet made that I had electro voice SRO speakers in. they sounded great but I always felt the JBL's were just warmer tighter bottom end. both were high effect though. that amp got to heave y to move to gigs so I sold it and bought the 2010 Tweed Blues deluxe and now2 with the JBL D 131 in it it sounds fantastic. I also have a pair of 1994 Tweed blues Devilries with the original blue Frame alnico speakers in them. and those amps sound excellent too. and my 77 marshal half stack with the 50 watt head and 4/12 greenback 25 watt celestions. yea I have spent a lot of money upgrading a lot of my amps but I feel it is well worth it for they now ALL sound as good as they can. and yes JBL's don't lie they put out just what you put into them. Oh yea almost forgot I HAVE 2 CARPETED CABINETS WITH TILT BACKS ON THEM WITH JBL E120's in each one, They sound good too but Not as sweet as the original D series JBL's do. and t hat OK stay safe and healthy, Mike in Phoenix...
I have a 1971 Fender Twin-Reverb that came stock with two D-120 JBLs. Amp also came with removable casters as well, which made for easier transport. I worked one summer at the JBL factory in Anaheim, California. I glued cones and spiders onto frames (cones don't "blow"; the coil could get hot while moving through the magnetic field and then short out); glued the silver dust caps onto cones; magnetized magnets; bolted magnets onto frames; pressed labels onto said magnets. Fender was located in nearby Fullerton. Once I dropped a magnet on my foot and it felt like my toes had been sheared off. Fortunately, I was wearing Red Wing boots. I still have the amp but it needs to be re-tubed. Thank you for the well-researched history.
A real vet from JBL. Honored you would chime in.
I have Red Wing Steel Toes too! They were required for a certain factory job then I ended up not being there long. 😆
I loved Red Wings till they became made in China, i wore out at least 5 pairs up to then..
Early 2000s.
Dress shoes and socks too.
Those JBLs would sure put a hurtin on your toes, ouch!!!
Those Twins sounded excellent. I remember looking to rent a Twin, where they had one installed with JBLs and the other installed with Altecs. The JBLs sounded excellent but I went with the Altecs Twin for my purposes. I was surprised to find that Pete Townshend's HIWATT setup included 2 - 4 x 12 HIWATT cabinets - one installed w/Fanes, the other installed w/JBLs. I thought wow, so that explains how he got that incredible sound, sort of caused me to rethink my HIWATT setup!
I have a 1965 Twin Reverb and took the original speakers out and replaced them with a pair of lightly used original d120’s I got off reverb. It’s crazy how much they sound like THAT sound just by changing the speakers. My favorite thing about them is setting the amp where it’s naturally compressing and playing some rhythm with it, mostly 3 string chords that have a wound open string in them against the fretted strings, it just sounds perfect for that stuff.
I notice others have also pointed out that you didn't mention the Grateful Dead as users of JBL, their famous Wall of Sound used JBLs, and earlier than that they had most of their amps were refitted with D-120s I think the Dead were pioneers in trying to make front of house sound as hi-fidelity as possible and JBL were definitely a part of that quest.
They were. The dead’s crew changed live sound for the better
Thanks Rob The Iconic Wall of Sound
In 1975 I ordered a 2x12 Alembic cabinet with 2 JBL K120s directly from Ric Turner at Alembic who made the Dead's cabs that were the Wall of Sound. It was amazing, sounded great. He shipped it all the way to my apartment in Boston. Still have the cab, took out one of the K120s to put in my 1980 Princeton Reverb II which I play to this day, sounds much like Zac's Deluxe, sweet, pure, clean, open, and btw takes pedals great.
Owsley, he not only made great LSD, he was the architect of the wall of sound, great minds trip alike🤣
Jer even had a little 8" JBL in his Champ that he used for practice!
One of the best rigs I ever used was a 1x12 60 watt Music Man reverb and trem combo with the speaker disconnected and going through a D-130 in a closed back demo cabinet. Just fantastic. Big, clear on every frequency, beautiful voicing.
Zac - Great job. I have had a JBL E120 in my Blonde 1996 Fender Blues Deluxe since 1997 - Love it! - Thanks Bob H - Middletown, NJ
I've been a JBL fan for far longer than I've spent trying to learn how to play guitar. On Ebay, I found an E-130, designed and built my own cab, and covered the grille with Fenderesque cloth. Powered by my one watt tube amp, and my Stewmac Ghost Drive, I am a mediocre Strat player, with the tone of a rock star.
Thanks for this video!
One of the best sounding amps I've ever heard was a friend's Boogie Mark 1 with a JBL. It sounded incredible.
I bought a Mesa Boogie Mk I and a 1-12 cab back in the early 80’s loaded with JBL’s. To my ear they have a tight mid-range sound which I really like. They are definitely built like a tank.
It’s the sound of The Grateful Dead. I make my own cabs and I’m totally sold on them. There’s a bunch of “new” versions too that sounds pretty good. Webber Michigan’s do a nice job in a pinch. Great video Zac.
I can thank the 70's Twin Reverb with JBL's for my 2 years of Chiropractor visits...... Thanks for the content
No Doubt!
