JBL D120 F for Twin Reverb ?

Scotland · April 2nd, 2005, 12:05 AM

I may have the chance to get a pair of these for my '76 Twin but may be costly. How good are they and any idea what price the go for here in the U.K. ?

Robin Nahum · April 2nd, 2005, 02:29 AM

... people who have used them tell me that they're very bright.

If you want 100+ SPL but a more Fender-y tone, some kind of EV is the better choice.

Scotland · April 2nd, 2005, 04:16 AM

I don't want that on a Twin :o . I thought that they must be good as they are very desirable (over here anyway) and command good prices when sold fitted to a twin. I have new Eminence speakers 621's I think, which are very good but thought the JBL's would make it more original sounding. Going off the idea now !

Stan Martin · April 2nd, 2005, 06:34 AM

Roy Nichols had JBL's in his Twin, so did Jimi. I say get them. Nothing sounds like a JBL.

Scotland · April 2nd, 2005, 08:21 AM

Now you got me completely confused :?
Maybe someone could explain exactly what is different about the JBL's, that would help.
Thanks.

Stan Martin · April 2nd, 2005, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scotland

Now you got me completely confused :?
Maybe someone could explain exactly what is different about the JBL's, that would help.
Thanks.

JBL's are a VERY efficient speaker. meaning whatever your amp has to give the speakers will take. You will not get any signal loss etc. That's why some guy's like using a speaker with lower spl rating and wattage ratings. So the speaker will impart its own coloring, where a JBL won't. I personally like JBL's. Piano like low end and super clear and clean highs.

If you're looking to unleash your Twin in all its glory on the world, well then, the JBL's will do the trick.

Michael Minnis · April 2nd, 2005, 06:59 PM

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I just got a BFTR with original cone C12Ns. Sounds good, but I, too, have a line on these very desirable and very heavy JBLs. They are grey frames with what appears to be a copper cap? What vintage would that make them? Are there other JBLs that are more desirable? FYI, I'm going for a smoky, mellow, warm and round jazz tone. Will the JBLs be a departure from my desired tone or not? I would expect more transparency from the JBLs. Not entirely sure if that's a good thing or not. I don't want the amp to sound "sterile." Any thoughts, suggestions and experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Stan Martin · April 2nd, 2005, 07:23 PM

I don't know what vintage those JBL's are, but smokey they are not. You can get new Eminence Patriot series that will give you a darker sound. A hemp cone speaker would really color/darken your tone.

Michael Minnis · April 2nd, 2005, 09:28 PM

Thanks, Stan. That's what I'm wondering about the JBLs. Then again, I've read so many rave reviews about them. Perhaps I could dial in my tone on the guitar and the amp and still get the benefits of the JBLs. Suppose I won't know until I try.

sunkidd · April 2nd, 2005, 10:27 PM

I have some original D120-F JBL's in a SF Twin and other players are usually surprised at how full they sound. Normally the first thing they think when seeing the aluminum dust covers thru the grillcloth is they are gonna be very bright, maybe even harsh and ultra brillant....
but they sound really great and not at all harsh....
I also ran some Celestions in it for a while and liked them also in a different way....

The JBL's in a Twin are awesome really!
I mainly use it with a '52 Tele, with some Strat/Fralins... seems like it would be really good for steel guitar also!!! I need to get a lap steel. :)

Caper · April 2nd, 2005, 11:31 PM

John, what type of music will you be playing? I have owned 10 and 12" K series and and absolutely love them. They are fantastic for country. I am using them in a Super Champ and a SFPR. Huge improvement over the stock speakers, big bottom end, not harsh sounding at all, great warm tone and lots of punch. Doesn't Redd use JBL's in a Twin?

Robin Nahum · April 3rd, 2005, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Minnis

I'm going for a smoky, mellow, warm and round jazz tone. Will the JBLs be a departure from my desired tone or not? Thanks!

Hi Michael,

Like you, I also look for the warmer tone.

