Professor Thump

I took my son David to the target range yesterday. We like to go out there and improve our shooting form once in a while. David has been wanting a pistol so I said we would go to the gun store afterwards and look at the latest options. Andy W had recommended a store in Plainfield so I went there. They had reasonable prices and lots of customers. We looked at a S&W revolver for my wife and the 9mm's for myself and my son to share on our birthdays. The S&W was available for $350 but I didn't like the single action trigger pull. If I was in combat maybe this is fine but for target shooting it would be difficult with the 8 lb pull. My guess. I tried the Ruger P9 ? which felt bulky but managable but I wanted a conceal piece. I found a used XD-9 Sub Compact which we negotiated to $379. I have debated between this model and the standard size but decided I would allow the shorter barrel for conceal advantages. The dual size mag is a big plus also. I agreed on a price and we called ATF for clearance. I couldn't believe it only took 2 minutes to get approved! The store has their number on speed dial. There were 4 guns purchased in the half hour while I was there. They say the sell 43 guns / day on average. This is possibly the busiest store in Indiana, but Don's may have him beat due to location in Indy. I can't believe the rush on guns right now. Ammo was short also as you may know. Where will this end? Will manufacturers step up production or be stomped on by Uncle Sam? All I know is that we have a new birthday present and a compact symble of freedom for my family on this 4th of July. Happy 4th... I am going shooting.

Nice pictures Sputnik... I am jealous. I lived in Bozeman for a while a long time ago, but have never been back since. It doesn't get much better than there for things to do outdoors.

These are terrible but pardigm shifting times for all and Klipsch is no different. I have never seen economy in such poor condition in my almost 50 years. We have lost a lot in this country and at Klipsch. It reminds me of the anology to the Jack Pine Tree. I know by this time you may be saying that Professor Thump is really going off the deep end and not just "over the hill", but bare with me. ) The Jack Pine Tree needs certain conditions to regenerate, apocalyptic proportions to multiply. The cones will not open until the temperature reaches 50 degrees C. Thus a forest fire is the only way for the Jack Pine to repopulate. The point I am trying to make is that there is opportunity in most any difficult situation, opportunity for human growth and opportunity for companies to rebirth into new ways of doing business. Headphones are a prime example of opportunities that Klipsch is making to morph into new categories of business. Right now we have multiple models of headphones coming out that we think are going to take the world by storm. Mark my words. We are on the cusp of something big. Time will tell as to whether I a right, but we now have headphones at all pricepoints, from the ultra affordable to the exotic. But this isn't a thread about headphones this is a thread about opportunities. Many of our competitor are struggling to stay alive in this economy. We wish everyone well, but this is survival of the fitest. The law of the jungle. Well I will ignore the banking systems and US carmakers since the gov't is taking them over, but other than this the world transforms due to natural selection. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. JBL for example is a standard of the industry, but they are struggling due to their automotive segment which was the big growth area. Pro audio for anyone is a flat growth business. There isn't much to grow on when the demand is somewhat static. This make the current status even worse. There is no growth in most business and Pro is even worse. So for Klipsch to go pro again tomorrow is doubtful. We must focus on instant turnover of cash to keep the banks happy. This doesn't mean that we aren't going to experiment though. Our website direct sales could be a growth area for us. This would allow us to put more models on the website for sale that are not offered by dealers. Promedia is a prime example. Last year we did a large volume of sales for Promedia but we didn't make any money because the dealers needed their cut. There was nothing left for Klipsch. We didn't want to devalue the product to make profit because this wasn't fair to the customer, so we are going to sell it direct only and keep the quality and performance at a level that our competition won't meet. So if the Jack Pine can populate in the firestorm so can Klipsch. It will be interesting to see where this all takes us 5 years from now. More to come...

I didn't state that to take away from the product, but if I was new to the forum I would much rather see the term "Pro" instead of something that associates with the thing I avoid when watching TV. Thanks for digital recorders! I like you idea of "Industrial" That is a great concept in general and a good definition for a lot of our designs. We are still striving to give our customers the best value for their money....Thanks for being a part of that!

Now that the forum is reorganized in the Pro section, please post backstage passes and concert posters in the section...yes you get it... the BACKSTAGE PASS section. http://community.klipsch.com/forums/104.aspx

BSP is where these PA rigs should be posted. I hope you post some.