Cerwin-Vega made some orange frame 12” & 15” in 1972 for Fender I helped build most of them. I also worked at JBL in the 80’s. The black magnet cover was purely cosmetic.
I have a 15” orange CV out of a Fender. Massive speaker.
I still have the Vox Pacemaker amp I bought in 1966. A couple of years later, while I was in college, I took out the Vox Bulldog speaker (not a real Celestion), and put in a 10" JBL musical instrument speaker. I have had the speaker reconed at least once, and it still makes that little Vox a killer amp.
Still use a K120F in a tiny closed-back, front-mounted cabinet. 50 years later it's still my tone. I didn't know about the polarity reverse til today. Thanks!
The polarity reverse still has me scratching my head. I install them so they punch forward on attack.
I love using two amps at once. Out of phase is ugly. Chris
I believe a crucial early user was Dick Dale. According to him he was big in developing the showman. He played HARD and blew up[ amps quite a bit.
Dick Dale's blonde Showmans were unlike any other Fender amp. The output transformers were Huge.
The Showman amps Dick Dale used had 15 inch speakers. Even if the JBL's were squeeky "clean" and "unforgiving", it didn't matter since they were drenched in Reverb.
I saw him live twice in the 90s. The tone was a not really clean but not really dirty kind do of thing and the reverb going into the front of a semi distorted amp at those volumes was awesome.
Yes,I’ve seen and read articles on Leo asking him to come in and put different Fender Amps through the paces.
Always LOVED JBLs! Used a single D140 in a Traynor cabinet for years……bullet proof with great sound. D140 has copper voice coil and ribbed cone versus D130 with an aluminium voice coil and smooth cone.
SO glad I circled back to learn this history from you Zac!
I had a ‘67 Showman 12 with the D131F and projector ring. Great sound! I read years ago the reverse polarity dates back to the early days of Altec Lansing and the speaker polarity conventions in movie theatre speakers of that era.
“All they can go on is the opinion of others”: the bane of the internet.
Great episode as always. Thanks Zac .
Oh yeah, former JBL user in a ‘65 Vibroverb back in the late 80’s. Sounded as good as it was heavy!
A JBL 15” speaker is a thing of beauty. I started with a Weber replica and eventually stumbled on a modern Standel 1x15” cab with a custom JBL style speaker. Amazing warm clean tones.
I found Ted Webber's to sound on the order of Altecs, also the pressed frames where prone to warping. One had to be careful torquing them to the board.
The CAs I had, had tight gaps and could get to rubbing. Two points for cast frames.
Ted was a great guy. His son is doing a fine job. Chris
Very cool!
I had two JBL 15” speakers in a Bassman Cabinet from around 1973. I wish I still had it.
Early 70’s I had an Acoustic 134 guitar amp. 125 watts rms solid state. I replaced the stock speakers with 4 x 10” JBLs. Omg it was clean and loud! I wish I still had it.
In 75’ ordered my first Mesa Boogie mark I with a 15” JBL. I drove from SF to Petaluma in my Plymouth Fury III to pick it from Randall Smith’s garage.
Again, if only I still had it…
Funny, I just bought an Acoustic 150 head (same amp without the speakers). Pat Metheny loved the 134 and used them for decades until they just became too unreliable with age. That amp definitely has something special about it. I love mine.
I have a 1973 Fender Twin with (2) JBL D-120s in it...bought it new in 1973.....came with the JBLs......great speakers.....the amp weighs a ton because of the magnet's in the speakers.....my main amp for many years.... it's been sitting in a closet now..... I'm 70 and still play but not through my Twin anymore.... great job with this.....your probably the one and only to spend any time on this subject on UA-cam.... Bravo 👏
I have an extra orange JBL D120F out of a 70s Twin Reverb. Installed in an extra box for individual use. When I need clear upper mids, it comes in handy.
55 or so years ago i reconed (warrantee repair) jbl and altec . JBL quality was amazing! The little company I worked for made amps and cabs for Sugarloaf and Johnny Smith. Very little info left out there for this company. Emrad sound. I also reconed a bunch of k120s for nitty gritty dirt band. Oh those were great times.😁
I'm Blessed with 2 JBL K130 15' speakers, crazy good and earthy. Originally PA speakers but now they are guitar speakers with mini VOT cab's. Very soulful!!!
Good to see someone talking about an often overlooked component of many amps.
I used to use JBL D-140s for bass. Heavy weight. I wish you included in the discussion the weight of today’s Neodyne speakers, which are touted as low weight. Compare also with the Utah, 😢Jensen, Oxford speakers
I had a new 1979 Fender Twin reverb with JBL D120F orange basket speakers!! Great fun! (Still have the original fork lift that came with it!!)
I played my keyboard rig from 1978-1993 thru (2) K-120 JBL's in a box made by Allen Speaker in Houston, TX. Also played my pedal steel thru them as well. Such a clean, clear sound with great bottom end. Only blew one, once.
Just bought an old 15 inch cabinet made by Allen Speaker in Houston TX and put in a 15 inch JBL D130F! It’s amazing how well built the cabinet is reminds me of old hi fi cabinets of the time.
