CaptnBob Posted April 5, 2002 Share Posted April 5, 2002 On page 119 of the Klipsch biography by Maureen Barrett and Michael Klementovitch, Mr. Klipsch is quoted saying "The original Cornwall used a slot in the back like the Rebel for the bass reflex port." So I guess they're out there somewhere. Thanks for the information, Capt'n Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted April 5, 2002 Share Posted April 5, 2002 I don't have a book, yet. fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted April 12, 2002 Author Share Posted April 12, 2002 Ahhhhhh! I just got my new 15's form Klipsch and two new x-overs from the Cornwall II's today, I'll toss em in tomorrow and let you guys know how it went! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted April 23, 2002 Author Share Posted April 23, 2002 BLAMMM!!! This is how these should sound! OK, these are the biggest book shelfs in the world and their great. Wonderfull bass and I Dynomatted the horns and upgraded to Monster wireing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 23, 2002 Share Posted April 23, 2002 Griff, Good deal there...you are gonna have a big time now with those old Cornwalls!! Just thought I'd throw in my two-cents worth here on the old Cornwalls. When I was building them, 77-83, sometimes the foreman would come over and tell me to grab one of the router "forms" in the corner covered with dust and rout out a front or two for an "obsolete" Cornwall that I was gonna have to build up. Every now and then I would even have to rout out a back that had ports in it...there were two "forms" for rear ports in that corner. Well, once the other parts were sawn out and ready to build-up, he would come over and be my assistant in building them up, since he was just about the only one left in the cabinet shop who had ever built them when they were originally offered. This way he could explain the different way it went together than the standard one being built at the time, and I also got to learn how to do it so that he didn't have to come over the next time, but I could instead use my regular helper, if needed. I am not exactly sure how many different versions were built prior to 1976. But I do know that there were at least two different versions with front firing ports and "vertical horns", and two versions with no front firing port, but instead had rear firing ports...one had vertical horns in front, the other had horizontal firing horns. There was also at least one other model that I never got a chance to build, because we DID have an old router form for a different design for rear firing ports that was never used while I was there. I guess the major point to remember here is that we DID have all these old steel plate router forms that were seldom if ever used, BUT...these forms would never have been made if there hadn't at one time been a decent amount of the particular design of the parts needed...or at least a very serious intent to manufacture the designs in large numbers. It is just too costly to fabricate those forms for "one-off" experimental cabinets. I can also remember Ronnie coming over one day and telling me not to route out the ports on two of the cornwall fronts, just the tweeter, midrange, and woofer holes...and to keep those two fronts separate for a special pair of cornwalls. He grabbed up those two fronts and disappeared for awhile. When he got back, there was a pair of round ports about 3+" in diameter on either side of the fronts with the top tangent edges of the port openings on a horizontal line just above the top tangent edge of the woofer hole. He came over later carrying four heavy cardboard tubes about 6" long, and four 3/4" thick plywood rings with the same interior diameter as the outer diameter of the tubes and we picked out some sides, tops, and bottoms, and started to build up the cabinets. The rings were glue blocks that went inside the cabinet to secure the tubes to the holes in the front. There was a shelf baffle mounted OVER the woofer and these tubes...and it was kinda "L" shaped...mounted horizontally across the inside of the cabinet with the other part of the "L" running angled slightly toward the rear and downward...BUT, it wasn't fastened in at that point, just fitted to ensure that its supporting glue blocks were fastened in correctly...Ronnie told me that they had to install the woofer first before the shelf was put in...it was easier that way. the shelf was to be secured to the glue blocks with wood screws, and had narrow weather stripping on the edges that would contact the glue blocks...he said that was so it "wouldn't squeak" when it was cranked up...LOL! I don't know if these birch cornwalls were a design that had been previously built or just one of many experimental cabinets we built over the years....but they WERE unique in my experience in building Cornwalls over almost 7 years. I never built any more like them...but I DO know some more were built with round ports while I was there...I just never built any of them...I was too busy building Heresys those days that they were assembled. I hope this helps some in the discussion about different Cornwall designs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardre Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 So HDBRbuilder......just curious.....when custom/one of a kind/special request units are made, are they serial numbered? Any special numbering or stamp convention? What about the units that the employees make for themselves? Are these s/n'd? ------------------ Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 Edwardre, As for whether the special request models were serial-numbered...of course they were! I sincerely believe that these "special orders" were primarily intended to mate with a SINGLE Cornwall that had been purchased years earlier, and the current owner wanted a perfectly matching mate to it for stereo use. As for the ones purchased by the employees, yes they were serial numbered, and normally the folks in final assembly knew way ahead of time that the employee would be ordering a pair of speakers...