Kustom 421a - a rare bass cab

[amuhareb]

Hey!

So i came into possession of this strange bass cab. a Kustom 421a, a 2x15. What struck me as strange immediately was the fact that it's Kustom, but lacks the iconic plush exterior, it's got a fuzzy surface. it sounds fantastic. I initially thought it was junk, but turns out the amp i was running through it was junk. I plugged my swr into it and it sounds amazing. incredible low end.

But i can't find much info at all about it! closest i found is that Altec lansing has speakers called 421a, and it looks like a "tuck and roll" kustom but as i said, missing the plush exterior.



curious if any of y'all might know more.

 

[pfschim]

may just be a refin of a cab that was originally tuck and roll. I've seen that before where the tuck and roll vinyl just got trashed and somebody tore it off and refinished the cab.
The Altec 421a's are classic old school 15's which stand right up there with D140's and EV 15L of that era.

Kustom catalog from the early 70's shows that the cabs can be had with either JBL or Altec drivers.

 

[D.M.N.]

Yeah, that's a tuck n roll that someone stripped and did up in rat fur.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

Yep, the tuck and roll looked neat but the vinal they used was thin and prone to tearing.
Those old Altecs are nice.
Like the JBLS and EVs of the day, they have a mid peak, but it isn't as pronounced,
so they are flatter, maybe a little more musical.
Enjoy!

 

[Oren Hudson]

Nice, even without the tuck and roll. I like the 421A's about as much as the D-140s. Sometimes when you open one of those porthole cabs, you'll find interesting stuff that's been pushed thru. Pens, pencils, set list, picks, unopened condom pack etc. Enjoy.

 

[slagheap]

Yeah, those 421 Altecs were the hot set up back in the day. I bought a pair and remember opening the boxes. It was like " Oh, baby. Wow! "

 

[brocco]

This is mine with Altec's really old school sound.

 

[amuhareb]

Thanks y’all! Very helpful

 

[Lowbrow]

I miss the 2x15 cab as standard ‘good’ bass rig - to my ears the perfect configuration. But I sure don’t miss moving the more hefty ones.

 

[Chef]

Mesa make the subway 215, which is pretty light, 60lbs...

 

[niceguy55]

the Altecs are fantastic. I had a hand me down Guild 2x15 ported cabinet into which I loaded 2 421a speakers and gigged all through the late 70s with. Great sound even with my measly 100w Acoustic head. Ran it 4 ohms. never needed more unless outdoors.

 

[daveman50]

I miss the 2x15 cab as standard ‘good’ bass rig - to my ears the perfect configuration. But I sure don’t miss moving the more hefty ones.

On those rare days when I haven't totally irritated my band mates, I get some help and load up with my 1973 Sunn 215S. I do like having that 2d big driver up at torso level. But the weight! I can't believe I used that cab for years for every rehearsal, audition, etc.