FWIW I tried Weber Californias (ceramic, paper dust cover) in my SFPro when the old Fender/Eminence ceramics needed to be replaced. The Calis are designed to have a JBL-y sort of tone and I was kinda curious to see how they'd sound. A Cali had been a good fit with my old HRD. In the Pro, I found them too bright and replaced them with Weber 12F150s which have been very satisfactory.

As my amp tech pointed out, each amp is different and speakers that sound not so good in one can sound great in another.

The Calis went to a SF Twin and the owner is very happy with them.

Scotland · April 3rd, 2005, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caper

John, what type of music will you be playing? I have owned 10 and 12" K series and and absolutely love them. They are fantastic for country. I am using them in a Super Champ and a SFPR. Huge improvement over the stock speakers, big bottom end, not harsh sounding at all, great warm tone and lots of punch. Doesn't Redd use JBL's in a Twin?

Type of music varies quite a bit but I like my basic sound to be classed as clean country and take it from there.

jkats · April 3rd, 2005, 09:59 AM

I used JBL D-120s (and later Altec 817-Hs) in a 1964 Twin reverb I used to own many (30!) years ago. If you want a clean, efficient and very full sound, either JBL or Altec will get you there. Compared with those two, the Weber ceramic Cali 12 I have in my Fender 75 is flat, not-so-efficient and lifeless, with little top end shimmer. However, i have no idea how a JBL would act with an overdrive (if that's a concern), as I never used any effects back then-- just Tele or ES-330 into the Twin. BTW, I've seen many JBL guitar speakers, and I've never seen one with a copper cap.

Caper · April 3rd, 2005, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Type of music varies quite a bit but I like my basic sound to be classed as clean country and take it from there.

Well the JBL's will get you there, one thing though, make sure you are strapped in to your guitar stool because you may fall off when you hear the tone from those baby's. The usual first impression is OH MY (INSERT YOUR OWN EXPLICITIVE HERE)!!!!!!!!!

JoeyV · April 3rd, 2005, 01:18 PM

I think the JBL's are the ultimate speaker for a Fender amp...there big and round sounding, the cutting, there twangy, they respond excellent with the volume and tone control on your tele....the D120 and K120 are both great speakers...get em and forget em and enjoy the great tones...if too bright, put the bright switch on your amp down or roll your tone control back...should not be a problem...they sound great..

Slim · April 3rd, 2005, 02:24 PM

So what are the best JBL replacements? I've heard the Weber California speakers are, but now I'm hearding conflicting opinions on that.

Stan Martin · April 3rd, 2005, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slim

So what are the best JBL replacements? I've heard the Weber California speakers are, but now I'm hearding conflicting opinions on that.

the Cali's are dark sounding. So they don't have the sparkle a JBL does.

4mal · April 4th, 2005, 01:04 AM

JBL's are efficient and don't distort. They are bright but not overly so. They work fabulously in a twin. They are also incredibly loud in a Twin ... you know the adage of an amp being able to peel the paint off the wall ? That would be a Twin with JBL's. They are not light. Depending on the vintage of the twin it might be sensible to replace the mdf baffle board with ply if it get's moved a lot. Transparent isn't a bad decription of the JBL sound at all.

There really isn't any replacement for a JBL. They'd be too expensive to make. I personally prefer the Altec 417 in a Fender. They are a little 'sweeter' sounding. Very defined but slightly scooped in away that really favors a single coil pickup. Extremely efficient but lower power handling than a JBL. Scarce as hen's teeth as well.

I have a set of the Altecs that I had mounted in my Pro Reverb. Frightening volume. In to comparison, my old stock DSL 401 (now gone the way of EBay) couldn't be heard over the Pro. Before the Altecs the DSL was better than on par.

I'm going to build or buy a Fender Bandmaster 2x12 for the Altecs and find something lighter for the Pro. It's back to stock.

Stan Martin · April 4th, 2005, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4mal

There really isn't any replacement for a JBL. They'd be too expensive to make. I personally prefer the Altec 417 in a Fender. They are a little 'sweeter' sounding. Very defined but slightly scooped in away that really favors a single coil pickup. Extremely efficient but lower power handling than a JBL. Scarce as hen's teeth as well.

