Appleskinner

Here is a view of the innards...

Here is a picture of the front of my "new" '76 Cornwalls. I removed the backs and they contain a Type B network with a K-77 tweeter, K-55V mid, and K-33E woofer. I am assuming this is the typical configuration for Cornwall Is. As far as I know these have never been opened, as I purchased them from the original owner who bought these back when he was working on the construction of the Alaska pipeline. I did notice that one of the K-77 tweeters is not working. I hooked it up to a Fluke meter and it is completely dead. Would anyone happen to have a spare round magnet tweeter of similar vintage they would be willing to part with? Maybe one of these days I will upgrade the tweeters, but for now, I would just like to have an original that works. Any help would be greatly appreciated. ~Gary

After a long hard search, I have finally gotten my Cornwalls. I haven't had a chance to pop open the cabs, but the SNs are 9P261 and 9P264. Can anyone give an idea of the year on these and/or proper crossover driver components? The stain job leaves something to be desired and they've got some minor battle scars, but they will make a good winter project. Unfortunately, one of the grill cloths is pretty torn up as well. I will post pictures once I talk my wife into helping me haul these out of the car. :| The plan is to wire these up to my MC250 until I stumble upon a Scott 299 and find out what all the fuss is about tubes and Cornwalls.

The left channel on my Sansui 9090db receiver just went tango uniform. Repair shops charge an arm and a leg up here. Does anyone have a suggestion of what the cause may be? The wattage meter still moves, but no sound comes out of the left regardless of A/B/C speaker selector position. I am hoping this is an easy fix. Thank you in advance for any suggestions. ~Gary

I recently picked up a pair of Belles and am considering selling my MC 2205 and downsizing to the MC 250 or MC 2105 amplifier. Does anyone know what the going rate is for a pristine 2205? I have an opportunity for a $1000 local sale, but I want to make sure I'm not getting hosed. I am also looking at selling off my mint Mac C26, C28 and C29 preamp collection for a Placette Audio Volume control. Does anyone have experience with this unit in a Mac/Klipsch Heritage system? Any advice would be much appreciated.

I recently acquired a pair of KG4s and noticed one of the negative black terminal nuts is missing. Is anyone aware if this is something that can be easily replaced? I attempted to remove one of the others and was unable to completely unscrew the nut, so I'm not sure how the other one could have disappeared. Is this a standard part that can be acquired at a local electronics store or am I limited to banana connections on these speakers? Thank you in advance for any advice. Gary

Tom, I would definitely want eyes on the equipment before making any offers...all of the broken gear in the owner's possession raises suspicion in itself. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> I've got a MC2205, MC2105 and MC250 and find the 2105 to be a very nice sounding amp...very similar to the tube-like sound of the MC 250. The 2105 also comes from the same model years as the C26 and has similar styling. If the cosmetics are good, I think $375-$400 is fair considering it will probably take $200 to get the amp back to spec. I've got the C26/MC2105 combo and it is a match made in Heaven. I don't think you would have any regrets. Good luck! Gary

Whether you are into jazz OR blues guitar, Kenny Burrell's "Midnight Blue" is a must own. Look for the RVG edition.

I had to chime in on this thread. The Last Waltz version of "The Weight" with the Staples Singers has got to be the absolute best version I've heard (Aretha/Duane Allman version included). I had an opportunity to see Mavis Staples in concert a few months back and she included this song and acknowledged the members of The Band and how honored she was to contribute to this show. This song alone is worth the price of admission. I recommend buying the DVD before any of the CD sets, as it can be had for around 10 bucks.

I've always been under the impression that the C 28 was one of McIntosh's better vintage preamps. I actually have a pristine C 26 that I wanted to replace with the C 28 based on the more "balanced" appearance and reputation of the C 28. Can someone set me straight? Would I be gaining anything over the C 26? I appreciate the advice on the MC 50...I never thought of this as one of the "classic" Mac units since it lacks the meters. How would this compare with the sound of the MC 2105 (besides the wattage difference)? I've had the 2205 and the 2105 and thought the 2105 had more of what is often referred to as the tubelike Mac sound. I'm currently running a pair of Belles and Heresys. Would the 250 give me any improvement over the 2105...comparable to tubes? Neither of these pieces have been serviced since the Mac clinic days, so will definitely be dropped off at the shop before being put into service.

I've got an opportunity to pick up some vintage Mac gear (C 28 preamp and MC 250 amplifier) and was wondering if anyone could tell me what a fair price is. Everything appears to be in decent condition, but the asking price seems a little steep. I've checked around on Ebay and can't seem to find much consistency in what there pieces are going for. The only piece really I want is the C 28, but the seller won't separate the set. From what I've seen the MC 250 hasn't held its value as much as some of the other amps...nor is it as "pretty". I am interested in hearing your opinions about these models and what a fair price would be. The guy is asking $700, but I think that is a bit high considering they will probably need to be run through the shop for a tuneup Thank you in advance for any advice. Gary

The speakers are local and I am locked in if I want them. I have been on the hunt for a pair of LaScalas with very little luck...the waiting appears to have finally paid off. Can anyone confirm the years based on the SN? Also, are there any recommended tweaks for the Belles? I don't see a lot of discussion on the Belles compared to the other models.

