Vintage 15" JBL comparisons w/soundclips

[dhsierra1]

Excellent post (and sound clips!), thank you

Can you comment on the tone of the D140F in comparison to these? I realize they're similar to the K140s, but have a lower thermal power rating.

 

[Tom Howland]

Very nice, i too love JBL 15".
They all sound great, but I too like the K140 the best.
Had a pair in a Ampeg 2x15 cab in the 80's, still my favorite tone.

 

[JimmyM]

It is interesting. The combination of the more extended top end, and I'm assuming the higher SPL that allows that low powered tube amp to stay very clean, gives that 130 clip a very contemporary sort of vibe (per your comment in the other recent thread.... kind of like adding a tweeter to a vintage cab).

Right, but it's also low enough to where it won't offend tweeter haters such as myself Actually, to be honest, I don't hate tweeters...I don't use them but I don't hate them...I just hate single piezos.

I remember, back in the day, that when I yanked those nasty Jensens (or whatever the 'stock speakers' were back then), and put in the JBL or Altec speakers, it was the opening of the top end that was so impressive to me and made the biggest difference, versus the low end (which of course, improved a bit also).

Very nice sounding to me. The Eminence 3015 (non LF) Neo has a touch of that tone IMO and IME... tight but round low end, and a nice present upper mid/lower treble response. I really like that tone in a one way cab.

No kidding? Should have gotten a couple when I had the chance.

Edit: I'm chuckling a bit at remembering choosing that 145 back in the day. I had NO idea about anything technical, or matching a driver to a box, etc. I just saw that massive frame and magnet on that thing, and thought 'THAT IS THE ONE I NEED'. Literally bought it because it looked so much more bad **s than anything else!

Probably worked really well, too. I kind of miss the days of throwing speakers in boxes

 

[johnk_10]

Excellent post (and sound clips!), thank you

Can you comment on the tone of the D140F in comparison to these? I realize they're similar to the K140s, but have a lower thermal power rating.

IME, it would be very difficult to tell the difference between a D140F and a K140, and especially in a sound clip over the internet. to me, they sound nearly identical. D140F's can handle quite a bit more power (thermally) than the D130F's can since their copper wound voice coils can dissipate more heat. IME, D140's can handle 100-125 watts easily.

 

[johnk_10]

for me, while i think that the 3015 is a very nice speaker, it just doesn't have the same complexity/character in the low end, mid bass and mids that the JBL's have. the 3015's that i had (they were earliest ones), didn't 'do it' for me so i sold mine about 3 years ago.

 

[BillyIVbass]

Thanks for the post, it's a kick in the butt for me to find a cab for my D140F!

 

[Buzz Grim]

Great thread, thanks johnk. Good timing since I was just wondering today about what the response spec's would be for an old dual showman 2x15 cab.One of my favorite bass performances of all time is Steve Thompson playing a P bass into what I think is a dual showman on the 1970 live John Mayall album "The Turning Point". There is a decent Youtube video up of this band playing "The law's must change" on the Music scene tv show from 1970. Funny though, because the bass part evolved and is in my opinion better on the album. I would be very happy to have the tone on the album.
So John the cab you are using in your tests, is it sealed? Also do you know the dimensions of the cab?

 

[timsmcm]

I just found a Jbl d140 original cone fender version on the internet a month ago to put in my heritage b-15. It is truly a match made in heaven. I liked the original speaker but It will need hours and hours more break in. The jbl just so smooth and gives more of what the strings are doing, a little more accurate. Just sounds better all the way around.

 

[Gizmot]

Back in the 60's I thought that JBLs were the stuff and couldn't be beat. Then I had the chance to compare the JBLs side-by-side with EV SROs and then EVMs. The EV's outdid the JBLs in any given parameter - output, clarity, punch, low-end. In my experience, the JBLs sound fine - until you compare them to something better.

 

[Buzz Grim]

I haven'tdone this before but this might be the youtube I was talking about. (Or not)
John Mayall - The Laws Must Change (Music Scene, 1970) - YouTube

 

[Rezdog]

Greetings from the North,

I had to go back Jack and do it again..... but I did like the sound of the E130. Thanks johnK, this is a cool comparison.

Rezdog

 

[KJung]

Back in the 60's I thought that JBLs were the stuff and couldn't be beat. Then I had the chance to compare the JBLs side-by-side with EV SROs and then EVMs. The EV's outdid the JBLs in any given parameter - output, clarity, punch, low-end. In my experience, the JBLs sound fine - until you compare them to something better.