I've gone back and forth in my 12" cab w JBL and Gauss plus 10' JBL's in my smaller set up w/EV's, love that classic JBL sound with my Musicman 110...great speakers and a cool contrast to the British Celestion's and the Jensens in my Fender cabs...great analysis thanx
Years ago I bought an original d130 using it as a single 12-in speaker in a nice pine box cab and I absolutely loved the speaker I couldn't get enough of it. I finally blew it up by pushing a little too much with some higher wattage amps so I've got to get this one redone, but what a fantastic sounding speaker.
Yeh, a D-120 is THE super clean speaker, with an incredible array of frequency production as well. I have both a D-120 and a D-130 hanging out in my closet, both needing to be reconed, plus a Fender cab with two D-120 orange frames which sound incredible! Vibrasonics were awesome and rare. Essentially, a PRO with a bigger output transformer and a D-130. That coated surround seemed to allow the cone to travel further without knocking out the voice coil. The Dual Showman was a toneful powerhouse! Yeh, those connections were also backwards on their studio monitors in the early '70s .... The attack response is very fast! One of THE best rhythm sounds you will ever hear, is a Gibson 335/345/355, through a single or dual Showman with one or two D-130's, similar to the sound of The Airplane's, "Don't You Want Somebody To Love." Incredible drive. Tonetwisters, over and out ...
A couple years back, I bought a Standel 25L15 Vintage Plus with a JBL D130. The first couple of times I played through it, I thought “Uh oh. What did I get myself into?” Very responsive and present and unforgiving. Nowhere to hide. Steep learning curve, not just getting a good tone but actually being comfortable playing through it. Glad I preserved, cause I can’t imagine it not being in the collection now.
Mike Bloomfield performed during the late-60s with a JBL equipped Twin Reverb, cranked!
And now he wears JBL powered hearing aids.
@@donkanis6141 Please be respectful of the deceased.
@@rosslunato8111 I didn’t know he died and this was a joke bro …….
@@donkanis6141 Never joke about the dead, how would you feel if it were your family?
@@rosslunato8111 how about I make my day just a little better and mute you ?
I had a twin with JBL. It was good sounding. I liked to put a Chandler Tube Driver to Vibro Champ to the Twins JBL. That was great and loud.
Dickey Betts blew up a few JBLs and nearly blew up poor Jack Pearson too with that wall of sound. Great article, Zak. Been waiting for yourself or 5 watt to come along with more 120 info...much appreciated.
Around 1975 I got my two new JBL 12 inch speakers directly from the dealer/parts place in the North outer Mission here in San Francisco; not but a few blocks from Rocker Guitars Shop. I put them in my 1968 drip edge 2x12 large cabinet Fender, to use with my 66 Fender Band-Master. We have not parted yet. JBL's tell us what the other speakers of the day could not. In full disclosure I have many 60's and 70's vintage guitar amp speakers. I love them all. Zac I really enjoyed your presentation.
Thanks, Larry
100% agreed on the tone. I use JBLs and Altecs in my amps except in the HIWATT which uses Fanes, also excellent speakers!!
Hiwatt + Fane viceral cleans
As the house mouse at my local music store, I saw a few JBL equipped twins come through in the early 70's. Mostly for people who played pedal steel. The shop always had at least three steels on the floor. Emmons earlier and then they switched suppliers, something like Mesa maybe. Can't remember. I passed on a black face with two JBL's in it that came in on a trade. Not proud of that. I still have a '76 silver face Twin from that shop, and a '67 Epiphone Olympic, but the most important thing I have from there are the lessons I learned from Rick Hannon about how to treat people. A great player, and a great man.
I have a 15” JBL 130 in my Evans 500 Lg.Cab.Steel Guitar Amp.
It sounds so good but it’s Soooo heavy. I can’t imagine 2-12’s in a Twin.It would feel like it was bolted to the floor.
My 73 Twin came with factory loaded K120s. I play a Tele so it was pretty bright. I swapped in a pair of EV SRO speakers one time and OMG, that is The Sound.
I have formed the hypothesis that, the bigger the magnet, the more of that harshness or clang or whatever is perceived when solo'ed, but in a mix the same harshness is great plus all the other benefits of the big speaker from dynamics to clarity to low end etc. When for example I compare medium magnet greenback-types to heavy magnet ones, I hear a sweetness in the highs of the medium magnet, along with a compression and blurriness. The heavy magnet of the same structure, gives you power handling, dynamics, clarity and that signature so-called harshness that stands out in a mix. The EV Coffee Cans I mentioned in a prior comment, have superlatively enormous magnets in them, and they have the "JBL harshness" in spades. Same goes for the Eminence red coat wizard I have in a fargen. Yuge magnet = "the JBL sound."
What I love about JBLs is that, like EVMs, they are very transparent. They don't color the sound like a Celestion. I've used all sorts of speakers but always enjoyed speakers that let the true sound of the amp come through. A speaker should just assist the amp in getting the true tone out, not coloring it. Always keep in mind that mics will add their own variable in interpreting what comes out of the speaker. I tried a Dumble Overdrive Special at a boutique shop in '87. It was a 150-watt head and a cab loaded with EVMs. It sounded incredible. It was so clear, even at very high volume. You heard the real gain of the amp, not a coloration from the speakers.
