model 19 bases

[zelgall]

Why are all of the 19's I've seen missing the bases? With the bottom mount terminals it seems odd. Is it worth making new ones?

[RonSSS]

The bases are just particle board picture frame construction, held on by 4 wood screws. Drag the things across the floor wrong and they will break apart.
I think having them on is a good thing. But the bottom mount connections are plain stupid. It makes hooking up the wires a 2 man job.
I moved the connections to the rear of the cabinet by drilling a 2.25" hole in the back with a hole saw. Then made some alum plates that mount nice binding posts. A better connection, and you don't have to tip the speaker over to hook them up.
Yes, you have to cut a hole in the back....but who looks back there anyway!
Ron

[Dylanl]

The base was optional and the speakers were intended to hang upside down in studios so the 19 had many applications the home was just one. I think that is why the connections were on the bottom.

I am building two sets of bases now seeing that mine are not looking the best after all these years.

[gearjammer]

Hi I do not want to burst your bubble but the 19's are not studio moniters! I have never seen a pair in any studios. Any one that was into HI-FI in that time period remembers every speaker out there was calling itself a "Studio Moniter" The reason the terminals are located on the bottom is related to the veneer being on the back of the cabinets. Altec was targeting the high end market and felt that someone that was in the market for the 19's also had a high end "CRIB" with plenty of floor space and these might be located far from any walls,so that is why they were wrapped in veneer and with bottom terminals the wires could be out of sight. By the way from around 1977 to 1980 when the 19 was in production JBL dominated the studio market in north america.

[zelgall]

I agree. If you've seen how the top part of a 19 is held on, you wouldn't turn them upside down. Two bolts.
I ended up using 2" thick x 6" triangular hardwood blocks at the corners to raise them off the floor instead of the weak looking particle board bases on the originals. Painted black, they're almost invisible.

[LICORNE]

As for large studio Monitors Mr Augspurger started
a trend and slowly dominated the market with custom made cabinets . The components were JBL's. Today these same cabinets
are retrofitted with TAD components by the same company that MR Augspurger created in the 70's.

He made quite a contribution to the audio industry.He is no longer part of JBL.

[RonSSS]

I just got done gluing the bases to my 19's. I noticed that they seemed to be loose when I moved the cabs around a bit. Despite the fact that the screws were tight.
I measured the height of the horns in my present duplex setup, and the 19 horns are a good 6" lower.....and my present setup has them at ear level. Odd that Altec has them so low.
I think the bases/risers are necessary, and could even be taller!
While under there, I also added a 2x4 brace diagonal to the bottom of the cab.
Ron

[Carl Bill]

Gearjammer is correct. The Model 19's were targeted at the high end market and were made to show off the veneer on the rear of the cabinets. Altec actually won a design award with the Model 19's that spawned the similar design on the 14's.

The base is actually identical to the spacer between the upper and lower cabinets. Particle board with a vinyl cover. Very weak.

When I overhaul my pair of 19's I plan to also replace the spacer with a stronger assembly. The spacer can be weakend by lifting the unit by the upper cabinet (I am guilty of doing this over 22 years of moving around!).

[Dylanl]

The information I posted was straight out of the model 19 instruction manual. The manual is labled ALTEC STUDIO MONITOR SPEAKER SYSTEMS. Here is the what my 19 manual says about the bases under the topic:

Optional Mounting Base

If the discriminating listener wishes to use the Studio Monitor Speaker System in the hime environment, the optional mounting base may be secured to the bottom of the cabinet. To install the optional mounting base, position your Studio Monitor Speaker System on one side or the top, using a carpet surface to protect the finish of the cabinet.

There is also a title named:
Wall or Ceiling Mounting

For many professional applications the Studio Monitor Speaker System is hung or suspended from a wall or ceiling. A recommended type of installation utilizes four 1/4"-20 eyebolts which are secured in the sides of the cabinet with flat washers and nuts. The low-frequency loudspeaker must be removed to install the eyebolts. The Studio Monitor Speaker System is then suspended by the four eyebolts with a lightweight chain (200-pound pull) from anchor points in the wall or ceiling. Baffle angle of the monitor may be adjusted by raising or lowering one pair of supporting chains at the anchor points. Figure 1 illustrates a typical ceiling-mounted system. When the cabinet is hung 'bass-side-up', the network/equalizer assembly may be removed, rotated 180 degrees, and reinstalled to maintain a right-side-up orientation.

If any of you would like a copy this page I will email it to you for your records. My email is [email protected]

[Carl Bill]

I don't dispute what your manual says. However, when we built the 19's in OKC, we shipped them with the base attached.