jdlanctot

Excellent, I'll call you this evening between 7:00-7:30ET if that works for you.

Yes, they are available. I haven't been very aggressive in trying to sell them; I'm sure you can understand why. Let me know if interested.

Thanks Tim, As anyone would, I considered buying a bigger house to put them in. Jim

That's great to know! Let me know if you'd like to connect over coffee sometime. Jim

Hi James, I tried following some leads a while back but wasn't able to find out. If I get some time I'll take another run at it. Enquiring minds want to know. Jim

Hi All, **This is a re-post from January with several updates. I have an MCM 4-way system with a noteworthy background and in very nice condition that’s looking for a new home. This set was originally built in August, 1984 and used as the house “mains” in the 1180-seat Performance Hall at Lincoln Center (pictured) in Fort Collins, CO – a premier concert venue that played host to literally dozens of national/international musicians and Broadway shows while this system was in service (I have a fairly good list of artists and play dates drawn from local archives and the historical society). These speakers have carried the voices and music of many names you’d recognize, including Willie Nelson (1999), Nickel Creek (2006), Tracy Chapman (1995), Michael McDonald (1994), Ray Charles (2002), Manhattan Transfer (1992, 2009), Charlie Daniels (1986), The Beach Boys (2000), Wynton Marsalis (1992, 2008), B.B. King (2003), The Indigo Girls (2010), Ricky Lee Jones (2009), and Lyle Lovett (2007), to name just a few. Hank Williams’ daughter Jett played there (1993) in a unique appearance with a rendition of Hank’s Drifting Cowboys Band. The system was removed from Lincoln Center as part of a major renovation to the building in 2010, in which the architecture and acoustics of the Performance Hall were significantly updated. They made their way into the hands of a local church where they were used as part of a portable system for a period of time, taking a number of dings and scratches along the way. I purchased them at the end of 2013 from a gentleman in nearby Loveland who was using them as part of his home theater system and was preparing to move to a smaller residence. Over the last two-plus years, I’ve spent time giving them a refresh. In addition to the cabinet bumps and bruises, one of the K-43s was missing, one of the K-55s was inoperable (no obvious reason why), and several modifications had been made for portable use – Neutrik Speak-On connectors were added to the input panels, some of the fuses were bypassed, and the MWM input panels were recessed so they’re flush with the surface of the cabinets. I’ve taken care of the driver & other electrical issues and the system sounds absolutely amazing. There’s no evidence it has ever been pushed to its limits. I turned it up in a 50 x 80 foot room with a 9-foot ceiling (200W/channel Soundcraft amp), and it actually started snowing tiny pieces of ceiling tile all across the room. I’ve also spent significant hours on the cabinets, replacing/updating hardware, fixing the more significant cosmetic issues, and painting them with Duratex paint from Acrytech (3 coats on the exterior surfaces). Having worked with Klipsch MCMs professionally in the past and having also spent some time rubbing elbows with engineers at the Klipsch facilities shortly before these were built, I couldn't pass up this project. I’m now looking to find them a new home since I don’t have the space for them at my place. Here’s the low-down on the system components: 2 – double MWM subs, each with 2 Klipsch K-43 15-inch drivers 2 – MSSM low mids, each with a single K-41 10-inch driver 2 – MSM high mids, each with 4 K-55-M compression drivers 2 – MTM tweeters, each with 5 piezo drivers 2 – MMTM tweeters that were added to the system later, I believe in the early 90s based on serial numbers, each with 4 K-77-M drivers (nice bonus!) 2 – M-4-B passive crossovers. One has a City of Fort Collins asset tag on it. Each section pair is sequentially numbered, and about half of them still have their inspection tags. Keep in mind I don't see this as a touring system - no handles or trim to make them roadworthy. Permanent installation in a 500-1500 seat venue, home theater, or some other non-travelling use is going to be ideal (although I suppose some of you more clever folks could retrofit them). Some additional notes in the interest of transparency: As stated above, during the time this set was part of a portable system it sustained a number of dents and scratches. While great care was taken and quality materials were used in the refinishing work, there are still some imperfections in the finish. However, the original finish was not as durable as the new, and the cabinets likely took some dings & scratches in their original installation and subsequent removal. Overall appearance is almost certainly much better now than when they left the Performance Hall. Other cosmetic defects of note: 1. Klipsch logo plates on the MWMs and MTMs have some scratches (pictured). I checked with Klipsch and they no longer stock the plates, so I left them as-is. 2. The logos on the MSM horns took some dings that a previous owner touched up with less than perfect results (pictured). Not being an expert with fiberglass, I left them as I found them. It doesn't really detract from the overall appearance. Weight and Transportation Those familiar with MCMs know they’re a bear to move. Larger sections move quite easily on furniture dollies, which I'll include if desired, but they have no handles so lifting must be done with care and forethought (and several sets of hands). That said, transporting them from Colorado myself when I bought them turned out to be easier than I anticipated. I’ve checked into transport via freight door-to-door, which seems to run an average of about $1.50 per mile. I'm open to exploring that option with the buyer, and would pack & pallet for no extra charge. I have several avenues to sell them but want to start with the Klipsch Community first. Given their present condition and where they came from I'm asking $4500 w/pickup in Minneapolis, but I’m open to discussion. As for myself, I’m a Klipsch enthusiast dating back to 1978 when I heard my first pair of La Scalas. Since I was doing some freelance sound work and my budget was tight back then, I picked up a pair of Industrial Heresy’s (HI-BG) for use in small venues and got raves. In 1982 I went to work for a local company that sold the Klipsch Professional line, and I had the privilege of spending some time at the Klipsch facility in 1983, including visits to the Paul Klipsch home (any others of you know about Paul's train set? He gave me a demo - funny story.). I upgraded to La Scalas that year (still have them), and I never get tired of their magnificent sound. Thanks everyone! Jim