Great video! I'm 70 years old and put JBL's in all my Fender's back in the day starting with a D-120 into my original mid 60's Silverface Princeton Reverb which I bought new. I was never happy with the original speakers that came with them because I didn't like the frequency response. Not only did you get a 3db boost in volume due to the speaker efficiency but it also equated to being able to turn the volume up more without it distorting. This was a slight problem with rock and roll until Dallas Arbiter from England came out with the original Fuzzface with the geranium transistors that can be heard on Jimi Hendrix's first two album. While the Maestro Fuzztone from Gibson which was the first fuzz made was available it didn't sound as good. This was first used on 'Satisfaction' by The Rolling Stones. With the Fuzzface it evened the bar with guys that were using the stock Fender speakers which varied in manufacturer quite a bit. I later used the K series when the D series was no longer available. Personally I liked the K series better but most people like the D. The K and D both used Alnico magnets. With the introduction of the E series they started using ceramic magnets which drastically changed the tone. That said, the E series sound better with acoustic instruments.
I vote for the Ds!
@@christophergallagher531 Those are great. I won a bet with my dad when I was in high school and he had to pay up so we ordered a JBL Equipped Fender Twin Reverb. The thing sounded incredible but even with my friend it was so heavy it was difficult to put it in the trunk of my mom's Chevy Impala. I did one gig with it and sold it and bought a Silverface Princeton Reverb. My friend made a new baffle board and we put a D-120 in it. Much easier to move and the D-120 gave me a lot more headroom so it worked for all of the gigs I had which at that time were mostly high school parties. That said I'm really sorry I sold the Twin even though now my Quilter Steelaire sounds just as good if not better. The speaker in it is a custom made Eminence that is similar to a D-120 but has a neodymium magnet in it. The whole amp weights 35 lbs and has 200W RMS.
At the time (we are the same age) I wanted a Magnatone , based on what I read in 'Boy's Life'. I was sweating the draft, and lost. I stayed acoustic until the mid '80s and got a BF Champ and a Gibson L6s.
I still have the Champ, the L6s turned in to a Tele.
It has been a big circle.
A little stock Supro Delta King 10 has been a gem of late.
Hey for a while I had a SF PR with a Weber Ca. That was like a secret weapon.
My 68 Super R had 4.
I will never play that loud again!
Ted warned me.
Good story getting to use your ma's Chevy!
Chris
@@christophergallagher531 That wouldn't be Ted Greene would it?
@@BeachJazzMusic No, sorry Ted Webber.
As it happens I have a Fender 52 RI Tele, which is based on a 52 Ted Greene lent Fender to copy. This is before the custom shop existed. 1981.
Webber is still making speakers. Chris
I found out the hard way to NOT ship any JBL by air freight.........I bought a 70's orange frame D-120F and had it shipped USPS air......USPS subcontracts with FedEx to fly freight.....FedEx does not have pressurized freight cabins and when my JBL arrived the aluminum dome was crushed from lack of pressure in the cabin, I intially thought it was mishandling freight damage but there was no damage to the box, and I later found out it was caused by lack of pressure.........USPS denied all claims I made...........got lucky and had it fixed by Victor at Heavysound in California........the lesson here...........don't ship it airfreight.
Awesome video subject. Having never played through them myself, this is addressing exactly what I've been wondering. You hear so much...
Thanx Zach... Now I'm pining away for my two D130's from the 70's...
I've always liked the sound of JBL's with a tube amp. May need to get one for my Princeton or Excelsior. Great job Zac, thanks for reminding me of a great sound. Well done.
I have a pair in my 66 Pro Reverb. I recommend them for any amp, I replaced the Celestion in my Matchless with a JBL, the ultimate in tone. Great show as always!!!
Nice!
I read the title of your post, and my back immediately tightened up; thinking about my 1972 JBL-equipped Fender Twin Reverb.
Good tone is heavy and hard to carry-Uncle Larry
sweet tones. I've always been an EV guy and no matter what other speakers I try, always go back to my EVs.
My amp is a Standel 25L15 circuit I had made by a great local amp builder. I looked for months before I found a clean all original D-130 for it.
It sounds phenomenal. Although the amp is only 25 watts, it is LOUD. It is also extremely clean all the way up till about 8 or so. I typically play it at 3. In the bedroom about 1.
One thing about the D130 is they were widely used as a hi-fi speaker. They are really impressive in that realm.
I do think the paper cones sound better than the cloth. I’ve read the copper windings in all the D130s were hand wound which contributed to their high price and eventually their demise.
Finally, if you decide to go the 15” JBL route have a strong back. They are heavy!
Can't believe you didn't mention Jerry Garcia! To me that's the epitome of JBL+Fender tone. EVH used 2 JBLs in the the top of his 4x12 on the first album at least.
I'm thinking of making a 2x10 baffle for my Deluxe Reverb so I can put a pair of E110's I have in there, I really do like the way they sound.
Hell yes. Jerry was the JBL sound.
