JoeRiff

I scored a sweat deal locally about 10 years ago with an all tube 62' Fender Deluxe (original, not remake). The only problem was a bad power capacitor that was a cheap fix. It's a little rough cosmetically, but I've never heard tone like that before or since. I swapped out the Rat Shack speaker the previous owner had in it for a Ted Weber AlNiCo(the best vintage replacement IMO) and I haven't looked back since.

I called and the automated menu says they are open untill 5 PM on Sat, but it sounds like they want you to have an appointment to visit. The best part about the menu is: "press 8 for an audio emergency"

Anyone per chance know what their store hours are tomorrow? The website doesn't say. I'm going down in the evening for a concert, but I would be more than willing to leave a few hours early if seeing these beauties in person was my reward.

Nice find. I'm going to be in the metro Detroit area Saturday. I may have to stop in and check these out if I can find the place and they're still open.

Too bad this wasn't posted a couple weeks ago. I certainly would have bought them for my basement system. I've since gotten hooked up with a set of Forte II's out of Flint courtesy of our good friend Michael Colter.

I bought my pair of Walnut (originally lacquer) Belles for $1200 and they needed to be completely refinished. $1000 for a pair in pristine condition is a steal. Buy now!!

LMAO! Good eye, I didn't notice those. Favorite quote: "I sold my Klipschorns 1 1/2 years ago for $1,000 on Ebay because they could not measure up to the sound and performance of these custom-made speakers"

I second the comment on looking for a house with the proper corners (I'm sure your wife will understand[]). When my dad bought his last house, one of the primary things he was looking for was Klipschorn corners.

Michael, My dad told me about your gracious offer and I would like to thank you. Bill, if you change his mind for any reason, I will take them. Otherwise, I will continue to keep my eyes peeled. This is by no means a heartbreaker for me. I'm looking locally for some used direct radiating floorstanders that will hit the low notes (looking at Cornwalls and Fortes right now) for a 2-way system in my basement, but it's not a "gotta have it now" proposition by any means. I have my Belles to keep me happy in the meantime.

I sniped for $727 at the end. I don't really need them per se, but they were 1/2 hour from work and 45 min from my house and I figured what the hell? Glad to see another forum member got them. You're going to have to take another group photo soon.

Let me start off by saying that I do not profess to be a jazz expert by any means. However, if you like Saxophone, you can't leave out Roland Kirk. Several of his records are very accessible to music fans that may not be huge jazz fans. We free Kings, The Inflated Tear, and Blacknuss (contains several Soul/Motown covers) are all a good bet. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

vandyman, You might also want to keep an eye on these. They are Forte I's in Walnut and appear to be pretty well cared for. They also seem to be running low on price for the moment. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=270101288835&rd=1&rd=1

You said it there. The reserve is already met at $149. I was going to stop down and listen to them, but they close before I'd be able to get there after work. They also said you have to bring your own source and wiring if you want to listen to them.

Sweet, these are a very short drive for me. From my limited experience on bidding on Klipsch speakers, the Michigan locals tend to bid them up hours and even days before the auction ends. Some people just don't get it I guess. Hopefully these will fly under their radar.

Nope, they were I's, and I didn't win them. [:'(] They ended while I was at work and my esnipe wasn't high enough. A guy from Texas who happened to be in the area ended up getting them. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=010&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=200086481473&rd=1&rd=1 Still glad I got the Yamaha set-up though.

I ended up purchasing the pre amp, power amp, and tuner for a little less than I was expecting. I got everything hooked up last night and the set-up absolutely SMOKES. Very clean and very strong. I gave it the juice it to see what it could do, and the Belles were at ear bleeding volume running at about 60 watts. The amp still had pleanty more to give, but I didn't want to push anything and I figured that was enough hearing damage for a while. Of course, it also sounds great at low to moderate volumes. It runs Class A power up to 25 watts continuous, 124 db s/n ratio, and .002% THD. Even if you don't know a lot about engineering like me, you can tell it was very well built and weighs 30 lbs. It also gives off very little heat. If anyone you know is looking for a hell of a vintage solid state set-up for a great price, the Yamaha M series should be seriously considered. The owner is also going to be putting his Nakamichi ZX-7 on ebay. I demo'd it, and I've never heard a cassette play so cleanly. If you're seroiusly interested in tape decks, it would be a good buy.

Are you sure you couldn't do it yourself? Refinishing can be a lot of work and messy, but it's not extremely difficult. It sounds like you're not looking to do anything too serious like replacing the veneer. The main thing is to do your research first and select the correct products for the job. I would suggest starting with a high quality stripper (one that doesn't leave streaks). After cleaning up with thinner and allowing ample drying time, I would block sand (by hand) starting with 220 grit and working your way up in grit to get rid of the scratches. The veneer Klipsch uses is thicker than you'd imagine, but don't go too deep. I would then finish with a Teak Oil (I like Watco). You'll have them looking like new before you know it. The nicest thing about Corwalls and Heresys is they are a box shape and easy to work on. Refinishing Belles and Khorns is a lot more work because you have a lot of disasemly and individual pieces to work on (and the grilles don't pop off with Velcro).

