Need help with family gift

[lynrocksem]

Hi there all,
I received a set of Iconic Altec Lansing Speakers from my uncle and they are from the 60's they sound amazing and would just like to find out a little more information about them. They are missing the paper model number and wanted to know if anyone could tell me more about them. I have attached a couple of pictures that I took my uncle said they are in the orginial cabinets. Thanks!!!!!!!

[airboss]

If worse comes to worse, send the pics to Iconic. They should be able to help.

Iconic Speaker Manufacturing - Index Page

I dunno.

[Old Guy]

The new Iconic and the old Altec Iconics are different things.

Anyway, look like 803b/416a and 811 with driver...essentially an 846a

But as you can see...

http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...ome/page14.jpg

http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...ome/page15.jpg

There are many variations on the basic two way theme...

The original Iconic was made by Lansing circa late 30's.

Altec during LTV applied the name to furniture versions of the basic two way.

I have heard the Valencia was originally called the Iconic Valencia, I think Don McRitchie suggested it, but never seen actual hard evidence.

60's Altec catalogs are scarcer than 40's-50's and 70's-90's for some reason.

Does appear the Iconic name was used prior to LTV also...although the ad is too small to read in the picture..

http://cgi.ebay.com/Altec-Ad-1955-A-...item2559e5dcb8

And while at Fleabay...here is a set of Iconic Valencias...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Altec-Lansing-Va...-/300425027894

Guess the easiest way to find something is look for something else..

[wws944]

My uncles 1950s 820s have "Iconic" labels on the back. (He bought one of them new in 1956!) Wasn't the "Iconic" name basically applied to anything with the 803 woofer and 511/811 horn combo in the '50s and early '60s?

[RonSSS]

Hi there all,
I received a set of Iconic Altec Lansing Speakers from my uncle and they are from the 60's they sound amazing and would just like to find out a little more information about them. They are missing the paper model number and wanted to know if anyone could tell me more about them. I have attached a couple of pictures that I took my uncle said they are in the orginial cabinets. Thanks!!!!!!!

Just hook em up and enjoy them!
If you are going to sell, take the backs off, take pictures, and the ebayers will tell you what you have and bid away.
My suggestion is to find a great vintage tube receiver to power them, and dive back into the 60's.......keep em in the family!

Ron

[Steve Schell]

Lynrocksem, your speakers are lineal descendents of the Lansing Iconic two way speaker of 1937. Jim Lansing sold his company in 1941, and the new Altec Lansing continued to market two way, 800Hz. crossover speakers under the trade name "Iconic" sporadically from the 1950s through the 1970s.

The Lansing Iconic two way speaker was first marketed in late 1937; here is the earliest ad we have found:

http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...lectronics.jpg

After the forming of Altec Lansing, Jim Lansing stayed on as a vice president for five years. Whe he left he formed a new company, Lansing Sound Inc. that would eventually become JBL. For reasons known only to him, Lansing began labeling his first new product, the D-101 15" wide range speaker, with the "Iconic" term on the label in 1946:

http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...d101/page1.jpg

This aggravated the principals of Altec Lansing, as they considered the term theirs due to the acquisition of Lansing Manufacturing Company. After some communication Jim Lansing abandoned the use of the term and Altec trademarked "Iconic" along with their distinctive artwork in 1947:

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield...03:e09ri0.2.24

Eventually Altec Lansing neglected to renew the trademark and the newly formed Iconic Manufacturing Company trademarked the term anew and holds it at the present time. From what I know of the principals, it is in good hands.