It is not a 100% fact that Ed used the D120F speakers for the sessions on the first album, but I personally believe he did.
Our Zac isn’t into Grateful Dead, as he once stated. He ain't no jamming hippie..
Still I would venture Jerry tone drives the prices on vintage 12" JBLs, none of those other players mentioned, as it's a key tonal aspect of his sound. Aside from all the hippy culture BS, Jerry's playing is worth a listen. Europe '72 and One from the Vault or Tree from the Vault are great examples of the JBL sound. For acoustic playing Pizza tapes with Tony Rice and David Grisman is killer stuff. AND we haven't even mentioned his pedal steel playing! Ask Don Kelley graduate Daniel Donato or John Mayer what they think of Jerry's "jamming hippie" playing sometime.
@@ER-yq1lc In the rock world, it is Eddie Van Halen’s use of them that drives the demand. The average rock player has no idea they were even used in Country music!
Great to see.
First thought, the JBL's were blow proof.
Admired them for years.
Well I don't know about that. I reconed the D 130s and D120s almost every week for the Asleep at the Wheel band when they worked out of Austin in the mid 70s. The roadies came in red eyed and sqyinty so we joked "here comes sleepy wheels" loved those guys.
Useful, 95+% accurate information according to this 50+-year -- starting with a BF Dual Showman purchased used in 1968 -- JBL fan. It should be noted that Kustom -- the kings of cushioned naugahyde cabs -- was another major JBL OEM. They ordered theirs painted black. Thanks, Dylan! 👍
Thanks for the 95%
I was talking to an amp tech today, apparently a lot of those old Kustom 200Watt Tuck & Roll heads still function and still sound great, people swear by them, guitar and Bass
and if the proprietor of Kustom spec’d JBL’s for the cabs too those amps, the amps wide use and reliability seems all the more plausible. Good choice, & they weren’t cheap, and weren’t light
Me personally?, the JBL’s mid bass, sounds too flabby, the high end too piercing….with a guitar? Cone movement? Dunno? On the other hand, any bass sounds better through any JBL, any size, the only speaker that comes close to an old school JBL 15, is an EVM 15L Guess EVM’s are just what my ear wants to hear,
My 70’s Altec 12” is also a little too strident for me, (but great mids & Lo’s) although I play through it nightly almost. I use it with my EVM12 , set to very clean and a couple of DB lower than my distorted tone, fabulous definition both 12”’s together that way, combined. But I’m getting spoiled using both, but I don’t gig out anyway……so I finally decided to just play both, always …🤓🙂
@@jonathanstrand2474 -- The classic D-, E-, and K- series JBLs are indeed quite bright compared to what most folks would consider a "normal guitar speaker." By the 1980s, JBL had responded with the criminally underrated MI- series, which are voiced more "normally" and sound pretty much perfect IMO -- but like their predecessors, they had heavy cast aluminum frames and hefty price tags, so they never gained any traction to speak of with guitarists and were soon discontinued. I use two MI-10s in separate little open-back cabs and I might try a variant your method by driving one cab clean and the other into some breakup -- thanks!
Used 2 fender 60's 2/15 d series cabs with my JCM800, now use E120 in my souped up 5881 Princeton Reverb!
That is truely the best sound of any amp I've ever heard on your channel Zac. Now I have to find myself a pair of JBL's for my Fender Princeton 2/10 amp. Really a great sound Zac, thanks.
Go for it!
Cool video and that amp sounds great. I remember a Joe Perry interview in an issue of Guitar Player in the late '70s where he talked about swapping out all the Celestions in his Marshalls with JBLs and then deciding he didn't like them. I think this happened with a lot of the '70s hard rock dudes that could afford the best but didn't actually like the clean headroom the JBLs afforded them.
It sure happened to me! I remember in 1973-‘74 this guy at a shop sold me on Cerwin Vega guitar speakers saying that you get more volume, better sound and better quality for my 2x12” Carvin cabinet and the whole nine yards. After I understood through a more honest shop owner about efficiency not being good to the ear like Celestions are, my Cerwin Vegas got used in monitor wedge cabs. Where I really could’ve used them is when I blew the cheap CTS speakers in the Carvin cab when they sent me the 100 watt head instead of the 80 watt I ordered in 1970. Maybe if the speaker handling capability was figured extra close because of cost $ is why they blew in mine and an identical cab belonging to a friend of mine.
Enjoy your show and your playing Zac. Blessings to you.
Still have my JBL E-120 in a 1x12 cab...it is simply an amazing speaker that kicks major butt.
JBL D, K, E 120. Huge part of the Jerry Garcia sound. Basically, the sound of guitar in the 70s. Been using Jbl's since then and I always called it the "JBL SQUIRT ".
In 72 or 73 I had an Ampeg VT22, blew out the stock speakers 3 times under warranty, finally the store manager sold me 2 JBL K120s. Played that amp for a long time, until I couldn’t carry it any longer. Then I bought a Boogie Mark 2a with a EVM 12 L, had a road crew by then.
I used to take that aluminum cone off and replace it with a paper cone instead. That aluminum cone had a frequency that drilled a hole in my ear! That'l fix that little problem. Don't have many speaker techs where I live now.