The seller hasn't given an asking price yet. What to you guys think a fair offer would be? I was thinking maybe $350 for the amp/pre amp and maybe $450 for all four pieces? I don't really listen to the radio much and I already have an OK turntable, but I don't see any reason to break up the matched set. I don't want to overpay, but I don't want the guy to think I'm trying to shaft him either. He also says he is selling a Nakamichi ZX-7 cassette deck (a VERY nice unit), DBX subharmonic synthesizer, ADC equalizer, Kenwood timer (not sure what that is), Techniques space dimension amplifier (echo, reverb, etc.), and a custom cabinet that he designed and a furnature maker built out of Oak ply wood on casters with smoked glass windows, hand carved wooden handles, CD and tape drawers as well as a full bottom shelf for albums. He said whatever doesn't sell locally will end up on Ebay. I don't think I have an interest for any of these, but if anyone here is interested in any of the above, just let me know. I'll take my digital camera with me and give you the low-down.

Thanks for the input guys. From the info I found on-line, it certainly looked like a quality amp, probably much better than the Sony I'm running right now. From what I've found, it runs Class A up to 25 watts continuous and then auto switches to Class AB. I couldn't find a S/N ratio, I found one guy claiming .003% THD. It looks like they go anywhere from $170 - $300 used, which sounds like a pretty good deal. I counldn't find anything on the Yamaha site, but it looks like somebody just did. Thanks! The seller also has a matching T-70 tuner and belt-drive turntable that he bought as a set. I'm driving out there tomorrow afternoon to check out the whole set-up, it looks like he's about 45 min away. I might end up with Cornwalls and an entire system (which I don't really need), but this tax refund money won't burn itself. Plus it's all somewhat local, and you can't beat that.

Anybody have any experience with these? A somewhat local (less than an hour drive) guy is selling a pair of 1984 Corwall I's as well as a Yamaha M-70 power amp and C-70 control amp. The Cornwalls probably need to be re-finished, but no serious damage to the veneer. Although I have no practical use for the Cornwalls (I already have a set of Belles) I'm going to try and buy them anyways. (You guys are right, it can become an addiction) I figured I'll need another amp to drive them, so I may as well pick up the amp/pre as well if they're a good match. I've done an internet search on the M-70 and from what little I've found, it seems to get pretty good reviews. I looked in the forum search and didn't find much. Anyone have any opinions or what a fair price might be for the set? He also has a matching tuner and belt drive turntable which I may/may not want.

I've been playing guitar since the 8th grade. You can argue Tubes vs. Solid State all day in stereo amps, but in guitar amps TUBES ALWAYS WIN!!!

For that price, the thing should come with a Hammond B-3 to go with it and maybe a few Jack McDuff records for good measure.

If you want to know about stacking Khorns in your living room, ask this guy: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/2/713535/ShowThread.aspx And don't forget to hang a pair of La Scala's on the wall for your center channel!

Wow, you're good Bob. I didn't realize it was that long ago. I guess I had put up with the buzzing for long enough and I finally did something about it. I was pretty nervous stabbing around under there with a putty knife. My dad said there was nothing to worry about though. Do you think the silicone glue is a good choice or would you recommend something else?

I had been experiencing an annoying resonance/vibration from one of the K-55M drivers on my Belles. The problem seemed to be coming from the back of the driver. If you put your hand on the black plastic cap, the vibration disappeared. A few months ago, a person from Klipsch suggested that I pry it off and re-glue it as it was likely that the glue had given up.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Last night, I finally worked up the nerve to unscrew the driver and pry off the back cap with a putty knife. After working it over, the cap finally popped off. It looks like it was once glued around the edges and was also glued in the center where there are some pieces that go down into a hole in the driver. The glue around the edges looks like it gave out years ago, although the glue in the center seemed to be holding pretty well sill. Now, it's time to fix my problem. I played some of the music that made the driver resonate the most without the cap on, and the problem is gone. I also put the cap back on without gluing, and still no rattle. There seems to be a high volume of sound coming out of the hole in the back of the magnet structure(very interesting, not sure what purpose the hole serves but it sure explains the rattling) I noticed there is a cotton "doughnut" in the center of the cap. Should this be replaced or is it ok to reuse? It looks like it is in good shape still. What type of glue should I use? I was thinking about using some Dow silicone Silastic as it remains flexible and wouldn't be impossible to remove if the need arises. I was going to re-glue it in the center on the plastic pieces around the "doughnut" and then put a bead around the edges. Any suggestions?