Premier Collector #12: Vintage Grails & Boutique Beauties Name: Scott Bradoka Years played: 30+ Home turf: Lehigh Valley, PA Current/former bands: I’ve been treading water in a sea of obscurity for the past 15 years under my own name. Website: ScottBradoka.com First guitar: My first ‘real’ guitar was a borrowed Martin acoustic from my cousin. When that went back, I got a Phoenix Electra Strat style electric. Favorite guitar: I currently own 120+ guitars, many of which are featured in my new hardcover book, My Collection. My main guitar is my 1956 Les Paul. It has been with me on every gig since 2001. It’s well worn, but feels like home. Favorite amp: My 1963 Vox AC30 is my go-to amp, though I used a Suhr Badger and Zinky pretty much on the new tracks of my latest 2CD/DVD release, Everything. Favorite effect: A touch of delay. Live I use a Line 6 Echo Pro. Favorite strings: 10-46 Favorite cable: Monster cable Other gear in my stash: I have a huge collection of guitars and amps. As stated above, over 120 guitars and currently over 25 amps. I have a number of old Gibson amps from the 1950s, a few Vox AC30s from the 1960s, a killer 1968 50 watt Marshall, along with some great new amps like a Zinky, Suhr and 65 Amps SoHo. My guitar collection focuses on 1950s and 1960s Fender, Gibson, and Gretsch guitars, though I do have some recent models plus oddball pieces. Give us the back story on an item in your gear stash that you’ve sent a photo of: The black 1958 Fender Stratocaster was purchased from Eric Johnson. Eric originally purchased it in 1976 and it was stolen from him in 1982. In a Guitar Player interview he stated it was the best Strat he had ever owned. He eventually got the guitar back in 2006. I purchased it from him in Nov ’08. Out of the 15-20 Strats I own, it is definitely THE one. Share a gear or gig story with Premier Guitar readers: One of the coolest moments I have had was when we were opening dates for Jeff Beck in Germany back in ’06. The first date was Berlin. We were playing this old castle… full-on wall around it with a moat. The dressing room setup was a large area just partitioned off by velvet curtains. While I was sitting in my area changing strings, Jeff Beck was right on the other side of the curtain practicing for much of the afternoon. It was a pretty surreal afternoon for me. What’s your philosophy on tone? It really is in the hands. For better or worse, after a few minutes with a guitar and amp, it’s going to sound like me. Of course certain gear will enhance the sound or inspire better performance, but it will still be a variation of ‘your’ tone. Scott's Collection can be seen at: http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2009/Jun/Premier_Collector_12_Vintage_Grails_Boutique_Beauties.aspx

This is another beautiful collection with some real thought to the value and collecting in pairs. Nice job Robby Z! Name: Robby Z Years played: 40 Home turf: SF Bay Area Current/former bands: Shane Dwight Band ( Have also played with Marshall Tucker Band, Brad Gillis of NightRanger, Coco Montoya and many others) Website: RobbyZ.com First guitar: 1966 Sears Silvertone9 Favorite guitar: 1966 Fender Stratocaster, also Fender (John Cruz) Masterbuilt Strat Favorite amp: 1967 Fender Pro Reverb Favorite effect: Original Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer Favorite strings: Ernie Ball Favorite cable: Monster What’s your philosophy on tone? Do everything you can to find the exact tone you crave. And that tone might -- and should -- vary from song to song. "I have collected tons of guitars over the years and currently own over 300 vintage guitars -- everything from fifties Strats and Teles, to 1959 Sparkle Top Goyas, to forties and fifties Gibson archtops. My main love at this time are sixties Custom Color Jaguars and Jazzmasters." '65 Jaguar and '64 Jazzmaster, both Sea Foam Green and in pristine condition "I purchased both of these guitars basically from the original owners, and both have pictures of the original owners playing them 40-some years ago and recently. I love guitars that you know the entire history of...especially Sea Foam Green ones." '54, '55, '56 and '57 Stratocasters - 100% original and in pristine condition "I love these Strats -- especially because I paid so little for them 20 or more years ago." '64 Fiesta Red Jaguar, '65 Fiesta Red Jazzmaster and '62 Fiesta Red Stratocaster Some really cool vintage guitars I keep hanging on display A whole bunch of Gibsons hanging on my wall (mostly hollowbody and archtops) from the fifties and sixties Performing live. Robbie on far left, Shane Dwight on far right "After a few years of playing at the Winter NAMM show in Los Angeles for the Fender Custom Shop, John Cruz came to me and said “Hey, why don’t you let me make you a guitar?” John had just been promoted to Master Builder for Fender. So he and I sat down and agreed on the specs (basically a black Strat with gold hardware, green guard, sixties pickups) and about six months later he sent it to me. It was beautiful. He even surprised me by putting abalone inlay on the 12 fret saying Robby Z. On the back of the headstock it says “Custom Built for Robby Z,” along with John’s Masterbuilt stamp. The guitar was so awesome I didn’t want to play it at gigs, but a year later John saw me performing in LA with my ’66 Strat and said “Hey, where’s my guitar?” So from that day on I use it at almost every show." http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Sep/Premier_Collector_8_Vintage_Strats_and_Custom_Colors.aspx