Ah now that would be a speaker someone should clone.

Unburst · April 4th, 2005, 01:15 PM

JBL's sound awesome in a Twin, huge, 3D clean tone and not too bright at all.
In fact, the richness of the tone balances that brightness perfectly.

I bought a battered old Twin back in the early '90's for £150 and was delighted to discover that it had JBL's in it.
Unfortunately they blew not long after (amp had been stored somewhere damp) but before they did, that Twin had the best clean tone I have ever heard from any amp.

imo *nothing* sounds like a JBL.
I have Celestions in my Twin right now and it sounds great, crunchy and bright, just like a SF Twin should sound, but it has nowhere near the complex cleans it had with JBL's.
I still have those old JBL's but it's so expensive to get them repaired, even so, I am tempted....

A Tele w/Hamels and a JBL loaded Twin?
That would about as close to tone heaven as a country picker could get imo.
Scotland-if the speakers are affordable, buy them. Now.
Do it. You won't be sorry.

Scotland · April 4th, 2005, 02:09 PM

I've decided to go all out for them, they have been reconed by using proper JBL coning kits at a cost of £200 (approx $400) so I expect they will be expensive. What the heck, I'm going to go 100% down that road and should know within a week or so whether they are mine or not. I have a great, mint condition ( I really mean absolutely mint) '76 100w Twin that sounds fantastic...it's waiting impatiently for the JBL's !!

4mal · April 4th, 2005, 06:19 PM

A twin with JBL's also has the added advantage that you can hire yourself out as a 1 man, 1 guitar, 1 amp demolition crew ... (My best Bill Murray 'Cindarella Story voice' ...) so you've got that goin' for you !

Seriously, that's a lot of money but when you get done that is a 'best in class setup' when it comes to Fender clean.

cowboytwang · April 5th, 2005, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scotland

I've decided to go all out for them, they have been reconed by using proper JBL coning kits at a cost of £200 (approx $400) so I expect they will be expensive.

If they are the D series speakers you will have a hard time getting them reconed "by using proper JBL coning kits".
JBL hasn't made coning kits for "D" speakers in a long, long time.
If someone reconed them, in the past 10-15 years, with JBL parts they would have used "K" series kits.
They are different and have a slightly different sound to them.
Just so you know and pay accordingly.

Scotland · April 5th, 2005, 12:50 PM

Sent him an email stating what you kindly had told me, this was his reply; Thanx for your e.mail,can only say that the guy who reconed them stated they were JBL kits and he does all the proper recone jobs for everyone,the job cost a lot of money,in fact the receipt is still in the box.If its of any consequence,I paid £300 for them prior to the £189 re-cone job! They are extremely rare and collectable now as you know.If I can be of any more help please ring **** ******.

Wow, it cost him £489, thats approx $920. mmm, I'm not going to go anywhere near that price :(

April 2nd, 2005, 12:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
Scotland Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, Yewrup Age: 54 Posts: 6,612 3 Photos	JBL D120 F for Twin Reverb ? I may have the chance to get a pair of these for my '76 Twin but may be costly. How good are they and any idea what price the go for here in the U.K. ? __________________ All those who believe in psycho-kinesis, raise my hand !

April 2nd, 2005, 02:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
Robin Nahum Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia Age: 57 Posts: 1,732 13 Photos	No personal experience but... ... people who have used them tell me that they're very bright. If you want 100+ SPL but a more Fender-y tone, some kind of EV is the better choice. __________________ RN

April 2nd, 2005, 04:16 AM	#3 (permalink)
Scotland Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, Yewrup Age: 54 Posts: 6,612 3 Photos	Oh really !!! I don't want that on a Twin :o . I thought that they must be good as they are very desirable (over here anyway) and command good prices when sold fitted to a twin. I have new Eminence speakers 621's I think, which are very good but thought the JBL's would make it more original sounding. Going off the idea now ! __________________ All those who believe in psycho-kinesis, raise my hand !

