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JBL 4333 Clone. 35 year build log.


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This is a story that started ~35 years ago. I'll try and keep it brief :D

 

~35 years ago dad was looking for speakers. Looked at a lot, rejected a lot.

Finally found a pair he kept coming back too at John Gipps (Hands up those that are willing to admit they remember John :D ), but like all things, he couldn't afford them.

John sealed dads fate with the words, "you can buy the parts separately"...........

 

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe what he saw was the JBL 4320.

This is the pro version of the domestic L200. The L200 crossovers were crippled by the bean counters. Seriously, their an absolute joke.

The 4320 consists of a 16ohm 15" and a 16ohm compression driver into a horn and lens. With far superior prebuilt crossovers in their own box.

 

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120 watts into a 15" thats rated at ~97db sensitivity, Not with my ears you wont :o

 

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Eventually he managed to cobble it all together with 2 slightly mismatched cabinets built out of mahogany (one is pure mahogany, other is mahogany ply).

Reason for different sizes and materials, well, even back then it was not easy or cheap to find the timber he wanted, so had to make do with what he could find (afford).

one is 140ltrs, other is 122ltrs.

I have no photos of that time. But he still has the cabinets.

 

I kept bugging him about adding a tweeter as the horn only goes to 16khz.

He argued he wouldn't be able to hear it.

Eventually I won :D   And yes, he certainly can hear the difference.

 

So in early 2000 or there abouts John got him a pair of 2405 slot loaded tweeters. (Dad was pissed he couldn't get the obsolete 077 bullets as originally used)

Dad, dropped them on top of the cabinet, piggy backed of the crossovers mid output, with a pair of caps and inductors a series resistor and called it a day. Eww.

That changes them from 4320's, into 4333's. 4333's are the pro version of the domestic L300.

Even back then we knew his hearing was pretty bad. I could hear those poor tweeters screaming from the other end of the house with ease. Needed way more attenuation.

 

2007

 

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Comes 2011 and I finally convince him we need to install the tweeters properly, and also to make a proper crossover.

So I made new front panels, and new crossovers that are replicas of the L300. These are based on the work of 'Giskard' on the lansing heritage forums.

Crossovers on top for tuning of mid/tweeter levels.

 

2011

 

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2014

 

Mums now been dead for a while, so with no females around to upset, we hatch a plan to make new matching cabinets.

The timber, size, and shape, is set by dad.

Again I draw up the plans, get the material cnc'd.

The timber is his choice, 22mm 'red tongue' Otherwise known as flooring.

New cabinet size. 226 liters. Thats 8 cubic feet.

Gotta love it when they can load your 'poo box volvo' with a fork lift :P

 

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So now the rebuild starts..................

 

These...

 

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Will go into these....

 

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Which gives these.......

 

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Around this time, I discover Nelson pass bought a set of L300's (in 2011) and has designed a new crossover which he has made public.

So whats a man to do ;)

 

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After much mucking around with mid and tweeter levels. Again.

We finally have the finished product.

Box finish and grill color are entirely his choice.

I told him we could veneer, paint, laminate, etc and so on.

But no, he loves the look of the varnished timber, and wanted a grill 'more cheery' than black or brown.

As soon as I suggested JBL Pro blue, he was sold.

 

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For reference, thats a 48" tv.

 

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I know some are fascinated by graphs.

 

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Obviously we need to play with positioning to fix the bass hole.

Why do the two treble graphs have a 4db difference ? dunno.

The crossover points are ~ 750hz and 15khz.

We plan on playing with positioning and doing some more sweeps.

 

Otherwise, I recon this is how they will remain till he croaks. :D

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LOL.

Except 90% of the above changes weren't his idea to start with :D

Anyone say, Pushy damn kids  :D

Now it's done though he loves them even more.

 

Heres some L300 / 4333 info for those that care..........

 

Pic of a nude L300

 

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L300 brochure that makes mention of the 4333. note the 4333 sitting behind the L300 in the first page.

 

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Guest atilsley

From one speaker builder to another, well done...that looks really good...and I love the JBL Studio Monitors.

 

Hey, why not talk your dad into a 4355...you know you want....!!

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Some one on ebay wants 8 grand for these.  Does that sound right.

 

Apologies I have to learn how to link

 

Tough question, I know I wouldn't pay 8k for them. If i was to value them personally I would suggest half that.

 

Really difficult to put a value on second hand items like this as you might find some enthusiast with a fat wallet who would be happy to pay X Amount for them. They do look pretty mint but if you break down the parts individually they seem very expensive.

 

I spend more time then any person should combing the net for JBL parts and speakers and I haven't seen a set sell for anywhere near that.

Edited by kelossus
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On another note I have heard these speakers and if JBL's are your thing these will impress.

 

Excellent craftsmanship from Nigel. Just look how neat those crossovers are! Superb.

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From one speaker builder to another, well done...that looks really good...and I love the JBL Studio Monitors.

 

Hey, why not talk your dad into a 4355...you know you want....!!

 

Thanks Atilsley.

Some of your builds are rather impressive as well.

You know what would scare some people with these older JBL's ?