I have an opportunity to pick up a pair of Klipsch Belles in dark walnut with black grills. They include the original boxes and are in pristine condition. Any idea what these are worth? They have consecutive serial #s 8739799 & 8739800 (I'm assuming they are 87s). Is $1000 a fair price?

I agree with the dislike for the cardboard cases. Two of the worst I've seen in recent years are Springsteen's 2-CD Seeger sessions and Neil Young's recent archival releases. The disks are impossible to get out without touching the disk surface and the disks themselves always have defects right out of the packaging from being in direct contact with the paper. If the record companies insist on paper, they should at least include the plastic spindle on the inside to protect the disk. I can only assume the intent is to show the artist's earth-friendly approach to the CD manufacturing process. As much as I like leaving my disks in the original cases, I usually take the CDs from cardboard packaging and place them into a CD binder--anything is better than putting them back into the cardboard case.

I live in Alaska, hence the limited options in procuring a set of La Scalas. There are no Heritage dealers up here and what is available is often from military folks such as myself who picked them up overseas back when Klipsch were carried by the exchanges. Unfortunately, both pairs available to me are finished in black. My ideal pair would be raw birch with grills, but La Scalas with grills seem to be a rare find as well. Were these only available during a specific time period of were the grills considered an upgrade that few people opted for?

Do any of you have experience with completely stripping/refinishing La Scalas? How large of a project is it? I am looking at possibly buying one of the below pairs and would like to strip them to the raw birch. The most challenging part appears to be the recessed lower bass horn area. Does anyone have any experience or recommendations? Also, I would like some opinions on the asking prices. #1 -- Early 90s pair that originally came in black. Exterior of cabs were stripped to raw birch, but internal portion of lower cabs with exception of protruding bass horn were kept black. Cabs are in overall good condition. Original stickers and emblems are intact. (Asking $1300) #2 -- Early 90s pair that were purchased in raw birch and immediately sprayed in high-gloss black enamel paint. Cabs are in good condition, but I would have to strip them, as the high gloss isn't very appealing. Also, the stickers & emblems were removed. (Asking $900) Thank you in advance for any advice. Gary

All good choices! You certainly should get your fill of Buddy Guy (he plays on all 3 of the disks you picked up). If you want to get electric Chicago blues, check out Hound Dog Taylor "Deluxe Edition" or self-titled disk AND Homesick James "Blues on the Southside". The slide guitar on both of these is absolutely awesome...even if the vocals get a little slurred at times. This is some really great/fun blues music.

I certainly can't argue with the logic of starting out with a variety/sampler and expanding your blues collection from there. A more economical choice to the HOB Shoebox of Blues is to buy some of those disks individually. I've got most of them and would recommend the below 5 for a good sampling of blues. All of them are double disks and cover most every style of blues. If there is one "must own" blues CD, it is Muddy Waters' Folk Singer. It cannot be beat for audio quality and emotion. Muddy's Folk Singer is to blues what Miles' "Kind of Blue" is to jazz. HOB Essential Blues HOB Essential Blues 2 HOB Essental Blues 3 HOB Essential Chicago Blues (probably the best of the collection) HOB Essential Guitar Blues I would also recommend the 4-disk collection "Mean Old World: The Blues from 1940 to 1994" put out by Smithsonian. It is out of print, but can be picked up for around $24 used on Amazon. This covers about the same ground as the HOB sets and comes with an informative book that talks about the artists themselves. Great stuff!

Jacob, I've got an enormous blues collection and have provided a list of what I believe to be the ultimate top 10 blues CDs. They are all good, but I've listed them in order of importance. Be careful! Once you get started on the blues, it's hard to stop. If you get past these and want more suggestions, let me know. 1. Muddy Waters- The Chess Box (pricey but well worth it) 2. Muddy Waters - Folk Singer (absolute classic acoustic Chicago blues) 3. Hound Dog Tayor & The Houserockers (incredible slide guitar) 4. Homesick James - Blues on the Southside (wild Chicago slide guitar blues) 5. Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues (another classic) 6. John Lee Hooker - The Ultimate Collection (Don't settle for just any JH compilation...a cheaper alternative is the new "Definitive Collection") 7. Lightnin Hopkins - The Blues Anthology (get the Master Classics version) 8. T-Bone Walker - T-Bone Blues (awesome electric jazz blues) 9. Earl Hooker - Simply the Best (excellent Chicago blues) 10. Otis Spann - Good Morning Mr. Blues (the only blues piano CD you need to own)

Hello, I've got a pair of what appear to be 84 Heresy 1s--unfinished cabs with the K-22-K, K-53K, K-77 driver compliment and E-2 crossover network. They are far from collector's items, as the serial #s aren't even close, but they were supposedly purchased new as a pair and the innards and cabinets are all matching. My question to the forum is does anyone know where I can locate a K-22-K woofer? One of the woofer magnets broke during a military move and I would like to find a direct replacement. I know I can purchase one through Klipsch parts, but would prefer an exact match if possible. If not, I will probably be forced to buy a pair of matching replacements from Klipsch. Any help would be very much appreciated. Gary