JBL D131

Name: JBL D131
Brand: JBL

Not much is documented about the JBL D131. What survives comes mostly from collector forums and a few auction listings, not from formal reviews or spec sheets. Here is what the record shows. It was a 12-inch coaxial loudspeaker, offered in raw-frame form, built around the D130 woofer with a small compression driver mounted coaxially to the magnet assembly. It was 8 ohms and used an alnico magnet. One forum user noted it has a 1" voice coil and post-style terminals.

Its reputation rests almost entirely on guitar amplification. The D131 was a favorite for Fender guitar amps, and an eBay listing describes it as a 12-inch guitar speaker reportedly used in Fender amps. It was also used in the "Lancing 030" - the source spells it "Lancing," likely a typo for Lansing, but that's how it appears in the record. JBL's own period advertising grouped it among the Signature Extended Range Loudspeakers. Audio (August 1957, p.53) called each of the five models in that line "a masterpiece of acoustical engineering and precision craftsmanship."

Collector opinion is mixed. One user says it sounds good but lacks the "edge" of the D130. Another describes it as bright. One sold on eBay for $400, and listings lean on "rare" and "vintage" to describe it.

- 12" coaxial loudspeaker (D130 woofer with coaxially mounted compression driver tweeter)

- 8 ohm impedance

- Alnico magnet

- 1" voice coil, post-style terminals

- Raw-frame form available

Production years, original price, frequency response, power handling, and sensitivity are not documented.