April 2nd, 2005, 06:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
Stan Martin Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Pepperell Posts: 818	hey Scotland Roy Nichols had JBL's in his Twin, so did Jimi. I say get them. Nothing sounds like a JBL.

April 2nd, 2005, 08:21 AM	#5 (permalink)
Scotland Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, Yewrup Age: 54 Posts: 6,612 3 Photos	Hey Stan Now you got me completely confused :? Maybe someone could explain exactly what is different about the JBL's, that would help. Thanks. __________________ All those who believe in psycho-kinesis, raise my hand !

April 2nd, 2005, 06:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
Michael Minnis Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 157	Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I just got a BFTR with original cone C12Ns. Sounds good, but I, too, have a line on these very desirable and very heavy JBLs. They are grey frames with what appears to be a copper cap? What vintage would that make them? Are there other JBLs that are more desirable? FYI, I'm going for a smoky, mellow, warm and round jazz tone. Will the JBLs be a departure from my desired tone or not? I would expect more transparency from the JBLs. Not entirely sure if that's a good thing or not. I don't want the amp to sound "sterile." Any thoughts, suggestions and experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

April 2nd, 2005, 07:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
Stan Martin Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Pepperell Posts: 818	Mike I don't know what vintage those JBL's are, but smokey they are not. You can get new Eminence Patriot series that will give you a darker sound. A hemp cone speaker would really color/darken your tone.

April 2nd, 2005, 09:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
Michael Minnis Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 157	Thanks, Stan. That's what I'm wondering about the JBLs. Then again, I've read so many rave reviews about them. Perhaps I could dial in my tone on the guitar and the amp and still get the benefits of the JBLs. Suppose I won't know until I try.

April 2nd, 2005, 10:27 PM	#10 (permalink)
sunkidd Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 413	I have some original D120-F JBL's in a SF Twin and other players are usually surprised at how full they sound. Normally the first thing they think when seeing the aluminum dust covers thru the grillcloth is they are gonna be very bright, maybe even harsh and ultra brillant.... but they sound really great and not at all harsh.... I also ran some Celestions in it for a while and liked them also in a different way.... The JBL's in a Twin are awesome really! I mainly use it with a '52 Tele, with some Strat/Fralins... seems like it would be really good for steel guitar also!!! I need to get a lap steel. :)

April 2nd, 2005, 11:31 PM	#11 (permalink)
Caper Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,169 7 Photos	John, what type of music will you be playing? I have owned 10 and 12" K series and and absolutely love them. They are fantastic for country. I am using them in a Super Champ and a SFPR. Huge improvement over the stock speakers, big bottom end, not harsh sounding at all, great warm tone and lots of punch. Doesn't Redd use JBL's in a Twin?

April 3rd, 2005, 09:59 AM	#14 (permalink)
jkats Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Portland, Maine Posts: 221	JBLs in a Twin I used JBL D-120s (and later Altec 817-Hs) in a 1964 Twin reverb I used to own many (30!) years ago. If you want a clean, efficient and very full sound, either JBL or Altec will get you there. Compared with those two, the Weber ceramic Cali 12 I have in my Fender 75 is flat, not-so-efficient and lifeless, with little top end shimmer. However, i have no idea how a JBL would act with an overdrive (if that's a concern), as I never used any effects back then-- just Tele or ES-330 into the Twin. BTW, I've seen many JBL guitar speakers, and I've never seen one with a copper cap.

April 3rd, 2005, 01:18 PM	#16 (permalink)
JoeyV Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Northshore , MA Age: 44 Posts: 1,206 2 Photos	k120 and d120 I think the JBL's are the ultimate speaker for a Fender amp...there big and round sounding, the cutting, there twangy, they respond excellent with the volume and tone control on your tele....the D120 and K120 are both great speakers...get em and forget em and enjoy the great tones...if too bright, put the bright switch on your amp down or roll your tone control back...should not be a problem...they sound great.. __________________ "I just love hearing them guitars go zing, zang , zoom"

April 3rd, 2005, 02:24 PM	#17 (permalink)
Slim Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Fayetteville, AR Posts: 306	So what are the best JBL replacements? I've heard the Weber California speakers are, but now I'm hearding conflicting opinions on that.