Collectors show off their gear for Premier Guitar Magazine. This is a great set of axes and amps, some of which are quite vintage. The question I always have is how will an original vintage investment compare to a "re-issue" which in many cases is in much better condition. In 20 years will you care? From L to R: '62 Gibson Les Paul SG (Historic Shop re-issue), Fender MIM '50 Classic Stratocaster re-issue, '59 Gibson Les Paul flame -top (Historic Shop re-issue), 2001 Fender American Standard Telecaster, 1977 Gibson Les Paul Standard (my "touring guitar"). From L to R: Custom-built '63 hardtail Strat, Custom-built '65 hardtail Strat, CIJ '65 Strat re-issue (modded), MIM Classic '50s re-issue Strat (modded), Custom-built Jeff Beck Strat clone. "After years of dissatisfaction with off-the-rack Stratocasters I decided to assemble my own, using parts combinations not generally seen with regular Fender production guitars. Some pieces came from Mexico while others hail from Japan. Stage situations dictated a change to noiseless pickups, thus all are equipped with either DiMarzio Virtual Vintage or Fender SCNs with S-1 switching. The trem-equipped guitarsall feature steel blocks for maximum sustain and tuning stability while the hardware is of the vintage-style variety. Ash bodies with the traditional S/S/S routing were selected for their sonic properties, mated to vintage-spec necks. I liken the Fender Strat to the ’69 Chevy Camaro – easy to build, easy to hot-rod, and a joy to drive." Custom-modded Fender Deluxe Reverb re-issue: hot-rodded chassis, larger blonde/wheatstraw furniture, 15-inch JBL D-130F speaker. Custom cabinetry by John Hinsdale, aka "The Cab Guy." I call this amp my "Spankmaster Reverb." "A late '67 Fender 'drip edge' Bandmaster: dead-stock, matched set, one-owner (I'm the second)." Who needs a singer, anyways? "Some years back on the eve of an important audition for a house band gig, our lead singer found himself jailed on a drunk and disorderly charge. The night before his arrest our mixing board had crashed and burned during rehearsal. What to do – pay the bail or buy a new PA? We opted for the new board re-arranged our demo set that afternoon and – to our collective surprise – got the job. Our front man never forgave us and went on to a lucrative solo career in the food service industry." "My 'Fillmore' rig: a 1978 vintage Fender Twin Reverb with factory 'orange basket' JBL D-120F speakers, with a '65 re-issue version (also equipped with JBLs). Both amps poised on a pair of vintage Fender Bandmaster cabs for the ultimate in festival/outdoor stage projection." "The porch weasel from hell: Fender Stage 100 DSP with matching DT112 extension cab. Not quite as toneful as a Fender with vacuum tubes, but this little critter is capable of causing seismic events and eats Crate half-stacks for lunch!" http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Sep/Premier_Collector_6_Custom_Built_Strats_and_Fender_Tube_Amps.aspxhttp://www.premierguitar.com/Stream/StreamImage.aspx?Image_ID=9BADDEE7-515D-4839-98EA-55C30E1F116D&Image_Type=image'>

