Any 417 experts here?

[Old Guy]

I've posted about 417's before,,,about how I consider them to be one of the best guitar speakers ever...

But here is an oddity...I talked to the seller

Pulled from an old sparkle Kustom cabinet...an OEM pair.

Date coded 391938 on both...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:X:RTQ:US:1123

Old sparkle Kustom, 9 for year, Okay we got a slam dunk...1969...

Except look at the frames. New style frames...so...no problem...79 right?

No friggin' way.

By 79 I was doing retail...if you search my older posts we sold a lot of Kustom stuff...enough to make the Columbus store the second largest Kustom dealer in the country. Only Chicago sold more.

Kustom was exclusively EV by then (disregarding el cheapos were CTS)...to the point where Peavey was getting slow shipped because Kustom was a good EV customer...a fact which PO'ed Hartley Peavey into building his own drivers.

I partied in Las Vegas with the principals of Kustom in 79...I can tell you with almost 100% certainty these are not 79. And 79 should have stepped alnicos.

So the dilemma...is it possible a few speakers were made with new frames earlier? or these got a set of prototype frames?

Inquiring minds wanna know. or at least one does.

I'd appreciate input on this...it's really got me curious.

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Old sparkle Kustom, 9 for year, Okay we got a slam dunk...1969...

Except look at the frames. New style frames...so...no problem...79 right?

I've never seen black framed 417's before..... was that done just for Kustom?

I've got a pair of 417's with the new frames, built in 75. When was the changeover supposed to take place?

[bowtie427ss]

No expert here, but i'd like to register my vote for 1969. Main reason being the foilcal that just says "417" with no number/letter suffix.

We know positively that they were making new style small frames in time to appear in '71 literature. That date code is well into the 2nd half of '69, i say it's very possible and likely they're from 69.

AH HA!

Circa 1968 spec sheet: http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...vers/page1.jpg

[Old Guy]

Thanks Bowtie...so it would appear the frames were on 417's late 60's...

I was so certain they were not 79....but really thought with the frames they would be around 71-72.

I was working with Altec 71-73 and old frames were still coming thru the pipe.

[bowtie427ss]

Thanks Bowtie...so it would appear the frames were on 417's late 60's...

You're most welcome, sometimes my expertise at clicking the hell out of a mouse comes in handy.