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Rectilinear III midrange drivers needed

T

tcaster

Active Member
I just picked up a one time rebuilt pair of Lowboys in great shape for 20 bucks at a rummage sale.
The stickers say they were rebuilt in 85' but the speaker shop (long gone) used 4" paper cone drivers for the mids with out the whizzers.
Since that 5" whizzer midrange driver is one of the strongest features of these speakers I want to experience the real deal or something closer.
I've read most all of the threads on here.I've tried Ebay, the Speaker Shop, Regnars,Google etc.
Any help finding a pair of suitable 5" midrange drivers would be appreciated.
Thanks!
 
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I think those are going to be a tough find. IIRC AKer Gordon W. has substituted a Pioneer driver for the Philips midrange in the Rectilinea III Highboy.
 
I have the AD506/Sq8 with the plastic cups but nothing with the whizzer cones- them is rare as chicken lips....
DC
 
They turn up on ebay on occasion but the auction titles can be worded in countless different ways. If someone is parting out Rectilinear III's they will likely mention Rectilinear, otherwise searching "full range" and "fullrange" both as "speakers", "loudspeakers", and "drivers" will sometimes locate a pair as Phillips put these drivers in small cabinets as full range units. Searching for "Vintage Midrange" can sometimes yield results as well. Using "Phillips" in the search criteria may help but many sellers do not know enough about speaker drivers to know they were made by Phillips and instead may actually use the word "Holland" instead! Good luck!
 
New development on midrange drivers etc.They're JBLs!

Thanks again for the replys.I may have spoken too soon and unfairly disparaged the speaker rebuilder who worked on my Lowboys.
I've read reviews that said the front grill on the Lowboy was so cluttered that it actually muddied up the low end.
This repair person used the old grill frame, cut out around the woofer and high range section, while leaving enough bracing for the integrity of the frame, and reclothed it with what looks like the old white Advent lightweight material.Not original sure but better possibly?
As for the suspect midrange driver.I pried it out of it's retrofit white sealer filler to find out it is a quality JBL cupped midrange driver!
I was shocked and I quickly pushed it back in before reading the model number but I'm almost positive it is an Le5 type.
I now feel that this speaker shop had the best intentions after all and was doing what in 1985 would be considered an earnest upgrade.
Do you have an opinion on the performance of the JBL Le5 4" mid drivers in a Rectilinear Lowboy III?
 
The OP is asking for suggestions on sources where he can obtain a replacement driver.
Be sure to keep all other conversations strictly to PM.
 
I think this conversation will be relevant to the original OP as I'm still looking for original or suitable replacement drivers for my Lowboys.
As it turns out one of the JBL Le5 midrange drivers is not working on one cab and on the other cab I fear all of the tweeters are not operating.
I have a possible line on a set of Philips whizzers and I now know about Pioneer suitable substitutes for both the mids and the larger tweeters available at Parts Express.
If I can get a pair of original Philips AD5061M8 whizzer mids I might as well go original first, next choice find another JBL Le5.
Now I need to find the 1" tweeters (x2 )or substitutes(then x4) and if I change the 2" super tweeters I'll have to do both sides as well (x4).
So, It now looks like I'll need all of the drivers except the woofers.
That's going to be:
2 - midrange drivers,
4 - 1" tweeters,
4 - 2" super tweeters,
Sheesh! PMs will be coming soon!
 
Be sure to test the tweeters by bypassing the crossover. This will tell you that it is the tweeters that aren't working vs. a crossover that needs parts replaced < speaking from experience. :)
 
I know I sound like a kook here but I'm just a rookie . I took out the supposedly dead JBL le5 (2105) and tested it and sure enough it worked.
I reinstalled and figured it was the crossover or Lpad etc.I just worked the volume knobs back and forth a number of times and Viola both the JBL midrange and the tweeters all work now!
I live on the coast and anything that sits for too long oxidizes.I should have tried this first as I was treating things a little too delicately.All it needed was a kick!.Thanks again I'll go away now.......................
 
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