question about cornerhorns

[David Gencay]

I wonder from start to finish including every little detail how long it takes to complete a set of cornerhorns total hours involved in the process.Also does anyone have or know from the beginning 60 years ago the price list each year the cost of a set of cornerhorns from beginning to presentfor the basic pair not including custom orders?

[DrWho]

That sounds like a good pilgrimage question. Do you consider the time for paint to dry as part of the assembly time?

[garyeanderson]

This doesn't answer the question but this topic gives you some idea ofthe build time for a Klipschorn cabinet to be assembled.

http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/p/35200/309969.aspx#309969

the following post is by HDBRbuilder who built a few (many) heresy speakers in his day at Klipsch.

"Re: how many hours to build Heritage Sun, Jan 11 2004 2:40 PM

Sorry, guys...I had no idea this thread was aimed at me...I just now opened it! The answer to this question is not so easy....but I can cover it within its parameters. Klipschorn: This speaker's cabinet assembly takes one man, with occassional help, about a day and a half or so to assemble, providing everything runs smoothly. Keep in mind that all parts are already cut and , if need be, routed; and that certain sub-assemblies (such as the upper and lower "wing" assemblies) are already completed before the builder begins the process. Belle Klipsch: The assembly of this cabinet was almost exclusively done by the builder, including any sub-assemblies. Lots of alignment markings and such involved, including a good number of glue block installations not necessary for the LaScala build. With parts assembled and ready for a builder, it took about a day and a half or so for a builder to do ONE when I worked there. LaScala: A really good builder COULD build about five of these a day, IF everything ran smoothly...this includes building up three doghouse sub-assemblies in the last hour and a half, or so, of the day for the next day's production...average number built was more like 3-1/2 a day. Cornwall, mitered models: A good builder with a helper(normally used on these) could build one cabinet in about ten minutes...this does not include preparation time. Seldom did it take an entire day to build up the mitered Cornwalls required for a week's worth of orders when I worked there, though. Cornwalls, birch models, flush-front decorator: One builder could build one of these in about 10-12 minutes...providing everything was prepped and ran smoothly. Normally a builder and a helper were used, though Cornwalls, birch, drop-in front decorator models: Builder and helper normally used...about one cabinet every 7-8 minutes or so, if everything ran smoothly and not including prep-time, etc. Heresys, mitered, chain w/clamp build: Normally one builder used. Everything running smoothly and not including prep time, about 7-10 minutes each. Heresys, mitered, pneumatic assembly jig: Normally one builder used, about 5-6 minutes each, not including prep time and provided everything went smoothly. Heresys, birch decorator, flush front style cabinet: normally one builder used. Provided everything ran smoothly, about one every 3-5 minutes, not including prep time. Heresy, birch decorator, drop-in front style cabinet: One builder, about one every 3-5 minutes, provided everything went smoothly and not including prep time...Often the builder had a helper to install the rear glue blocks, caulk them up, and then install the drop-in front. When Heritage speakers were the only home speakers Klipsch made, the Heresy was the bread and butter speaker, profit-wise...especially the decorator versions! The Klipschorn made Klipsch famous, but the Heresy, with its ease of assembly, low cabinet material costs, and HUGE numbers of sales, etc...made the company GROW! Not bragging, but I normally built at least 200 birch Heresys in a full day...SOLO!...and quite often built far more than that. With a good helper, that number regularly exceeded 400 in a day! I often thought that one of the reasons I remained primarily a Heresy and Cornwall builder was because it may have been difficult to replace me, and move me over to K-horns or whatever as my regular duties...it was imperative that the numbers of Heresys needed were built as inexpensively as possible, since it was by far the major seller of the line and its profit-margin was needed to help the company continue to grow and expand. Because I was comfortable doing it as my regular duty, I never griped that I was not very often getting to build K-horns, etc. One advantage of my area being where it was in the cabinet shop was that I got to build a good number of the MCM systems...the MWM was kinda hard on the knees at times, but the rest of the system was a no-brainer to build! Whenever I got so many cabinets built that they became severely backlogged at the entry to the sanding room, I was normally pulled to do sub-assemblies for K-horns, help with the sawing of parts, do the routing for all the speakers, or whatever was needed...I kinda enjoyed the variety of that....a variety that the other builders seldom got a break to perform! BTW...there was NO SUCH THING as a "designer" model speaker...they were DECORATOR models!...IOW...buy em in raw birch, and DECORATE them with paint, stain, veneer, whatever...any way you want em to be! I have NO IDEA where some of the BB folks got "designer" from!"

As far as prices go this may help

There are price lists in various topics and you need to do a search for them. A good start would be to search for "price list"

http://forums.klipsch.com/search/SearchResults.aspx?q=%22price+list%22&o=Relevance

[Islander]

On reading that, it seems obvious why the Belle was discontinued. If it took a day and a half to build one Belle, while five La Scalas could be built in the same time, the La Scala II, even with its Belle-grade finish, would be far more economical to produce, while sounding and looking as good as a Belle, or nearly so.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, the La Scala II has a lot more in common with a Belle than with an original La Scala, since it's now 2-piece, and unlike the old "utility finish" models, I don't think it has any exposed nail holes. Accordingly, you'd think an LS II would take a lot longer to build than an original LS.

Does anyone know the build time for a La Scala II?

[russ69]

from start to finish including every little detail how long it takes to complete a set of cornerhorns total hours involved in the process.

Lets try this from a different angle. Most of the Klipschorn is made in the USA, I'll assume. I'll also assume American labor costs are about the same no matter what state a part is made in (give or take). You also have material costs but in some sense the materials cost about what the labor cost is to acquire the raw material so we are back to an hourly figure. Are you with me?

I'm winging it here so let's also assume a 25% profit and an hourly rate of 50 bucks. So the list price of a Khorn is 4000 bucks and that leaves us with 3000 bucks divided by 50 bucks an hour and that makes a total of 60 hours to make everything that goes into one Khorn. This is a number that even Klipsch wouldn't have because the hours to build is different if you are including purchased component hourly costs.

Does that sound about right? What do you think? (remember that number is to make everything, not just assemble the parts).

[Islander]

I'll also assume American labor costs are about the same no matter what state a part is made in (give or take).

I don't think that's a valid assumption. Labour-intensive products tend to be built in the states with the lowest wages, keeping in mind that the available workforce must be sufficiently educated/trainable to do the job.

[Axz Hout]

I 

[DrWho]

I'll also assume American labor costs are about the same no matter what state a part is made in (give or take).

I don't think that's a valid assumption. Labour-intensive products tend to be built in the states with the lowest wages, keeping in mind that the available workforce must be sufficiently educated/trainable to do the job.

I think the labor rates quoted are on the low side since usually you've got all the overhead of the building rolled into that apparent cost as well. Also, it might take one day for the entire process, but that doesn't mean you only spit out one per day. Klipsch could probably turn 100 units in two days based on how they batch orders.

[russ69]

I think the labor rates quoted are on the low side since usually you've got all the overhead of the building rolled into that apparent cost as well. Also, it might take one day for the entire process, but that doesn't mean you only spit out one per day. Klipsch could probably turn 100 units in two days based on how they batch orders.

My company billed me at over 100 bucks an hour but our shop labor was a bit less. Remember I'm using sort of an average labor cost and the total cost of producing everything to make my calculation. If we assume 1000 bucks in purchased materials we get 40 hours for assembly (and all overhead to support the assembly (payroll, management, expendables, insurance, etc.) . Somebody at Klipsch would have the real number, if they have a good labor system to track unit costs. Fun stuff.