Hi gang, I've finally finished work on my MCMs and they're ready to go to a new home. We had a couple deaths in the family shortly after my last post and everything that followed sidetracked my progress this year, but the work is now complete. Please take a look at my original post and the attached pictures for more detail. In a previous post I mentioned getting new name plates for them, but the company I had connected with could not produce them. The current plates have some scratches but they don't look bad. Also, the logos on the fronts of the MSMs took some dings that a previous owner touched up with less than perfect results. Not being an expert with fiberglass, I left them as I found them. It doesn't really detract from the overall appearance. Otherwise, this set looks and sounds great. Keep in mind I don't see this as a touring system - no handles or trim to make them roadworthy. Permanent installation in a 500-1500 seat venue, home theater, or some other non-travelling use is going to be ideal (although I suppose some of you more clever folks could retrofit them). I have several avenues to sell them but want to start with the Klipsch Community first. Given their present condition and where they came from, I'm asking $4500 w/pickup in Minneapolis. If I don't have a buyer lined up in the next week or so, I'll expand my search to other avenues. Thanks everyone! Jim

Hi friends, Okay, I was finally able to get some pictures so you can see the set. The MMTMs are missing from the photo shoot because we found cracks in the flanges on two of the horns, so I have a friend doing the repairs now. Note that these are BBs, no trim, no handles. They're generally a pain to move, but not too bad with furniture dollies. Here's a pic that shows what a previous owner did to the MWMs to make them more portable. The input panel has been recessed into the surface by about 1/4". You'll also notice a SpeakOn connector was added to the panel - something that was done on all the panels. Here are a couple close-ups so you can see a little better what the finish looks like. And finally, a shot of the faceplate from one of the crossovers with a Fort Collins asset tag that authenticates the set. We had fun test driving these babies today in an 800-seat room. They are super sweet! Jim

Sounds like your restoration project was a lot more involved than mine. Quite a few driver issues, and I imagine restoring a set with glass and trim would take much more time. Did you have to replace corners and edges, and where would you even get parts like that now? I think the MCMs are like classic muscle cars. They've still got what it takes, but you find you want to treat them with TLC. I'll bet you drew a crowd of admirers when yours showed up in Indy. As for components, fortunately I've not had to do very much. The networks are in great shape, all the drivers except 2 checked out fine (one missing K-43 and one open K-55, both addressed with genuine replacements). There was a bit of shenanigans in some of the input panels with bypassed fuse holders, but otherwise pretty clean. I've tried to leave everything as close to original as possible. I've been dealing with a lot of scheduling conflicts so I haven't been able to get the system together for pictures yet, but will be doing so before the end of the month and will post them right away.

No interest? He just posted yesterday! (jest poking at you, my friend ) +++ Welcome to the forum Jim, excellent write-up. I do think a lot of people find the history of a piece interesting. If you can, you might also post some pics. Thanks, much appreciated! I really like the community atmosphere here. Researching the history was a lot of work, doing everything remotely from MN, but certainly was gratifying. I've not seen or heard of another set with a similar story, although there must be a few out there somewhere. I'll likely have the whole system together again in the next couple weeks, and will post pics as soon as I take them. Best, Jim

Near Loveland, CO was the closest thing I could find from Post No.1. All the activity and sales were in CO. Hi guys, I picked them up in Loveland and brought them all the way to Minnesota. I'm in the Twin Cities metro. It was a nice trip. :-) Best, JIm

That's a great question - I did extensive research through the local historical society (full Lincoln Center archives) and the local library (newspapers and other local publications) that gave me artists and play dates, along with some details of the renovation and names of the people in charge, but I haven't taken time yet to contact them directly. It's something I plan to do, and I'll definitely ask that question. Best, JIm

Thanks, great to be here. I've actually been roaming around in here for some time. Now I have something to talk about. :-) Thanks also for the $2K reference point. Seems reasonable. Best, Jim

Hello Klipsch Community! I have a Klipsch MCM 1900 4-way system that will be looking for a new home and it has a very interesting history. I have updated with a new post located here since there are several updates.