Even the 4355 with the two bass drivers and the cone mid bass, you'd still need 6+db attenuation on the mid and tweeter :D

I have no idea why the hell JBL thought they needed to put cutouts for a second mid and tweeter...

 

On dads I have the mid down 10db, and the tweeter down 13db

 

Some one on ebay wants 8 grand for these.  Does that sound right.

 

Apologies I have to learn how to link

 

An item is worth what people will pay for it..

Yes I saw them too.

And also a genuine factory 4333 for 16k ? Think thats right ?

Most of the 'copies' I see are pretty shabby. Damaged substandard cabinets, drivers with pushed in dust caps, hideous wiring etc.

 

 

On another note I have heard these speakers and if JBL's are your thing these will impress.

 

Excellent craftsmanship from Nigel. Just look how neat those crossovers are! Superb.

 

I thank you for your praise Chris et all.

 

The crossover was pretty easy, such a basic simple design.

I've dropped the tweeter level another ~1.5 db since you last heard them.

I think the sweeps confirm it was the right thing to do.

As I've said to others, if I could combine some of the traits of dads and mine into one, I'd be velly happy......

 

I hope your resting and recovering young man ;)

Edited by Green Wagon
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Guest atilsley

I thought the spare tweeter cutout on the 4355 was to shift the tweeter to the left or right of the cab..?!

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Could be, I have no idea.

I'd just wonder why they'd spend the money to make extra cutouts if they didn't have too.

 

Maybe @kelossus could answer this one ??

 

Yeah I believe they did have the extra cut outs to in case you wanted to shift the tweeter/horn, same in the 4344/4343.

 

But it doesn't make sense as they were sold in mirrored pairs so if you wanted to have the tweeters/horns on the inside or outside you could just move the cabinets around. Either way its a big job to move them as they weigh over 100kg but I assume most people would have them on wheels.

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MMmmmmmm.

Other possibility is that because this style is labeled 'professional', maybe its of use to those that use them in studios, as in rotated 90deg and stuck up in corners.

 

I recon Chris should post pics some of the JBL's he's collected, renovated, sold, etc :D

 

I saw a youtube showing a behind the scenes of Kenrick sound.

OMG, I've worked in some strange places, but I've never been in such over cramped areas as them.

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Very nice Nigel

I have seen this build slowly progress since the cabinet stage and they look nicer in the flesh

Haven't seen them with the JBL Pro blue grill though - a nice touch

Glad the old man feels young again

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The grills had to sit aside until I worked out the mid and tweet levels as I had the drivers leads running out of a port.

 

Offered dad variable L-pads, or fixed resistors, he decided fixed was best.

That one little bit of tuning kept screwing me over.

adjusted, listened, sounded ok, ran a sweep, tweeter well down, raise it, sweep, ok, listen, terrible, drop tweet, listen, better.

Finally had the idea (Yes I can be slow sometimes ;) ) to bring my speakers in to the lounge. Ran those for a few weeks, then swapped to the jbls which I thought were right.

Ooooooooooooooh no they weren't. Mid and treble very wrong, both wayyyyyyy to high.

Guess it doesn't help I did the first sweeps at 3 mtrs...

Readjusted to 'sound' close to my speakers. Much better. finally decided to drop the tweeter just that tiny 1.5db lower again.

Sounded really good, then did the proper sweeps you see in the first post.

Yup, That'll do..............

 

So then it was a flurry of putting the finishing touches on the crossovers (correct resistors, bypass caps), installing those, then mounting the grill catches and the grills...

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MMmmmmmm.

Other possibility is that because this style is labeled 'professional', maybe its of use to those that use them in studios, as in rotated 90deg and stuck up in corners.

 

 

 

Makes sense, usually they are flush mounted in studios so it does make sense that you could shift the horn/tweeter to suit.

 

 

I recon Chris should post pics some of the JBL's he's collected, renovated, sold, etc :D

 

Really bad with keeping pictures, still have a heap of smaller and larger studio monitors kicking it around.

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Its scary, but I've seen pics of the larger pro monitors with swivel mounts screwed to the sides of the cabinets so they could be suspended.

100+kg hanging above you in a small studio. I'd want to know the guy that mounted them is conscientious with his work........

 

Go on Chris, you know everyone would love to your speaker pron pics ;)

Such a bunch of deviates here.

 

 

Wait, doesn't that make me an enabler  <_<

 

Meh, so be it :D

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  • 4 years later...

Hi , i bought a set of used JBL L300 Speakers when i was 18 in 1976.

Still own them and other than needing surrounds replaced ( planning to soon ) they have been a great investment i kept....i haven't used them in years and moved so have not set them up for use... i will look at the crossovers and replace caps and whatever is needed...as well as check on your mention of Nelson Pass crossover design before i proceed on the crossover mods...

Haven't finished your article but had to comment.... i am the second owner of these speakers and they were reduced in price when i purchased and only a year or two old i believe??? At that time...

Glad your dad got to enjoy his speakers and life long journey and adventure !!

Gary ( Canada )

Edited by Canuckguyworried
Didn't like one sentence...
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