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Topic: Altec speakers: good deal? |
Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 5 Aug 2011 11:21 pm |
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I have a chance to buy a pair of Altec speakers locally, both recently reconed. One is a 417-8C for $185, the other is a 417B for $140.
Thoughts? I'd put them in a twin, perhaps. |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Aug 2011 12:24 am
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I like the Altec 418-B's ok, but not as well as the JBL K130's. I have not played the model you mention. Since it's local, maybe they would allow you to try them first?
_________________
"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement"~old cowboy proverb.
shobud@windstream.net |
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Rich Santucci
From:
Perkasie Pennsylvania USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2011 7:05 am
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James,
I like the 417's, and have used them in my Twin Reverb for years. My question is, who's parts did they use when they reconed them?
When Altec went away, one employee purchased the remaining inventory and machinery and opened a company called Great Plains Audio. http://www.greatplainsaudio.com/ This company is still in business and sells the proper kits for reconing those speakers. These kits are exact replacements, but expensive! Anything else is just after market generic stuff, but in the hands of an experienced reconer, should sound ok.
Just my 2 cents.
Richard |
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Brian McGaughey
From:
Orcas Island, WA USA
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Posted 8 Aug 2011 6:23 am
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Marc,
I've got a 416 that was supposedly reconed with a 418 kit (?) and that one sounds OK.
I've got a 418 that was reconed in 2003 and that one's deficent in the bass end and "peaky" in the upper mids and just sounds coarse to me.
Neither sound as good as my JBL K130. |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 8 Aug 2011 6:43 am
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I've not explored the recone situation on the Altecs. Reconing is a crap-shoot, to me. I trust Woody Woodel to recone JBL's. He's done an EV for me that sounded great, too. Woody has forgotten more than most reconers ever knew on a good day.
I have very little experience with 12" speakers. But, this is what can I say about 15" speakers I've played--for what it's worth.
If I didn't use JBL's, my next choice would be EVM 15L's. Then Altec 418-B's with original cones.
Altecs with original cones were what I had--418B's. They were great speakers--gave great string definition and were crisp in the bass. The mids are a little overbearing for me, though. I had a couple of the Altec 418-8H once. But the 418-B's were sweeter by a little.
The voice coil is 3" in the Altecs--great for six string guitar, but for pedal steel, the mids are to hard to control, for me. JBL's are 4" voicecoils. JBL's are much smoother through treble, mids and bass--more balanced--to me. I really am at home with the JBL K130's. But everyone hears something different, something that appeals to them.
_________________
"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement"~old cowboy proverb.
shobud@windstream.net |
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Brian McGaughey
From:
Orcas Island, WA USA
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Posted 8 Aug 2011 6:56 am
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I just went back and looked. With regard to price, I paid $100 plus shipping (from a forum member) for my reconed 418-B. While the speaker is not defective, I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to sell it on the forum for $100 'cause I don't think it sounds $100 worth of good. Nor did it sound bad enough that I wanted to return it.
Just realized those speakers you mentioned Marc are 12s...  |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 8 Aug 2011 7:28 am
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| Thanks guys. I think I'll hold off. |
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