Getting the Axe: Guitar Collecting Can Rock Your Investment Portfolio Email Written by drbob on Sep-30-08 12:12am From: bestguitaronline.com Chief Executive, The, Nov, 2005 by Mac Randall Anyone who’s ever heard a Jimi Hendrix solo knows that guitars can produce fantastic sounds, and anyone who’s ever ogled the curves of a Fender Stratocaster will tell you they’re mighty stylish as well. But the instrument’s appeal goes well beyond its visual or sonic charm, its practicality or even its ties to musical history–it can also be a highly prized collectible. Certain vintage models are often regarded as investments, much like antique chairs or Impressionist paintings. Perhaps this is why so many people who start out with a youthful passion for playing end up happy victims of what Walter Becker of the rock band Steely Dan once drolly referred to as “GAS: Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.” Look among the ranks of those who’ve caught this particular bug, and you’ll find a surprising number of chief executives, most of whom aren’t professional musicians but all of whom grew up with rock music and are now helping to drive the vintage market upwards. Take Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, for example; his collection includes the white 1968 Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock in August 1969. Bought from an Italian disk jockey for $1.3 million, that guitar is now the centerpiece of the Allen-funded Experience Music Project, a Seattle rock ‘n’ roll museum and historical foundation that opened in 2000. Allen may be America’s best-known executive guitar collector, but there are lots more. Frank De Fina, president of Panasonic Systems Solutions Company of America, conservatively estimates that his collection is “in the dozens.” Its highlights include a 1939 Martin D-18 acoustic and three electric models lusted after by collectors worldwide: a 1953 Fender Esquire, a 1956 Fender Stratocaster and a 1959 Gibson Les Paul. With such a large number of treasures on hand, storage became an issue. So a few years back, De Fina bought a bank vault to house his collection. “Bank vaults are more readily available than many kinds of vintage guitars,” he quips, “and they’re a lot cheaper, too.” Tom Simons, president and creative director of Partners & Simons, a Boston marketing firm, doesn’t have as extensive a collection as De Fina, and regards himself as “a guitar accumulator” rather than a collector. Still, the dozen instruments that he’s accumulated would probably strike most people as extravagant. One of them, a Danelectro Bellzouki electric 12-string from the mid-’60s, is described by its owner as “not playable but fun to look at.” Comments like this, by the way, are a sure sign that GAS has taken hold. Henry Juszkiewicz’s early interest in playing and collecting guitars was so strong that he ended up buying a guitar company; since 1986, he’s been the CEO of Gibson, makers of the legendary Les Paul, among many others. His collection now numbers “around 40,” mainly Gibson prototypes, including two models designed by country great Chet Atkins. Juszkiewicz confesses that he owns guitars besides Gibsons–”I can’t be a one-brand guy,” he admits–but in deference to his position, he won’t reveal what they are. Diamonds in the Rough Why has guitar collecting become such a popular pursuit for these and so many other chief executives? Most just love the instrument, for the way it looks, sounds and feels. Many also love it for what it represents: their youth. “There’s a little bit of the outlaw in the electric guitar,” marketer Simons says. “What’s more, CEOs are the business world’s version of rock stars, and a climate-controlled closet humidor full of vintage instruments is a link back to a time when they were able to practice the occasional bad behaviors without repercussions. Those guitars are reminders of when the good times really rolled.” Of course, there are other, perhaps more shrewd, reasons. “Look at a guitar that sells for $12,000,” says Gibson’s Juszkiewicz, “then look at a diamond that sells for the same amount of money. It’s this little stone. There’s no craftsmanship, there’s no history, and it does nothing. There are a lot of diamonds being sold out there, and yet I would posit that the guitar is of more legitimate value. The reality is that in our marketplace, the investment quality of instruments is pretty phenomenal.” He’s not joking. In the last few years, the prices of vintage guitars have skyrocketed. The most extreme case is that of the Gibson Cherry Sunburst Les Paul. Approximately 1,700 of these guitars were made between 1958 and 1960 before the line was discontinued due to lack of popularity. Their original list price was under $300; as recently as five years ago, you could find one for $45,000. Today, they’re selling for $250,000. And Stan Jay, president of leading vintage guitar dealer Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island, N.Y., wagers that a mint-condition “Burst” could fetch $300,000 before this year is over. Other high-ticket items are Martin acoustic guitars made before World War II and so-called “pre-CBS” Fender electric guitars, made before CBS bought the company in 1965. “The rate of appreciation for those models in the last year has been the fastest I’ve ever seen.” says George Gruhn, owner of Gruhn Guitars in Nashville, author of Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, and generally acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost guitar authorities. “Some of them have jumped as much as 75 percent.” And though Gruhn is as shocked as anyone by these price hikes, he doubts that the bubble will burst in any lasting way: “I haven’t seen any guitars drop in value and never get back, and I’ve been doing this for 42 years.” If you don’t quite have the bucks for a vintage Martin, Gibson or Fender but still would like to get into guitars as an investment, rest assured that there are many other options. Both Jay and Gruhn note that the market for archtop semi-acoustic guitars, principally used by jazz players, is significantly undervalued at the moment: D’Angelico, D’Aquisto and Stromberg are the most highly respected brands in this area.

