JBL L100 Quadrex Burnt Orange color, think I finally found it

[Brad1234]

I have been working on restoring these old JBL L100 1st generation speakers and took the plunge ordering new quadrex foam on eBay, but was not happy with the color, it came out too red. After a ton of experimenting with different shades of orange I think I finally found the exact match. I got a Behr paint sample size of "Inferno" at Home Depot, diluted w water and carefully sprayed it on the foam with a Preval sprayer ($7), and they look amazing! Wanted to share the color find and technique in case anyone else wants to redo their JBL speaker grills. Took me a lot of trial and error to find it.

 

[WaynerN]

You don't think the paint will block the sonics? I sure do.

 

[SaturationPt]

If done right it shouldn't, but the story I have read is that JBL worked a while on getting that process correct.

All of the aftermarket Quadrex II foam suppliers spray them with paint also.

 

[jlovda]

Can to tell us (or send a PM) regarding who you bought the foam from? Was it the "big" seller from Washington? He claims to have found the "perfect" match as well. I'm thinking of buying a pair for my L-88P models. How long did you have to wait? He seems to have a long lead time.

 

[Brad1234]

Can to tell us (or send a PM) regarding who you bought the foam from? Was it the "big" seller from Washington? He claims to have found the "perfect" match as well. I'm thinking of buying a pair for my L-88P models. How long did you have to wait? He seems to have a long lead time.

I bought mine from Sculpted Foam Innovations on ebay, from WA state. He was really easy to work with and offered to do any color u want. His color was a little more red than I wanted, but it looked alright. It was a long time to get them, 2 months, but it was 11/19-1/20, so the holidays were mixed in there. Here is pic of his color. It's hard to see difference in pics, I am kind of particular when it comes to color matching.

 

[Brad1234]

You don't think the paint will block the sonics? I sure do.

You have to do a light dusting of the outer layer of foam, no paint builds up to block pores, u are just coating the outer pieces of foam, super fast meticulous paint strokes to avoid overspray. There is a ton of pore space still open, that is what makes it soooo hard to paint foam to an exact color, the color never looks like the sample because the open pores on surface alter the way it looks to your eye. The sample looks wildly neon orange and bright, but the speaker grills look totally different because of the open pore space.

 

[jlovda]

How much glue do you have to apply to the backside to hold it on straight without sagging? What type of glue was recommended?

Thanks

 

[Brad1234]

How much glue do you have to apply to the backside to hold it on straight without sagging? What type of glue was recommended?

Thanks

I actually used velcro to attach them, I figured it makes it easier to remove them later or even switch out different colors if I ever figure out how to make them or win the lottery. I guess if they sag anywhere I could add more velcro, but they are pretty stiff and well built, so if that holds up then should be no problem. I actually had them wedged in frames for a few weeks with nothing attaching them and they stayed in place. They were cut to exact specs by sculpted foam innovations. Fit like a glove. See pic.

 

[Brad1234]

How much glue do you have to apply to the backside to hold it on straight without sagging? What type of glue was recommended?

Thanks

I am attaching Scott's instructions from sculpted foam innovations for reference. He only says Gorilla Glue, but I use specifically the Gorilla Fabric Glue, its like rubber cement on steroids, have used it to glue tons of grill fabric and it holds very well and dries fast. Very strong glue but kind of pricey at $7 a tube. Highly recommend sculpted foam innovations for the build quality of the foam grills. I will relay to him my color preference for the more exact match, for better or for worse.

 

[jlovda]

Thank you! One final question. Was the hole for the JBL logo in the foam when you got them? If not did you have to use a narrow hot metal pin to make it?

 

[Brad1234]

Thank you! One final question. Was the hole for the JBL logo in the foam when you got them? If not did you have to use a narrow hot metal pin to make it?

The hole was there already in the grills to stick the logo on.

 

[SaturationPt]

Original JBL logo was attached with Velcro.

 

[Brad1234]

Original JBL logo was attached with Velcro.

No, just glued on. The logo will die with foam!!

 

[jlovda]

The logos that were originally put on the L-88P foam (flat front with submerged woofer circle) consisted of the square logo plate with a 1 inch long, 1/8th inch diameter rod welded on the back. The rod passed through the foam and was held on in to grille frame with a Tinnerman nut.

