# Radio Speaker of Canada Limited (RSC), vs Marsland (vs ink stamp 'Jensen')



## Frustrated Bassist (Apr 5, 2016)

Here's the skinny on RSC and Marsland speakers (and Canadian made Jensens). This is a subject that has way too much incorrect information posted online and very little in the way of accurate information, both general and in regards to specific speakers. Most of the information available online is incorrect, including most of the ads for these speakers where the speaker doesn't have a label. Also, many people regurgitating the 'quality' claims about Marsland speakers in specific Traynor, Garnet, Pine, Pepco, etc. combos and cabs are actually talking about RSC's. 

The myth busting first, RSC and Marsland were two different companies. RSC was located in Etobicoke (Toronto). Marsland was located in Waterloo. The companies existed during the same time period, the Marsland name disappearing first, sometime after the company was bought by McBride in the mid or late 1970's. McBride Loudspeaker Source/Q Components is still in business and still in Waterloo. RSC was in business into at least the mid 1980's. New management sank it and a group of former employees founded Arnscott Electronics (still in business), prior to it going under. One thing RSC and Marsland have in common is new ownership/management cost each their customer bases, a drop in quality at Marsland and a drop in customer service at RSC.





Arnscott Electronics Inc. - "The History of Arnscott"


Company Information - Our company's History



www.arnscott.com




Both companies manufactured speakers and both also had home audio speaker cabinet models under their brand names. Marsland also had a line of PA cabinets, under the 'Projector' model name. Marsland did not become RSC, or vice versa. Jensen never owned either company and Marsland never made speakers for Jensen.

Now the meat and potatoes...
Neither Marsland, nor RSC were EIA members and neither ever had EIA manufacturer codes.
RSC and Marsland speakers can be distinguished by the four character code that is found either on the basket mounting flange or on the magnet somewhere. 'DWxx' for RSC, 'DGxx' for Marsland. 
An easy way to tell RSC from Marsland 12" alnicos is the basket, RSC never used horizontal slotted baskets (to the best of my knowledge), Marsland did use them for 12" alnicos, both instrument and home audio speakers.
'12CCR8' or '12CCR8Y' (found ink stamped on some lightweight 12" ceramic magnets), are product codes for an RSC 12", 12w @ 8 ohm speaker. This was the speaker used in pa cabs like the Traynor YSC-2 and a whole lot of early Canadian made dept store pa system cabs. The 'Y' at the end of the one version probably stands for 'Yorkville', as these are the factory speakers in my 1964 YSC-2 columns.
The longer '19-xxx...' ink stamp found on many RSC speakers is an Electrohome part number, '19' is Electrohome's parts code for speakers. If you want to identify the watts/power handling on any '19-xxx...' speaker, just pack a lunch, go to this site and start opening electrohome schematics. You will probably eventually find your speaker part number listed in one, as the schematics include a parts list 
Viking (Eaton's) consoles, radios, etc. that have a '19-xxx...' speaker were manufactured by Electrohome. This would extend to any Canadian made electronics item where the speaker carries that part number code.





Pacific T.V. - Electrohome Online Radio Schematics


Free online schematics for vacuum tube mantel radio, antique radio, radios, technical data, vacuum tubes and sockets for radio, audio and amateur use. Over 1500 types with regular specials



www.pacifictv.ca





'Jensen Canada' - The ink stamp Jensen's found in Electrohome made and other Canadian made console's, radios, etc., were manufactured by RSC to Jensen specs for specific Jensen speaker models. They have an RSC 'DWxx' ink stamp to go with the Jensen ink stamp. Made for the Canadian market under a licensing agreement because import duties at the time made importing them from the US uncompetitive/unprofitable. It would have been nice if they also included a Jensen model number ink stamp but you can determine the Jensen model and/or power handling by the voice coil diameter and magnet size/weight (except the horseshoes usually have end caps on these speakers, so you can't see the magnet). 
The difference between an RSC Jensen and a 'real' Jensen is minimal, mostly the basket, which would affect the output slightly but the RSC/Jensen alnicos are a lot closer to a vintage Jensen alnico than the current Jensen re-issues are. 
RSC and RSC/Jensen alnico console/home audio speakers have half round, blade style speaker wire connectors, not flat tabs, which distinguishes them from 'instrument' speakers. Other than the tabs, the speakers are identical and the console/home audio speakers work just fine for guitar (another myth is that they are not the same and are not cross compatible).
A pair of RSC/Jensen P12Q's with inverted rib, curved seam cones and console/home audio blade style connectors...









A pair of RSC 'P12S' speakers with no Jensen ink stamp. Ironically using the pre-Jensen, Magnavox stamped basket (where Jensen speakers and the P12S originated) 







In the case of the following pair of RSC's, the part number is for the Baldwin Organ Company (the Model 71 'Orga-sonic' used this part number speaker). These were most likely sold as replacement speakers, probably a pair of 12CCR8's with an instrument cone replacing the pa cone, as these cones have ribbing right to the surround and a bit closer to the v/c. Every American speaker manufacturer and their dog made this part number speaker, CTS, Rola, etc..., both for production and also as aftermarket replacement speakers. I doubt Baldwin ever sourced production runs from RSC though.


