Vintage JBL’s at the skating rink!

Jenkster

Bonzo!
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We had my three year granddaughter’s birthday party at the local skating rink. Having not been a skater, I hadn’t been in there since the mid 70’s. Accordingly, I didn’t know the sound system was vintage JBL’s. Eight single 15’s with the flat horn and smaller compression drivers, forget the numbers. Four with dual 15’s with same horn and maybe LE-85’s. The acoustics have a lot to be desired but the JBL’s have been pounding it out for many years. Wasn’t able to check out the amplifiers. Raises the cool factor of “Viking Skate Country” up a bit in my book.:beatnik:
 

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Looks like one horn may have had a replacement compression driver installed. Peavey 22 XT maybe?

Still a bunch of cool hardware giving decades of service.
 
Dual 15's are 4550 Cabinets. Single 15's are 4560 Cabinets. Wood diffusion horns are 2397's - hard to get and very desirable horn lens. Not sure what drivers are in them, but with some TLC (and getting rid of that replacement horn driver) these could sound very very good.
 
As far as I know, they have had that system since the mid 70’s. Does that sound like the right time frame for those speakers?
 
A lot of skating rinks bought and used McIntosh MC2200s in the midwest. Typically paired with flown LaScalas, Cornwalls, or Heresys. Back when I was buying and selling Mc, anytime I came across an MC2200 my first call was to a rink owner in Arkansas. He bought two or three from me over the years.

As the speakers in this rink are JBL, my bet is that the amps are Crown.
 
Thanks soundmig, that’s what I thought. The next time I’m there, I will ask to see the rest of the system. I’m in-visioning a stack of pro Crown amps.:idea:
 
Early 70's as the 4550 cabinets are not ported. The JBL drivers could be 2470 or 2420's for the size and 1 inch adaptor
 
Looks like one horn may have had a replacement compression driver installed. Peavey 22 XT maybe?

Still a bunch of cool hardware giving decades of service.

That is correct. Peavey 22T or XT for sure.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
Good to know these are still doing their intended job after all these years. I don't know how popular skating is today, what with video games and all that. It might be worth leaving them a note something like : "hey, if you ever close, I'd be interested in these old speakers".

Lee.
 
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