I was driving down the street one Sunday in the early 90’s and saw one of those notoriously badly designed mid-late 70’s 135 watt Fender Twins at a yard sale for $350 which I bargained down to an even $300. It had orange D120F’s in it. The amp and speakers were really still like new. Original owner told me that especially with the heavier transformers for the 135 watt power section and speakers-it made the amp extra heavy, he stopped using it and got a Music Man leaving the Twin sit. After soldering a broken solder joint on the reverb tank, the amp was fine. The Alnico in JBL’s and Altec’s magnets wear down over time-different examples of ones I have, prove that sound wise-not sure if it’s that “half life” I’ve heard about or speaker vibration or whatever. These in this Twin were showroom new sonically and physically. As far as that weird sound Zac describes that JBL’s make-a local amp builder/tech described it as a “tinking” sound. It think it could be because of the aluminum dust covers. Tapping the dust cover reveals that. As Classic as D120F’s/D130F’s are-they’re not for me, they’re too efficient sounding and of course I don’t like that harshness they have. They’re great for being clean sounding though.
I like the EV 12L zakk wilde speaker I use them for my Marshall. I did use JBLs when I played down in Fla. Right now I have a celestion cream back in my deluxe reverb.
I had two K120's a long time ago in a Bassman style 2x12 cab. I used a early 70s Bassman 100. It sounded big for cleans, but I didn't like the character with overdriven / fuzz tones. Somehow they had some cone cry going on, and I never had that with any other speaker. Also there was debris that got into the magnet vent, but I managed to vacuum clean that out. Anyhow, it's a specific sound that can be great if that is what you're looking for. I thought they sounded best for cleans, but a lot of players have used them with their Marshalls too.
OC Modis operandi. It's a sickness a lot of us are working through-that'a why we love you Brother Zac !
The tone of that speaker put me in mind of Jerry Donahue. No idea if he used JBL but man, that's a lovely tone. Excellent video as always Zac, thank you.
Thanks!
About three years ago i snatched a pair of orange D120f Fender/JBL for 49 € in my smalltown in France. That was in a 'pawn shop' (they don't lend money there, just buy and sell..) , they didn't know what they had for sure.. Sold them to a friend for 200 and he was still quite happy of the bargain... The speakers are currently in a 'blackfaced' SF Twin and sounds really nice.
And they have that really cool 70' look..
Zach, great video. Don’t forget about the Peavey/ JBL connection in the early session 400s the first year or two they were branded JB Lansing and after that they were actually marked Peavey by JB Lansing. Sounded incredible, but the session 400 kept blowing them up, which led to be developing the black widow.
Hey Zac! 'Really interesting. My first guitar amp at age 19 was a 9-year-old brown Vibrolux. It took me no more than two weeks to blow the original Oxford speaker. (stupid youth!) I'd heard about JBL speakers being "unblowable", so I found a used D131 in the want-ads and bought it for like $30. That speaker served me well in that amp for several decades. Great clear tone. Alas, I sold the Vibrolux a few years ago to a good friend who has a nice collection of amps. I've downsized to a Vibro-Champ and Princeton-Reverb.
I'll add that Terry Kath the original and highly underrated guitarist for Chicago used Fender Showman's with D130F JBL's.
I played in bands starting in the mid 60's through the early 70's and JBL was the dominant premium speaker used by most lead, rhythm and bass guitar players. Usually, one had a Fender amp with Jensens because they couldn't afford JBL's but they still coveted them.
James B. Lansing created some of the first precision loudspeakers. As you mentioned most (all?) paper cone speakers of that era were stamped steel frames with small voice coils and magnet structures. The critical surfaces of JBL's cast aluminum frames were machined to precise dimensions. The voice coils were 3 inch on the D120F and 4" on the D130 and 140F which was twice the diameter of competitive speakers at the time. JBL also used edge wound ribbon wire in their voice coil windings further aiding in efficiency.
Something not mentioned was that JBL also was the dominant studio monitor of that era. When the musicians mentioned by Zac went into the studio to record they usually saw and heard their playback though JBL monitors. When James B. Lansing developed his first 15" coaxial driver (speaker that incorporated both the low and high frequency drivers within the same frame each with it's own voice coil) in the 1940's Bing Crosby was so amazed with the sound of his voice played back though it he insisted on using it for all recording sessions.
Great video and a walk through memory lane for me.
The early Hagstrom PA speaker cabinets sported a "Lansing" badge. We were all very impressed by the shiny dust cover you could just make out through the baffle front cloth. Aaah... those were the days...
My Dad was a rentaband player for the Nashville One Hit Wonder Stars back in the 80s and early 90s and he swore by either JBL of EV speakers. Right after COVID I found a beautiful and clean 1972 Twin with JBL D120F speakers in it. I drove for six hours to pick it up and the guy sold it to me for $850 bucks since the reverb tank was not working. It's so heavy but man does it sing with my Telecaster and Strat. I just wish I didn't hurt myself every time I try to move it.
split it into a head and cab
Can you put it on wheels ?
@@crazywisdom2 it has wheels.