----------



## Rabbit (Oct 9, 2007)

Thanks so much for this information! I think a lot of these Canadian made speakers are badly underrated . I have some alnico RSC and Marsland speakers that sound very nice and warm.The funny thing about Jensens is that in the early seventies they were regarded as inferior speakers and any one with self respect would replace them with JBL ! ( And of course that is if you could afford them.)


----------



## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Leigh Instruments, a high-tech company that help establish Ottawa-Carleton’s silicon valley—acquired Marsland Engineering in 1969 as part of an aggressive growth strategy. Stan Marsland's son Larry continued as president of Leigh-Marsland Engineering until 1972 for the launch of Marsland Centre Limited. Unfortunately, Leigh could not sustain their growth or cope with managing a large and diversified group of companies. They closed the Waterloo facility in 1983 and went out of business entirely on April 12, 1990. I was working for Leigh, when they went bankrupt and was later called back when Spar Aerospace took over, which ran from September, 1990 until November, 1997, at which time an American company, DRS bought out the Spar division. That’s when I threw in the towel and retired from the industrial work-force…just too damn volatile.


----------



## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Thanks for the concise summary.


----------



## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Brilliant post. A lot of information I did not know. Thanks for this.


----------



## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

Good post, thanks for the info.


----------



## ook ook (Jun 3, 2021)

Thank you for this, I've been trying to find info on RSC speakers for months to identify the speaker that's in my Traynor. It's labelled 12CCR8Y, which you mention means it's 12w, but I don't think that's accurate in my case. This one's also jensen labelled, so my best guess is it's a C12R, 25w ceramic speaker. I guess it could also be a C12Q, 35w but I think the magnet is too small.

Here's the speaker as well, if anyone can confirm or deny my suspicions 









I believe the date/manufacturers code goes something like this:
DW - RSC made 
K7 - November 1967
DWK7 - RSC speaker from November 1967


----------



## Frustrated Bassist (Apr 5, 2016)

Paul Running said:


> Leigh Instruments, a high-tech company that help establish Ottawa-Carleton’s silicon valley—acquired Marsland Engineering in 1969 as part of an aggressive growth strategy. Stan Marsland's son Larry continued as president of Leigh-Marsland Engineering until 1972 for the launch of Marsland Centre Limited. Unfortunately, Leigh could not sustain their growth or cope with managing a large and diversified group of companies. They closed the Waterloo facility in 1983 and went out of business entirely on April 12, 1990. I was working for Leigh, when they went bankrupt and was later called back when Spar Aerospace took over, which ran from September, 1990 until November, 1997, at which time an American company, DRS bought out the Spar division. That’s when I threw in the towel and retired from the industrial work-force…just too damn volatile.


Thanks for filling in more of the history and maybe shattering another myth, lol
Now where McBride fits in is a bit of a mystery. I've seen late 70's 'McBride' ink stamped speakers that have all the features of Marslands. Then there is stuff like this...








MARSLAND SPEAKER 8 OHM 3.5W X-8LS422-23 4'' SQUARE


B&E Electronics Ltd. is a broad line stocking distributor in Canada of elite electronics manufacturers; such as Alpha, Belden, Bussmann, Duracell, Eclipse Tools, Extech, General Cable, Hakko, Hammond, Hellermann Tyton, MG Chemicals, Middle Atlantic, Neutrik, NTE, Platinum Tools, Pico, Signamax...



www.be-electronics.com


----------



## Frustrated Bassist (Apr 5, 2016)

ook ook said:


> Thank you for this, I've been trying to find info on RSC speakers for months to identify the speaker that's in my Traynor. It's labelled 12CCR8Y, which you mention means it's 12w, but I don't think that's accurate in my case. This one's also jensen labelled, so my best guess is it's a C12R, 25w ceramic speaker. I guess it could also be a C12Q, 35w but I think the magnet is too small.
> 
> Here's the speaker as well, if anyone can confirm or deny my suspicions
> View attachment 384020
> ...


I have also suspected that the last two characters might be a date code, for both companies. What amp or cabinet is that speaker in?


----------



## ook ook (Jun 3, 2021)

Frustrated Bassist said:


> I have also suspected that the last two characters might be a date code, for both companies. What amp or cabinet is that speaker in?


It's in a YGM-1 Guitar Mate. My amp seems to be a transitional circuit that has many aspects of the YGM-3 amps but still holds on to aspects of the early YGM-1 amps. I think the first YGM-3s show up in late 1968 or early 1969 so my best guess is this one's from early '68 although it could be late '67. I'm cautious about cranking the thing because I suspect the speaker is 25 watts and I don't want to blow it up. I've been looking at changing the speaker out but I'm so indecisive that I've been putting off choosing a speaker for around 3 months now.

The pots are dated the 39th week of '67 (last week of September) and I'm pretty sure the speaker's from November '67 so it's just a matter of when they got around to using up stock


----------

