Jump to content

The Klipsch Logo/Seal


Travis In Austin

Recommended Posts

  • Moderators

"In his inimitable fashion he offered us the complete definition below:

THE EXACT DEFINITION OF THE KLIPSCH LOGO

The logo of Klipsch & Associates, Incorporated features a corner loudspeaker. The principle involved is that all speakers work better in a corner, regardless of the basic speaker design.

The logo depicts a loudspeaker emitting sound waves. These radiates as circular wave fronts, which in a corner environment would be quadrants of circles.

The choice of seven for the number of wave fronts was prompted by the passage in the Bible referring to the seven good years followed by the seven lean years. Also in the Old Testament was the use of seven golden candlesticks in the tabernacle. Seven seems to have been a good choice to illustrate sound radiating from a loudspeaker. More would be too complicated, fewer would be too simplistic.

As a logo it has withstood the test of time. I recall the “logo” of the Packard radiator shape. It seemed to me this status symbol was allowed to lapse. Packard is no more. I feel that Ford made a good move by restoring the script Ford. Also, Pratt & Whitney returned to the original “flying eagle” symbol as the modern, graphic interpretation was far less recognized and less liked by their customers."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I was wondering if the rough time of the design has been found. From reading, if true, the PWK with the reverse P was on a ring at one time and eventually the rest of the design was added at some point. I could be wrong.

 

I have done a few things with this design and am impressed with it every time, it's simple but complicated enough to have real meaning and to still be attractive, and have a up-to-date look even at it's age.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

PWK's invention of this monogram with the reversed P is described at page 7 of "Paul Wilbur Klipsch:  The Life . . . The Legend."  His mother bought him a pocket watch for high school graduation.  This took place at a small jewelry store in El Paso.  His mother requested a monogram for the engraving and PWK sketched the joined letters with the reversed P.

 

It is shown in Photo Gallery One following page 104.

 

IIRC the monogram shows up on some technical drawings. 

 

WMcD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The book may be inaccurate on this point.  PWK told me that he offered his joined initials to the jeweler with standard letter orientation.  The jeweler suggested reversing the "P" to make it more balanced.  Supporting this is his pair of 1919 (still in high school) Brandes headphones with his initials engraved with standard orientation. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, JRH said:

The book may be inaccurate on this point.  PWK told me that he offered his joined initials to the jeweler with standard letter orientation.  The jeweler suggested reversing the "P" to make it more balanced.  Supporting this is his pair of 1919 (still in high school) Brandes headphones with his initials engraved with standard orientation. 

people today call it the pie slice logo but back then do you know what the company called it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Budman said:

people today call it the pie slice logo but back then do you know what the company called it

I don't know who originated the nickname "pie-slice" logo, but it was already in use out in the plant when I started working there (1976)...When it was replaced with a different logo, the company employees "in the plant" still referred to it as the "pie-slice" logo...simply because the logos which replaced it were RECTANGULAR....besides, "pie-slice" was quicker to say than any other description of that logo.  Other logos which preceded it were NOT "pie-slice" in shape.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...