Good one Zack.
I was hoping to hear you play more.
Yup ya left me want'n' more!
May be there is a honey moon up the road.
More playing next week.
my fav cabinet setup for guitar is one jbl e130 15 inch speaker with two webber dt10 inch speakers with the 15 under the 10s like a mickey mouse shape. jbl. two of those stacked has an enormous sound. way bigger than 412 cabs.
Great info, the curious part is that Altec was JBL’s hi fi competition back in the day, in fact they split off from JBL, late 50’s I believe, over design philosophy differences, their design was stiffer, less cone movement, deeper cone, smaller aluminum dust cap, I was lucky enough to get a 12”, and I put it in a Theil cab, but unlike my EVM 12L (same cab but even stiffer, less cone movement in an EVM) I removed the middle port opening to let it breathe/move easier, it’s a great cab for bass or guitar….🙂
But I read later that Santana used them in his early Boogies, and more recently Randy Rhoad’s used them in quiet riot and for Ozzy in his closed back stacks. I also inherited 2 15”
Altecs…..which I use daily as part of my stereo system, they replaced the blown 15’s in a big 60’s sealed back Jensen design, no port, makes for a tight, deep lo end. Doing that with JBL’s would likely ruin them, JBL’s need a port, lots of cone movement. I have a bunch of smaller vintage JBL’s I reconed , some 8” ers with the Crinkle powder coat magnets, and the old oval emblem, some K110’s but also one older series 1 10”
But my EVM 12L is my main guitar cab, nothing else compares for me, it sat needing a recone for years, but the minute I payed it again, I gave up on the Boogie Black shadow and the celestian. I like the celestian’s in a 4 x 12, but at 66, I’m not likely to lug a 4 12 anywhere, only if I played outside….I don’t like open back cabs, or combos, too loose, not focused enough, but great sounding for thin piercing country type licks. I like a lo mid thick focus, Santana style but a bit more gain for my less physical weaker hands. I wonder if there is much history on players who used Altecs, before they were in my stereo , they were in guitar cabs from the 60’s!
P8p
I picked up a 68 vibrolux with 2 d110f’s this amp was on the Johnny Carson show. ( blue caps) I had to readjust my volume. They push and yes they are articulate and clean. I’ve not found them bright at all.
In high school I had a cabinet with two Fender labeled JBL D120 Speakers. My amp was an Ampeg V4. Later I found out the was the early Steve Morse setup.
I used a JBL 12 in a Deluxe Reverb back in the Eighties. It started making weird noises. I observed that the aluminum dome had a hole in it (where there had once been only a dent), and it then proceeded to tear itself apart. Got weirder with every gig, so I eventually tore off the dome altogether. It looked ugly but I thought at the time that it sounded better. Eventually, I had it and another JBL re-coned with paper domes. I loved 'em.
For me the quintessential JBL sound (with aluminum domes) are the solos on the song 'Southbound' from the Allman Brothers 'Brothers and Sisters' album. Dickie has really got the "beer can" sound of those domes goin' on.
One of the best amps I ever gigged with was a 70s Deluxe Reverb with a JBL. But I had to use a MXR Limiter with it. Marvelous clean sustain to dirt sustain in a second !!!
Very cool!
Great video Zac! There are also a few videos on UA-cam with Wes Montgomery and his trusty Standel in the background.
Hi Zac,
have a 66-67 Deluxe reverb with Factory upgraded JBL 120E. its very very loud, very heavy and very articulate. I also run a Tl-808 cabinet extension speaker with an ;83 EVM 112s. that brings on more bass and some mids.
Late to this but prior to Dual Showman intro you could get single 12’ & 15” JBL Projector Ring cabs as illustrated 1965 catalog. I have prototypes from Leo’s office. obtained early in 66.
I saw Derek & The Dominos . Clapton used a dual Showman head with a Marshall cabinet. I did not see any domes. That one concert was his best playing I’ve heard. Incredibly smooth.
Love the show! Visual learners might like to see: pictures, charts, and diagrams inserted to illustrate your illuminations.
Thanks for the cool videos, Zac.
D130F 15" speaker is the best I've found for the Fender Vibroverb. I have two D110 10" also and they are similarly amazing. I need to put those into my '65 Vibrolux but they are heavy and I kind of like the Vibrolux as my small and light amp.
I use the JBL d-120 speakers as I have been a huge fan of Garcia, Duanne Allman , and Chet Atkins for years.
Put two 12 inch Altec Lansing speakers in my Bandmaster. It sounded good. Solid it to a student at MI.
I had a siverface Deluxe that had a JBL in it. It would such a great amp. I used it for several years played all the time. It was flawless.
Very cool!
I have a Musicman 112-rd 50 watt that I put a JBL D-120 in. It sounds absolutely fabulous! Bright, but not brittle.
Cool rig!
Been loving this channel! Wanted to say thanks Zac! Great stuff!
I've got a '76 Fender Super Six Reverb that came with 6 10 inch Fender branded JBL speakers. Heavy as hell but it screams.
Loved this - thanks Zac. I know what you mean about the enunciation of the note thing with that speaker. Interesting how they have such a recognizable character - Don Rich with his (twin reverb?) sound seems to be the ultimate example for me.
