Blu Azure Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 I have a pair of the original KG1s in oak oil that I bought in the early '90s. I've always been intrigued by their styling as they share the same wood and badge/ grill styling as the Heritage series. I wanted to compare specs (drivers, etc) with the later models but realized that the KG1 has no spec sheet...the Klipsch page is pretty much blank. Web searches turn up nothing. What the history on it…does it share drivers with the KG2 or was it a “one-off” speaker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 KG1 and KG2 were the initial Klipsch foray into the true "bookshelf" speaker market. the "KG" part of the name is for Klipsch/Gillam, since Gary Gillam was heavily involved in this project and design. They were not inexpensive, but for what they were, they were pretty good little speakers. Prior to the introduction of the original 2 models, the smallest thing Klipsch produced was the Heresy, which COULD and WAS used as bookshelf speakers by many purchasers, but which did NOT have a diminutive size normally associated with the bookshelf speaker concept. These original KG series units were two-way speakers, which was a departure from the previous three-way-only Klipsch speaker line at the time. If I remember correctly, we were already shipping the KG2 (the first one to go into production) by the time I left Klipsch in September 1983. If we weren't shipping them, then they were certainly ready for production...because the R&D was already completed by then. I never built anything smaller than the Heresy, myself (except for the MTM boxes, that is! With its companion MWM being the largest thing I ever built!). Klipsch tested anything sent to them for testing back in those days, and numerous manufacturers sent their products (normaly just the drivers, though!) for testing. So, once the testing part was over, the drivers were often up for grabs to employees. So, for example, many employees would build little units housing those drivers for use in cars and such...sometimes for bathroom speakers, whatever...I built a pair of miniaturized Heresy boxes to house a pair of 6x9 Pioneer duocone that had been tested, for one of the gals over in final assembly or shipping, and they were installed in the bathroom, where they sounded pretty good! I also built little boxes for Jensen triax 5x7 drivers that sounded pretty good, and were velcroed to the carpet at the rear corners of a Subaru station wagon of a friend of mine (who later worked for many years in R&D at Klipsch!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudeJ1 Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 Ed Wolfram, from Detroit, designed the crossovers for the KG2 (KG squared), which PWK told me stood for Gary Gillum's initials. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusaDude Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 On 10/06/2016 at 8:11 PM, reiver62 said: I have a pair of the original KG1s in oak oil that I bought in the early '90s. I've always been intrigued by their styling as they share the same wood and badge/ grill styling as the Heritage series. I wanted to compare specs (drivers, etc) with the later models but realized that the KG1 has no spec sheet...the Klipsch page is pretty much blank. Web searches turn up nothing. What the history on it…does it share drivers with the KG2 or was it a “one-off” speaker? When Klipsch redesigned their web page they deleted the spec pages for most of the older models. Many members have complained, but they don't seem interested in fixing the problem. And if you do a search, all you really find out is that the model you're looking for has been "discontinued". There is a web archive that has most of the information and you can find links to the speakers and their specs... https://web.archive.org/web/20120121104208/http://www.klipsch.com/discontinued-speakers https://web.archive.org/web/20111219031918/http://www.klipsch.com/kg-1 https://web.archive.org/web/20120127040245/http://www.klipsch.com/kg-1-plus https://web.archive.org/web/20111127152621/http://www.klipsch.com/kg-2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel's wife Posted October 8, 2016 Moderators Share Posted October 8, 2016 I just wanted to take a minute and thank everyone for jumping in and helping out in this section of the forum. As most of you know, Jim Hunter, Curator for the Klipsch Museum of Audio History will be retiring from Klipsch Group, Inc. at the end of the year. Jim has graciously agreed to continue his lifetime work in preserving the history of PWK after his retirement. He has given the Museum a minimum three year commitment. The Museum recently received its IRS designation as a 501c3 non profit corporation. I can not tell you how much we appreciate all of the input here, and other areas as we diligently work towards our first Board of Trustees meeting to be held shortly. We are so excited to see the interest that this section of the forum has generated. If you do not find the answers you are looking for here, please PM me. I will be happy to forward questions to Jim, as his main focus at this time is to insure a smooth transfer of the Museum building, land, archives and artifacts from Klipsch Group, Inc. over to the Klipsch Heritage Museum Association, Inc. dba Klipsch Museum of Audio History. Thank you all for your continued support of this daunting task! Christy Luquet Secretary Klipsch Heritage Museum Association, Inc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 10 hours ago, GPBusa said: When Klipsch redesigned their web page they deleted the spec pages for most of the older models. Many members have complained, but they don't seem interested in fixing the problem. And if you do a search, all you really find out is that the model you're looking for has been "discontinued". There is a web archive that has most of the information and you can find links to the speakers and their specs... https://web.archive.org/web/20120121104208/http://www.klipsch.com/discontinued-speakers https://web.archive.org/web/20111219031918/http://www.klipsch.com/kg-1 https://web.archive.org/web/20120127040245/http://www.klipsch.com/kg-1-plus https://web.archive.org/web/20111127152621/http://www.klipsch.com/kg-2 This is great info! Yes, it has been a pain in the butt for those who are used to "googling" a klipsch model and able to pull specs directly from the klipsch website. Its nice to be able to find out information on older klipsch models like driver part numbers, frequency response and cross over frequencies etc with just a few clicks of the mouse. I guess had we never had that option before we wouldn't be so upset now that its gone?