(generally the purchasing employee "put the word out" through the plant ahead of time, even sometimes picking who would be the builder, sander, painter, final assembler, etc.)...and of course in the cabinet dept. we expected the purchaser to come over and pick out his/her wood, too. By the time the speakers made it to final assembly, the folks there would have "left-open" a pair of serial numbers in the series that (in the case of speakers not exactly being stock configuration) MOST CLOSELY aligned with a model designation being manufactured. Generally these serial numbers were either ending in "99" and "00" or in "00" and "01". But by no means does this mean that EVERY speaker with those digits at the end of its serial number were ones built for an employee purchase. Does this give the answers your were looking for? BTW...included is a very lousy pic of one of my heresys to give you an idea of what a "custom-built for-an-employee" decorator heresy might look like...sorry about the quality of the pic...i did it with my cheapo puter minicam. This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-24-2002 at 04:11 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardre Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 Thanks! Yes, that answers my questions for the era you were there and presumably after. However, what about in the early 50's? Would you have any insight? Reason I ask is because I have a pair of early 50's Khorns, custom made, with scant a marking on them other than on the first one there is the faint outline of 'KA' stamped into the wood of the bass bin. All components are stock for that era....Stephens Trusonic 103LX woofer, University SAHF mid driver, University Mid T/4401 tweeter. K500-5000 network. The components as well as the bass bin have labels 'tested and approved by PWK' as well as 'tested and approved by Klipsch and Associates'. They resemble the 'traditional' Khorn, but are strikingly different as well. Also have the original pamphlets that came with one of them. Someone once told me that they thought they were 'KA's, a precursor to the KB's that are still pretty much the style still, but the brocure does not elude to a 'KA', only KB's, C's and I believe D's. Been trying to run down the origin for awhile now and I figure you're the best bet I have so far! Thanks. ------------------ Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 edwardre, Yes, there WAS a "KA" model way back during that era...and if I was a betting man, I would say that is what you have...but I am not THE authority. Either way, I have had the opportunity to see a "KA" before. When I was working there, serious attempts were just starting to be made to try and buy back some of the earlier speakers for the museum that was already a "work in progress"...word had been put out to the dealers on what was being looked for in case trade-ins showed up. On occassion one of the early ones would be returned to the plant for a repair or upgrade, and a deal would be struck-up with the owner to trade it for a new one (or pair) so that it could be kept at Hope and eventually become a museum piece...or end up in one of the "honchos'" collections. That is how I saw one...it had come in and some minor repairs were being made to it...it was definitely a "KA" model...but I cannot for the life of me give you details as to the differences in looks...it may help if I saw pics of yours. Once, we got in one of the very early k-horns made...it looked like it was only gonna be good for firewood to me...until they put me to helping to try and salvage it one day...Boy, you should have seen this piece of junk!!!!...it looked like it had been exposed to weather for 20 years...all the plys in the pine plywood had almost totally separated on it...but...inside where the pyramid was it looked surprisingly good..and it had a Jenson Coax woofer in it!!!!!pretty cool!!!!Ya gotta love them ole big woofers with them horns in the middle of em!!!!...Anyway, after alot of work with alot of different people tryin to figure out how to salvage it...it was done...it still looked like hell, but not nearly as bad as it did when it arrived...at least it was solid again and the deterioration had been halted and wouldn't get any worse...LOL!...I wonder if it is in the museum now?...Maybe I need to hop on the ole airhead beemer and run to Hope in a few days and badger somebody into lettin me do a tour....Hmmmmmmmm Here's a thought for ya...if you holler at one of these administrator guys on here...and ask em real nice to show a pic of yer horns to Jim Hunter, he outta be able to tell em what ya have for sure...he and his wife are kinda antique freaks to start with and he is a BIGTIME antique speaker freak...he started working there just after I did...but I know for sure he is as busy as a one-legged man in a butt-kickin contest right now...but you can give it a try This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 04-24-2002 at 07:37 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardre Posted April 25, 2002 Share Posted April 25, 2002 HDBR, thanks for taking the time once again to respond. While I'll be the first one to admit that throughout my 'ownership' period of these speakers, I have had bouts with 'lack of care and upkeep', sonically, they are as good as the first time I heard them. That would be close to 40 years ago as they were my father's, graciously passed on to me. The first musical sounds I heard as a baby were through these very speakers and I am still listening to them nightly. Again, visually, I would not say that they are a perfect "10", but think they have held their looks fairly well for 50 year olds! Probably not fodder for the woodstove just yet. Here's a pic that I'm sure the rest of the