 

[Brad1234]

The logos that were originally put on the L-88P foam (flat front with submerged woofer circle) consisted of the square logo plate with a 1 inch long, 1/8th inch diameter rod welded on the back. The rod passed through the foam and was held on in to grille frame with a Tinnerman nut.

I had to make all new frames for my L100s because they did not come with them. The logo was originally attached with a rod thru the foam grills into the frame? Well, the foam is attached to the frame and the logo is attached to foam, 21st century technology at work!

 

[SaturationPt]

On my original L100A speakers, the logo was attached to the Quadrex foam with velcro. Most (if not all) fabric grilles did have the post, but not the L100 foam.
Structured Foam as well as other suppliers cut the one block shorter to accomodae the JBL logo w/ velcro.

 

[jlovda]

I had to make all new frames for my L100s because they did not come with them. The logo was originally attached with a rod thru the foam grills into the frame? Well, the foam is attached to the frame and the logo is attached to foam, 21st century technology at work!

When I bought my L-88P's the previous owner already had new foam grilles installed. They weren't "three dimensional" but a beautiful JBL blue foam with a very nice texture. I am assuming when the restoration was done, the original JBL logos were reused and put in their original position. See the hole in the back. A little nice touch was that the logo was slightly depressed into the foam. One interesting thing about the L-88P is that the grille frames are the same as the L-100 but they put the four mounting pegs in slightly different positions so they are not interchangeable making them somewhat rare. I have an extra set so I am considering the waffles. I just hope the hole location is the same as the L100. I attached a photo from a JBL catalog to show the original. No one that I know of makes a copy. I would take a different manufacturing technique that cutting the waffles.

 

[Brad1234]

When I bought my L-88P's the previous owner already had new foam grilles installed. They weren't "three dimensional" but a beautiful JBL blue foam with a very nice texture. I am assuming when the restoration was done, the original JBL logos were reused and put in their original position. See the hole in the back. A little nice touch was that the logo was slightly depressed into the foam. One interesting thing about the L-88P is that the grille frames are the same as the L-100 but they put the four mounting pegs in slightly different positions so they are not interchangeable making them somewhat rare. I have an extra set so I am considering the waffles. I just hope the hole location is the same as the L100. I attached a photo from a JBL catalog to show the original. No one that I know of makes a copy. I would take a different manufacturing technique that cutting the waffles.

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Nice looking speakers, I see what you mean how they attached the logo to that metal pin. I measured the quadrex foam cut out for the logo and it is exactly 1 3/4 inch from the side and bottom of foam edge, measured from edge of cut down foam piece.

I just figured out why they used velcro to attach label, it was so you could reorient it depending on how u placed speakers. That makes sense.

 

[SaturationPt]

The pin version used on most models can also be reoriented, it simply rotates. On the L100s you are correct you simply pull it off and re-attach with the new orientation.

 

[diamondd]

I have been working on restoring these old JBL L100 1st generation speakers and took the plunge ordering new quadrex foam on eBay, but was not happy with the color, it came out too red. After a ton of experimenting with different shades of orange I think I finally found the exact match. I got a Behr paint sample size of "Inferno" at Home Depot, diluted w water and carefully sprayed it on the foam with a Preval sprayer ($7), and they look amazing! Wanted to share the color find and technique in case anyone else wants to redo their JBL speaker grills. Took me a lot of trial and error to find it.

View attachment 2476050 View attachment 2476051 View attachment 2476052 View attachment 2476053 View attachment 2476054

Was wondering how your paint job was holding up on the grilles. I had replacement grilles made by a guy named Bob Love maybe 12 to 15 years ago. They where black. They started to dry rot and ordered grilles,frames,and logos from Scott in russett brown a couple of years ago. They where so nice that I didn't want to put them on. I ordered Hunley's cloth covers in the brown for my original frames. They are well made and look great. I recently ordered the covers in burnt orange and like you think the color is alright, but on the red side. I like what you did and was wondering if the paint is still looking good and holding up. Smelling the new ones swear it reminds me of spay paint. Acrylic? Fabric paint?