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Vintage Packard Bell speakers

R

roberttx

Super Member
There's a thrift store near me that has had a pair of interesting speakers in the back room for as long as I've been going there.

While chatting with one of the workers, the other day, I was offered an opportunity to look at them (and maybe buy them) next week.

I've only caught glimpses of them, since they're very protective of their back room, but from memory they look a bit like the ones in this ebay listing (NoAff):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Pair-PACKARD-BELL-Electronics-Console-Speakers-/251127927260

Would anybody care to venture a guess or two about them?
 
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I can't comment on the specific pair you saw, but I can tell you two things:

1.) I recently heard an early 1960's PB console that sounded wonderful.
2.) If the speakers you are looking at are similar to your link, the cabinets are to die for! Those things look great! I love that style.

For the right price, I'd say the cabs alone would get me excited. But, if your pair sounds anything like the PB unit I heard, you'll be in for a surprise.
 
They mentioned $20 for the pair, if they can get to sell them, so I figure at that price it's got to be worth a gamble.

If nothing else, the cabinets are nice, as you say and I'll be needing a couple, eventually, for a 3 channel Motorola tube amp that I have in the closet (I have a cab for the combined base channel, the remote from a Hammond Chord Organ).

The ones in my link were as close as I could find to what I remember from the brief glimpses that I've had. If I get them, I'll post a pic and we can all laugh at my poor visual memory! :D
 
The speakers in the auction link are nothing to write home about. If the cabinets were beautiful, 20 smackers probably wouldn't be wasted on them, though.
 
Well, I was getting kind of cool towards them, after what's been said, but I ended up coming home with them anyway.

FWIW, they're off a console, if I'm right about what I think are spring loaded hinges.

Long story short, they had a B+K 875A LCR Meter and a B+K 3011 Function Generator (both boxed). I have a better LCR meter, but it's a bench job, so the portability of the B&K appealed to me. Similarly, the function generator fills a niche.

I made what I thought was a fair offer, they countered with a less reasonable offer and I ended up coming home with them, the PBs and a pair of Ampex bookshelf speakers.

The only downside is, I have far too many speakers now. Expect a thread where I ask for help dong a speaker audit...
 
janikphoto said:
Pics and update, please...
Click to expand...

Well, I only just got them out of the wife's car the other day - and that was because we were selling it and buying another!

All I can tell you for now it that they don't appear to be anything special - Utah drivers, which I haven't even measured.

They're pretty much exactly like the ones in that ebay link. I'll take some pics when I can, but it might be a little while...
 
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