JBL G135A-8
Documentation on the JBL G135A-8 is thin, and the record that does exist is a bit tangled. What's clear is that this is a 12-inch woofer, 8-ohm version, built around a 4-inch, 4-layer voice coil with a large magnet structure. The most commonly cited specs put power handling at 75 watts and sensitivity at 94 dB. Frequency response figures conflict across sources — some list 32 Hz–3 kHz, others 35 Hz–4 kHz — so take either with some caution. Period literature from Sound and Communication (January 1988, p.28) provides contemporaneous documentation of the driver.
The driver's apparent lineage is the interesting part. Two separate forum discussions describe the G135A-8 as a clone of, or designed to be similar to, the JBL 2220, the professional 12-inch driver. That fits the heavy-duty build. Owners note serious Xmax, a very large magnet and a large-diameter voice coil, all signs of a driver meant for real output. One owner on The Art of Sound forum described them as quite efficient, very good at reproducing bass, and detailed, and said they sound good on the end of a good amplifier.
Beyond that, the picture gets murkier. The G135A-8 has been described both as a general-purpose woofer and as a car audio subwoofer, and at least one source suggests it was offered as a replacement or rebuild driver. One forum user claimed NOS examples sell for under $100 each, while a refurbished single unit has been listed at $195 and a used pair at $399-$650 depending on the venue. Production years, original price, T/S parameters, and any factory OEM usage remain undocumented.
- Type: 12″ woofer
- Impedance: 8 ohms
- Power handling: 75W nominal / 150W max
- Sensitivity: 94 dB
- Voice coil: 4″
- Weight: 11.8 kg
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