Author Topic: JBL K 140 on ebay?  (Read 2534 times)

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Offline otterfunk

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JBL K 140 on ebay?
« on: June 28, 2005, 10:57:48 am »
Hey everybody.  I'm brand new, just registered, but I've been using this board as a source of information for a while.  About a month ago I found an old ('69 I believe) 200S in a local music store.  I got the head and the folded horn cabinet together for $360.  The head will need some work to really sound good--needs new caps and tubes.  I'm a complete novice w/electronics, just learning, so it's a long term project, but I'm excited about it.  

Anyway, getting to the topic at hand--I opened up the cab and found it to loaded with Pyle Driver car stereo speakers (blah).  So I've been checking out ebay to find decent replacements.  Seems like the D140s are out of my price range, so I've been looking at K140s as an alternative.  I understand that it's important to get one that's original or reconed with a real JBL kit, but a lot of ebay sellers don't seem to know if the speakers they are selling have been reconed or not.  I emailed the guy selling this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7331976155&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 and he has no idea.  

Can anyone offer any advice as to how I might tell if a speaker is the real deal before I buy it?  Should I just take a gamble?  I'm sort of on a budget.  

Thanks,
Todd

Offline EdBass

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JBL K 140 on ebay?
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2005, 02:16:11 am »
Howdy Otterfunk! First, I think you got a great deal on your 200S rig, well done and good luck! I think you will find the old tube Sunn equipment is about as good as it gets from a bass tone perspective. I have just gone through a similar experience with a 2000S cabinet, I bought it loaded with an Eminence and CTS 15" drivers. Actually it didn't sound awful as it was, good cabinet design. Anyway, I think the K140 is an excellent choice as a replacement. The frame and motor assembly is identical spec wise to the D140, same alnico magnet, but the surround is less resilient and the cone is a tad stiffer, making the speaker a little more percussive sounding, not quite as "warm" as the D140. I personally like it as it has a little tighter sound, more modern sounding but still retaining the smooth alnico attack characteristics. The best way I've found to get a good speaker is to get it from a reliable source, someone who stands behind their products. Keep in mind you are dealing with old stuff, and there is always going to be a little gambling involved! Here's a source; http://www.jamminjersey.com/speakers.php?prod=jblspeaker
I've had good luck with them, and they really know their stuff. I use 2 16ohm K140's wired in parallel to get 8ohms with my 120 watt 2000S head, but I use 2 8ohm D140's in parallel to give a 4ohm load to my 60 watt 200S. It depends on how hard you want the output tubes to work, I use the 2000S for a solid clean deep bass tone and use my 200S to get a little more overdriven tone.
I hope that this helps you out. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions. I’m no expert, but I’m happy to assist you if I can!
By the way, it's probably a mute point by now, but the K140 in the ebay auction looked stock and healthy except what appeared to be a white sealing strip on the inside of the frame rim. They probably had it mounted in a front loading cabinet.

Offline otterfunk

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JBL K 140 on ebay?
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2005, 12:15:08 pm »
Thanks a lot, Ed!  It's a bit daunting trying to get into vintage gear when there are such limited information sources.  I appreciate the help.  

I'll post an update when I make some progress on this project.  I'd like to make some modifications to the head--considering adding a line out and changing some of the cap values like I've read about on this board.  But I don't yet feel competent enough to do those things myself... so we'll see what happens.