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 On Friday, October 07, 2016 at 3:12 PM, ClaudeJ1 said: Ed Wolfram, from Detroit, designed the crossovers for the KG2 (KG squared), which PWK told me stood for Gary Gillum's initials. Yes, you are absolutely ON this one! We called them the "Kay Gee Squared" when I was still at the plant! If I remember correctly, they were ALSO the first Klipsch foray into passive radiators that went into regular production. The passive radiator made a world of difference in what could be done with a smaller speaker in the bass end of things, and it evolved into a major change in what went into production over the next decade or so...not just in the initial KG series, but also the Forte, Chorus, etc. As times changed and the "WAF" on large fully-horn-loaded speakers changed with them, the need for smaller "footprint" speakers in order to remain in the consumer market was satisfied. It was a time when consumers were going for apartment/condo living, and moving away from single family homes. So, more portable units, diminutive in size, is what the consumers were looking for. I am sure that this marketing trend eventually got those Klipsch book-shelf consumers, who eventually left the apartment/condo scene and went for family homes, to go for purchasing Klipsch "big old horns" once they had the room for them. Besides, what other major manufacturer of Big Old Horns, was still making any of their classics by the 1990's?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudeJ1 Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 2 hours ago, HDBRbuilder said: Besides, what other major manufacturer of Big Old Horns, was still making any of their classics by the 1990's?? They all fell by the wayside, yes. I heard a JBL Hartsfield with field coils from Classic audio (about 40 minutes from me in Mich.). Even though they were "heavy duty JBL" cabs with the latest driver technology, I was not impressed with the sound. I'll take a Khorn any day. As I recall, Ed Wolfrum didn't like the passive because he had to redo the Xover (I'm sure he got paid), but he was partial to the original version without the passive even though that little sucker had BASS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dBspl Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 On 10/7/2016 at 10:32 AM, HDBRbuilder said: KG1 and KG2 were the initial Klipsch foray into the true "bookshelf" speaker market. the "KG" part of the name is for Klipsch/Gillam, since Gary Gillam was heavily involved in this project and design. This isn't quite right. The KG1 came well after Gary Gillum left the company. Gary introduced the KG2 & KG4 (although the KG4 isn't a bookshelf product). The KG1 was introduced around 1990, and was one of the first products introduced after the sell of the company to Fred Klipsch. Fred's wife Judy was the inspiration for the KG1, and also the architectural products that soon followed. Kerry 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dBspl Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 By the way, nice Dynaco ST-70 in the background of that picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel's wife Posted October 11, 2016 Moderators Share Posted October 11, 2016 23 minutes ago, dBspl said: This isn't quite right. The KG1 came well after Gary Gillum left the company. Gary introduced the KG2 & KG4 (although the KG4 isn't a bookshelf product). The KG1 was introduced around 1990, and was one of the first products introduced after the sell of the company to Fred Klipsch. Fred's wife Judy was the inspiration for the KG1, and also the architectural products that soon followed. Kerry Kerry, @dBspl thank you for your expertise and input! It's very much appreciated! Christy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 3 hours ago, dBspl said: This isn't quite right. The KG1 came well after Gary Gillum left the company. Gary introduced the KG2 & KG4 (although the KG4 isn't a bookshelf product). The KG1 was introduced around 1990, and was one of the first products introduced after the sell of the company to Fred Klipsch. Fred's wife Judy was the inspiration for the KG1, and also the architectural products that soon followed. Kerry I was only working there while the KG prototypes were being developed and when the KG2 went into production. I saw a number of (at the time) un-named KG prototypes in the development stages before I left in September 1983. But, the KG2 was the first real foray into a true bookshelf speaker line, and wasn't the KG1 also a bookshelf speaker? Gillam left as a full-time employee before I did...by more than a few months! I saw prototypes being developed that eventually probably evolved into the Forte and Chorus, also. I don't ever remember the KG4 going into regular production before I left, though. It seemed that there were lots of prototypes utilizing drones in the works the last year or two I was there. We had been making smaller drivers in-house for awhile before I left, using leftover parts (from the previous company which Klipsch got the stuff from) to train up folks to make drivers at Klipsch. The trainee-made drivers were palletized after testing and offered up to the employees at bargain prices...I still have a pair of them in storage. I never built any boxes for the four I bought and eventually, I gave one pair of them to Mike F. who later went to work at Klipsch a few years after I left...and ended up in R&D. Before I left, driver production began in-house, but it was not on the cabinet shop side of the plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRH Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Here is the kg1 spec sheet, as well as our first foray into "subwoofers". The Ed Wolfrum attribution of the kg2 crossover sounds suspect, although Gary and Ed were friends. I'm checking with Gary on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRH Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Ed Wolfrum did not contribute to the kg2 crossover design. However, PWK did "consult" on it with Gary. And Gary did not leave Klipsch until at least 1986 or later. He designed the Forte in 1985/1986. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 10 hours ago, JRH said: Ed Wolfrum did not contribute to the kg2 crossover design. However, PWK did "consult" on it with Gary. And Gary did not leave Klipsch until at least 1986 or later. He designed the Forte in 1985/1986. Jim, was it that Gary was working AT the plant less...and more away from the plant by 1983? Because it just seemed that he wasn't around full-time at the plant by the time I left in '83...at least for the last year or so that I was there. I know he had other "irons in the fire" going on, too...by 1983! It seemed that many in the engineering department were out and about more then...probably doubling up on other company workloads away from Hope...or that was the impression I got. I know that there were many changes in the works those last two or so years I was there...and it required lots of travel for many people! BTW...that group pic of the employees for December 1976...where (26) is labeled to be "Billy Gibson?"...that is actually (26) Gwin Cox...sitting right beside Jay Barrentine. I always gave her a hard time about that particular work "outfit" so I will never forget the way she looked in that! Same pic...the blonde standing to the far left with no name given is (1) Sandy Ellis...office worker. We were in high school at Prescott at the same time, I was a couple years or so older than her though. Number (46) is actually Lynn Stevenson, and number (52) is Charles Horn. I have lots of pics of Klipsch employees from back in those days if you are interested...I can scan the negatives and/or slides and get them to you, if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRH Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Gary probably "got busy" in the new engineering lab and saw less of the factory as a result. Thanks for the photo I.D.'s. Yes, Gwen no doubt! I will add/correct them as soon as I can remember how to do it! I'm always up for additional photos of Klipsch employees to be added to the archives. I can scan them in very hi rez if you can stand to part with them for a little while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 20 hours ago, JRH said: Gary probably "got busy" in the new engineering lab and saw less of the factory as a result. Thanks for the photo I.D.'s. Yes, Gwen no doubt! I will add/correct them as soon as I can remember how to do it! I'm always up for additional photos of Klipsch employees to be added to the archives. I can scan them in very hi rez if you can stand to part with them for a little while. I'll go through my stuff during the holidays and see what I can gather up, then get back to you. I have a pretty good negative/diapositive scanner...but I don't have that many PRINTS of those pics because I would normally always give them out to whoever was in them after I got them processed. But I kept the negatives in my negative books. I also have boxes full of slides which I will have to go thru to sort out for you. You outta remember well how I generally had my Minolta with me wherever I went back in those days! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch Employees Chief bonehead Posted November 1, 2016 Klipsch Employees Share Posted November 1, 2016 On 10/7/2016 at 9:32 AM, HDBRbuilder said: KG1 and KG2 were the initial Klipsch foray into the true "bookshelf" speaker market. the "KG" part of the name is for Klipsch/Gillam, since Gary Gillam was heavily involved in this project and design. They were not inexpensive, but for what they were, they were pretty good little speakers. Prior to the introduction of the original 2 models, the smallest thing Klipsch produced was the Heresy, which COULD and WAS used as bookshelf speakers by many purchasers, but which did NOT have a diminutive size normally associated with the bookshelf speaker concept. These original KG series units were two-way speakers, which was a departure from the previous three-way-only Klipsch speaker line at the time. If I remember correctly, we were already shipping the KG2 (the first one to go into production) by the time I left Klipsch in September 1983. If we weren't shipping them, then they were certainly ready for production...because the R&D was already completed by then. I never built anything smaller than the Heresy, myself (except for the MTM boxes, that is! With its companion MWM being the largest thing I ever built!). Klipsch tested anything sent to them for testing back in those days, and numerous manufacturers sent their products (normaly just the drivers, though!) for testing. So, once the testing part was over, the drivers were often up for grabs to employees. So, for example, many employees would build little units housing those drivers for use in cars and such...sometimes for bathroom speakers, whatever...I built a pair of miniaturized Heresy boxes to house a pair of 6x9 Pioneer duocone that had been tested, for one of the gals over in final assembly or shipping, and they were installed in the bathroom, where they sounded pretty good! I also built little boxes for Jensen triax 5x7 drivers that sounded pretty good, and were velcroed to the carpet at the rear corners of a Subaru station wagon of a friend of mine (who later worked for many years in R&D at Klipsch!). not totally correct. the k2 was gillum but the kg1 was after he left. when i got here the kg2, kg4 and forte (kg5) were here already. kerry and i added the kg1 and kg3. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 13 minutes ago, Chief bonehead said: not totally correct. the k2 was gillum but the kg1 was after he left. when i got here the kg2, kg4 and forte (kg5) were here already. kerry and i added the kg1 and kg3. Great to see you in here writing again, Roy! Yeah, I know the KG1 followed the KG2 (squared)...actually I left Klipsch way before the KG1 went into production (September 83 was when I departed)...but the "KG squared" was already up and running. We almost passed each other on the way in or out as the case may be...I think you got there not too long after I left. Mike F. always thought that I should have remembered you there, but I could never place a face with the name until I finally met you a few years back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fomoco69 Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 A lot of cool Interesting facts...I own a super clean pair of KG3...I think from 1990 just nice to own a nice quality vintage American KG set ....from real American antepinuers & engineers.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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