http://www.marketfolly.com/2008/11/guitar-hedge-fund.html Interesting article on a guitar hedge fund from 2008...30% ROI? The author shouldn't be so surprised...

So this is a chart that shows the value of a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard from 1977 - 2007. The value has gone from $2000 to $250,000. If you were lucky enough to have found one in this period and smart enough to have bought it you are a wise and noble collector. This is stellar compared to the numerous investors who have bought into General Motors stock. In 2008 you would have said that this was a blue chip standard that was safer than gold.

This is the money shot for me... literally.

Sister guitars from sister years. PRS Custom on the left is a 1987 vintage with a T and B set of pickups and a flamie Maple top. The guitar on the right is a PRS Standard from 1986, which was the second year of production for this guitar. This is a solid Mahogany body. Both include the "sweet switch". Which do you think is worth more? Time will tell...

Trey as you now know, you have lots of brothers and sisters to lean on. The good news is it gets better from here. Stay strong bro!

Once you have heard 7.1 you will not want to go back. That is my opinion. That doesn't mean I don't like 2 channel audio also but DTS True HD is better than I would have expected. I am also not a big fan of expensive cables or bi-wiring. I do think bi-amp with an active crossover can be an improvement though. Put your money in better speakers first. You will hear the difference, even with 16 AWG zipcord wire.

I am starting to like this thread, but my fishing buddies aren't quite so lumpy.

MMmmmm..... I am hungry!

The term "pole" or "order" can be used interchangebly. This represents a 6 dB shift in the slope per octave and a 90 degree shift in phase. It is easier to understand with pictures but the end result is that if the phase of both drivers in the cabinet are not similar the acoustic wave will not sum. Michael is correct in looking at the phase by changing the polarity of the woofer. You also have to be careful with some drivers like JBL which uses reverse polarity for their notation. So the problems you may have now is at least three fold. 1. Drivers are 90 degrees out of phase. Eitherway you flip you are out 90 degrees. This is why you need a 3 rd order or 3 poles on the HF. 2. Values are incorrect on the crossover. If the values of the caps and inductors don't match the Klipsch schematic the crossover won't work exactly right. 3. Driver frequency response is incorrect. If this doesn't match the crossover you have more problems. Any or all of the previous conditions are likely to have occured. But hey, that is half the fun! The pursuit of fixing a forelorn speaker.

Hi Moe with the Camaro, Welcome to the family of wacko's who are really wacky for horns and SPL. This would also include this wakco, Professor T. The R-82's would be your best bet for clarity of sound. It will work well with you current speaker arrangement. We have had pretty good luck for the value buyers with Onkyo so you should be okay here also. I don't recommend that you bi-wire or bi-amp the fronts because the extra two channels are going to be busy powering the additional rear two speakers you will be buying after you get a Blue-Ray player which gives you 7.1. You can never have too many woofers. You are much better off having at least two subs to improve on standing waves in the room. Of course Professor Thump would never say "you have too many woofers" jeese... Have fun with your new toys.

You are correct...Kerry King or KFK as he says! For your problem...If you are using Safari this would explain your issues with formating text. Safari is my favorite but it doesn't work well with this Forum. I would try Firefox if you don't want to use MS IE Explorer.

NAMM 2007 was when this was displayed. The Who did play with similar AC 30's I believe but Marshall was one of Pete's main rigs.

Goodmans speakers must have been used early on with the VOX before Celestion took over.

more vintage Vox

This is a T60...