Had a Twin Silver Face in the eighties with the orange JBL's. Great clean sounding amp. Weighed a ton, of course. It went away in one of those stupid trade things.
I put one JBL K-120 in my Vibrolux and it doubled the weight if the amp.
Agreed. Jensen are my favorite
So, the amp weighed what exactly to begin with? Seems like false news. The K-120 is possibly the best guitar speaker ever made.
@@searing7549 Yeah Im just making shit up. I don't know what Im talking about. I don't own a 52 black guard or a black face Deluxe, never have. Never played Tele or fiddle on stage for 20 plus years. You know everything, your wisdom is needed in the music industry and Im sure of that . Satisfied now?
And the amp sounded twice as good.
@@32251 If I had just taken your advice 25 years ago and put your selection of speakers in my black face I would have made it big in Hollywood. If I ever need anymore advice on "what sounds good" I will contact you.
My Deluxe Reverb has a D-120 JBL and 5992 tubes. I use it to drive my Fender Rhodes rotating speaker that has a JBL. Real cool video Thanks for posting.
Very cool!
It all boils down to this.......When asked.."What is the most important part of your instrument?"....the old music teacher replied....."Your Ears"....hence, just listen to your instrument, your amp, your speaker, etc., etc....and let your "EARS" tell you what sound is best,.....not necessarily the brand, the model, etc. Just keeping it real (from this old music teacher). Oh, and thanks Zac for your Fender history lessons!! ......Russell D.
I put one in a B 15 Ampeg and sounded great !
I have a D120f in my ‘56 Guild Masteramp and it is fantastic with all my guitars-especially the Teles!
Very nice!
I had a Fender Twin that I installed Electro Voice EVM 12s. That thing was so heavy it bent the casters on the amp. Later I had a Mess Boogie MKI with a JBL 12 that could peel paint off the back wall. It was like a laser beam. I also way back had a SUNN 1200s with 6 metal center cone 12s that may have been JBL. That amp was so heavy that it affected the rotation of the earth and when I took the amp off of standbys all the lights in the neighborhood dimmed for a split second.
Too funny.
The sound was so powerful it is still traveling through the galaxy
hi Yes!!= I enjoyed this episode Very Much. I too love JBL D series speakers. my first ones came in my used at the time 1969 fender Dual Showman Reverb with 2 JBL D-140's I just love those with my all original 56 Stratocaster, oh yes. Any of my guitars in fact sound excellent with them but I really do like the 140's I think more than my D 130. There is more or a fatter bottom end to the sound especially with a thinner sounding Strat. Don't let anyone fool you D140's are fine with guitar as they are with bass too.. I think they called them extra heavy duty upgrades. moving on I also a few years ago found my blonde 1961 Fender Showman serial # 573 and I have a JBL D 130 in that cabinet. also amazing sounding. My first amp with A JBL was a 1959 Fender Vibrasonic the brown one serial #197 with a factory installed JBL D130 in it. My mistake was selling that amp in 1994 for it is worth a fortune now a days. even in 94 I sold it for more than I paid for it in 1986.... Then a couple years ago I went on a hunting mission and was able to find and install a bunch of JBL's in quite a few of my amps.. In my 2010 Tweed Fender blues Deluxe I now have a JBL D131, my understanding was that the 131 meant the voice coil and the guts of a 15 inch in a 12 inch speaker less chance to blow it up. Hopefully. then I was able to buy from the 1950's 2 JBL D 123 speakers just great sounding speakers I put them into 2 of my Fender Blues Jrs' one a blonde 2001 the other a 2012 Tweed one with lacquer on the tweed they sound incredible now and then I also found and bought 2 JBL-D 110F speakers and installed them into 2 of my 3 tweed Fender Pro Jr's a 1194 and a 1995. also incredible. lots more headroom in all those amps now. I left my 66 Princeton reverb alone kept it all original and for the 15 watts size amp I am preferring those Little Pro Jr's and Blues Jr's right now over my 12 watt Princeton reverb. my first bigger amp as a kid was back in 1975 When Music Man came out I bought the 65 watt head and had a custom built 2- 12 cabinet made that I had electro voice SRO speakers in. they sounded great but I always felt the JBL's were just warmer tighter bottom end. both were high effect though. that amp got to heave y to move to gigs so I sold it and bought the 2010 Tweed Blues deluxe and now2 with the JBL D 131 in it it sounds fantastic. I also have a pair of 1994 Tweed blues Devilries with the original blue Frame alnico speakers in them. and those amps sound excellent too. and my 77 marshal half stack with the 50 watt head and 4/12 greenback 25 watt celestions. yea I have spent a lot of money upgrading a lot of my amps but I feel it is well worth it for they now ALL sound as good as they can. and yes JBL's don't lie they put out just what you put into them. Oh yea almost forgot I HAVE 2 CARPETED CABINETS WITH TILT BACKS ON THEM WITH JBL E120's in each one, They sound good too but Not as sweet as the original D series JBL's do. and t hat OK stay safe and healthy, Mike in Phoenix...