members are tired of seeing by now! Sorry for the crappy pic quality. http://216.37.9.58/ubb/uploads/edwardre/AUT_0729.JPG From the little bits and scaps of info I've been privy to, the 'KA' was suppose to be slightly narrower than the current build. This would certainly bear out as these are 2 inches narrower than a 'modern' Khorn. I guess in the final analysis, it doesn't really matter much anyway other than being a point of curiosity. I know now that NEVER, ever will I part with these except to pass them on to one of my kids. In the past 15-odd years that I've owned these, I've fell on hard times on occasion. I've sold just about everything I've owned, but just couldn't do it to my Khorns. Rather eat Bisquick for weeks on end than list them. Would tell you the story that I've been told by the old man as to their history, but I think the other members would ban me for life for 'story repeatus ad nasea'! Thanks for giving a look. ------------------ Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted April 26, 2002 Author Share Posted April 26, 2002 I knew these were rare speakers when I found them but I never kneew how much people want these. I have had more offers to buy them then I know what to do with! Anyway I just got a pair of Heresey II's in light oak. These are gonna make great center speakers!!! Cornwalls front and rear, two Heresy II's for the center and two RSW-15's..... its perferct!! Any opinions on the new Heritage line being released May 15??? New driver manufacturer in all the speakers from now on.K-horn, Bell,La Scala ,Heresey II's all to be re-introduced at the new price points[ higher, by allot}. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 26, 2002 Share Posted April 26, 2002 Griff, I am happy to see the Heritage line re-introduced, since they are my personal favorites...BUT..there IS one thing that concerns me on what they are posting as "materials"...MDF!!! No matter how you look at it, the Heritage series is the foundation the company was built on. They were excellent speakers then ...and they still are!!!! Heresy: It is heresy for one who is a proponent of FULLY-HORN-LOADED speakers to build one that isn't. Cornwall: You can put in the CORNer or along a WALL. LaScala: Supposedly named for the LaScala Opera House, but is also the folded horn model that can be put along a wall instead of just in the corner(La Scala is also Italian for "the wall") Belle Klipsch: Named after PWK's late first wife. Klipschorn: Can't get more obvious than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted April 26, 2002 Author Share Posted April 26, 2002 I have the new kinda secret list of prices and color combos, or lack there-of for the new line. Bye Bye to cane grills, only lacquer topcoat finishes except raw birch, oils are gone...STILL NO CORNWALLS!!!! I'd love to see that come back. Rumor of new Acadamy to match woods???? In late 2002.Also the mystery of the Jubalie finally making it to shelfs may happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundbug1 Posted April 28, 2002 Share Posted April 28, 2002 Griff, I live in Providence RI too and have a trove of cool vintage speakers and tube gear. I work on tube stereo equipment and speakers and sell a lot on Ebay as well as buy stuff around the area. Wondering if I have met you or already know you. Perhaps you would like to stop by sometime and see whats here. Mark 272-8561 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted May 2, 2002 Author Share Posted May 2, 2002 Do you own a shop in the area? There aren't many HI-FI stores around here to speak of really. I'd love to check out your place and talk HI-FI to some one local here, and I'm looking for a nice tube to run my Cornwalls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 This is the old Cornwall II in its correct configuration. Note the riser location and the horns that are correctly "horizontal". I remember these from old brochures. John This message has been edited by John Albright on 05-02-2002 at 04:50 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Uh, actually this speaker was designed to be used horizontally OR vertically. My '64 Cornwalls have a factory sticker on the back with the word "UP" and an arrow pointing in BOTH directions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShapeShifter Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Yea, my 71 II's have the same sticker on the rear indicating "UP", so the horns and woofer will be correctly oriented when the speakers are placed horizontally or vertically. ------------------ "KLIPSCH IS MUSIC"f> This message has been edited by ShapeShifter on 05-02-2002 at 06:51 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Mark, nice to see you on the board. Almost bought that pair of CW II's that you had for sale in 6/2001. Bought a subsequent pair in Boston privately but never forgot that great audition. BTW, what were you using for that nice SET amp? In the market for a nice amp like that. Hope you're well. Got a good customer base on-line here should you wish to do a "private" sale! ------------------ "Bullsh*t!" -PWK- --------------------- TWO-CHANNEL SYSTEM Eico HF-81 Eico HFT-90 AES AE-25 "Superamp" (in temporary retirement) AES AE-3 Pre-amp (in temporary retirement) New Tube 4000 CD Player 1976 Klipschorns (KCBR's & ALK'ed) HOME THEATER Klipsch 1968 ALK Cornwall "II"s (LF/RF) ALK Belle Klipsch (Center) Klipsch Heresy (RR/LR) Klipsch KSW-12 sub Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Cornwalls) Sonic Frontiers Anthem AMP1 (driving Heresy's) Denon AVR-4800 Toshiba SD-3109 DVD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted May 3, 2002 Author Share Posted May 3, 2002 WOW!!!! That pic above is my EXACT pair of speakers!!! Wood color and grill!!! It's nice to see another pair. Now thats a bookshelf speaker!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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