April 4th, 2005, 01:04 AM	#19 (permalink)
4mal Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The Gorge Posts: 2,197	JBL's are efficient and don't distort. They are bright but not overly so. They work fabulously in a twin. They are also incredibly loud in a Twin ... you know the adage of an amp being able to peel the paint off the wall ? That would be a Twin with JBL's. They are not light. Depending on the vintage of the twin it might be sensible to replace the mdf baffle board with ply if it get's moved a lot. Transparent isn't a bad decription of the JBL sound at all. There really isn't any replacement for a JBL. They'd be too expensive to make. I personally prefer the Altec 417 in a Fender. They are a little 'sweeter' sounding. Very defined but slightly scooped in away that really favors a single coil pickup. Extremely efficient but lower power handling than a JBL. Scarce as hen's teeth as well. I have a set of the Altecs that I had mounted in my Pro Reverb. Frightening volume. In to comparison, my old stock DSL 401 (now gone the way of EBay) couldn't be heard over the Pro. Before the Altecs the DSL was better than on par. I'm going to build or buy a Fender Bandmaster 2x12 for the Altecs and find something lighter for the Pro. It's back to stock.

April 4th, 2005, 01:15 PM	#21 (permalink)
Unburst Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 185	JBL's sound awesome in a Twin, huge, 3D clean tone and not too bright at all. In fact, the richness of the tone balances that brightness perfectly. I bought a battered old Twin back in the early '90's for £150 and was delighted to discover that it had JBL's in it. Unfortunately they blew not long after (amp had been stored somewhere damp) but before they did, that Twin had the best clean tone I have ever heard from any amp. imo nothing sounds like a JBL. I have Celestions in my Twin right now and it sounds great, crunchy and bright, just like a SF Twin should sound, but it has nowhere near the complex cleans it had with JBL's. I still have those old JBL's but it's so expensive to get them repaired, even so, I am tempted.... A Tele w/Hamels and a JBL loaded Twin? That would about as close to tone heaven as a country picker could get imo. Scotland-if the speakers are affordable, buy them. Now. Do it. You won't be sorry.

April 4th, 2005, 02:09 PM	#22 (permalink)
Scotland Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, Yewrup Age: 54 Posts: 6,612 3 Photos	Buy them I've decided to go all out for them, they have been reconed by using proper JBL coning kits at a cost of £200 (approx $400) so I expect they will be expensive. What the heck, I'm going to go 100% down that road and should know within a week or so whether they are mine or not. I have a great, mint condition ( I really mean absolutely mint) '76 100w Twin that sounds fantastic...it's waiting impatiently for the JBL's !! __________________ All those who believe in psycho-kinesis, raise my hand !

April 4th, 2005, 06:19 PM	#23 (permalink)
4mal Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The Gorge Posts: 2,197	A twin with JBL's also has the added advantage that you can hire yourself out as a 1 man, 1 guitar, 1 amp demolition crew ... (My best Bill Murray 'Cindarella Story voice' ...) so you've got that goin' for you ! Seriously, that's a lot of money but when you get done that is a 'best in class setup' when it comes to Fender clean.

April 5th, 2005, 12:50 PM	#25 (permalink)
Scotland Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, Yewrup Age: 54 Posts: 6,612 3 Photos	Cowboytwang Sent him an email stating what you kindly had told me, this was his reply; Thanx for your e.mail,can only say that the guy who reconed them stated they were JBL kits and he does all the proper recone jobs for everyone,the job cost a lot of money,in fact the receipt is still in the box.If its of any consequence,I paid £300 for them prior to the £189 re-cone job! They are extremely rare and collectable now as you know.If I can be of any more help please ring ** ****. Wow, it cost him £489, thats approx $920. mmm, I'm not going to go anywhere near that price :( __________________ All those who believe in psycho-kinesis, raise my hand !