I too eventually moved from the JBL's to the EV's, due to IMO the EV's having more 'punch'... that mid-mid thing that really cut through a mix. All good stuff (including the new Eminence Neo 15's IMO). All different in a good way.

I had a little 'Thiele' box (if I have that name correct) with one of the EV 15 in there, and it was fabulous (heavy, but fabulous).

That being said, I'd never really want to go back to that time. I'm very happy with the current batch of neo's out there. And with the great crossovers and mid drivers and high frequency compression drivers, you can really get some scary good sounding cabs in the 30 pound range. For those of us that gig regularly, that is a blessing!

Still, nice to revisit the old days, and that stuff still sounds great in its own way!

 

[CDweller]

Back with the block-rocking beat, John; great thread, great clip!

 

[jnewmark]

for me, while i think that the 3015 is a very nice speaker, it just doesn't have the same complexity/character in the low end, mid bass and mids that the JBL's have. the 3015's that i had (they were earliest ones), didn't 'do it' for me so i sold mine about 3 years ago.

What he said.

 

[johnk_10]

Back in the 60's I thought that JBLs were the stuff and couldn't be beat. Then I had the chance to compare the JBLs side-by-side with EV SROs and then EVMs. The EV's outdid the JBLs in any given parameter - output, clarity, punch, low-end. In my experience, the JBLs sound fine - until you compare them to something better.

i've owned alot of EV's over the years (i had an SRO and a EV15L a year ago). EV's are, and have always been, my second favorite sounding speaker, but IMO, while they're hard to beat in the mid bass region, their upper mids and highs are a bit dull by comparison to the JBL's. of course, it's all personal preference, and in the eye (or i should say 'ear') of the beholder, so no one speaker is better than the other, just whatever floats your boat.

 

[dhsierra1]

IME, it would be very difficult to tell the difference between a D140F and a K140, and especially in a sound clip over the internet. to me, they sound nearly identical. D140F's can handle quite a bit more power (thermally) than the D130F's can since their copper wound voice coils can dissipate more heat. IME, D140's can handle 100-125 watts easily.

thank you, with your calibrated ear there w/them all I'll take your word for it

I recently acquired two D140Fs and was thinking of putting each into their own 3 cu ft cabs w/proper tuning (have to look at what WinISD gave me, can't remember off the top of my head). These'd be powered by either a blackface Showman or a GK 400RB.

Would you recommend this route or perhaps just go w/a sealed cab? Or make the ports sealable should I so desire? Going for proper vintage sound but if I can make the low end a little better, why not? IIRC BFM said the T/S on the D140s are very very close to the K140s.

 

[johnk_10]

well, my favorite cab for them is a showman tone ring cab, but in my experience, they sound great in just about everything (big or small). with a ported cab, you get a little more volume and low end, but i have them in both sealed and ported cabs and have no complaints.

here's my two showman cabs (one has a D140F, the other a D130F), and they sound great together.

 

[dhsierra1]

looks fantastic and no doubt sounds even better

Thanks so much for the information, I think I know the way to go now

 

[pbassnut]

thank you, with your calibrated ear there w/them all I'll take your word for it

I recently acquired two D140Fs and was thinking of putting each into their own 3 cu ft cabs w/proper tuning (have to look at what WinISD gave me, can't remember off the top of my head). These'd be powered by either a blackface Showman or a GK 400RB.

Would you recommend this route or perhaps just go w/a sealed cab? Or make the ports sealable should I so desire? Going for proper vintage sound but if I can make the low end a little better, why not? IIRC BFM said the T/S on the D140s are very very close to the K140s.

I have it on good authority that JBL used to make a special model of the D140F with larger than stock magnets OEM for Sunn only who used them in their 2x15 cabs. Many consider a Sunn 2000S driving one of these cabinets to be on a short list of Holy Grails of great vintage bass tones. In fact, there's just such a rig for sale on TalkBass ...

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f127/fs-sunn-2000s-sunn-2000s-2x15-cab-808411/

... wish I had the do-re-mi (and the testosterone and good enough of a back to haul the bad boy).

 

[pbassnut]

Back in my full time playing days (circa late 70's/early 80's), I had a Sunn Concert Bass 2x15 cabinet loaded with a pair of JBL K-140s that I used with an early 70's Ampeg SVT and various pre-CBS Ps and Js that was the bomb. I later went with a hippie sandwich (read:Alembic) bass and all kinds of rack gear, but never quite matched the sweet tone of that badass Fender/Ampeg/Sunn (w/JBLs) setup.