1959 Klipsch Model H

[Sey]

II have recently acquired a pair of consecutively numbered (164 & 165) Klipsch Model H speakers. I have found some information on them, but had more questions. It seems there were 18 of the 8" versions of these, but how many where made of the 12" in this style?   Is there more information about various drivers in these? Based on looking at the screws before opening, they don't seem to have been opened before I took the back off of one, but the 12" driver is a Cletron Cathedral.  The nuts holding the speakers all have the same amount of white corrosion too. Did this brand of woofer show up in other early Klipsch speakers? 

 

Lastly, I will need to change the capacitors. One has a 2uf with two taps and wires going to each of those. The other is 4uf with one tap where two wire attach, and another wire going to the metal can of the capacitor. I'm curious how to wire modern caps in place of these, I have an idea, but would like to hear other thoughts to be sure.

 

Mostly I wanted to share photos since there aren't many of this model that I can find, and I didn't see any photos of the inside. These are extremely clean all around, excellent condition of wood and cloth. 

[DizRotus]

Welcome.

 

Those are extremely cool.  This next suggestion, IMO,  is thrown around too frequently, but this time it fits.  You should consider contacting the Klipsch Museum of Audio History in Hope about these. @dtel's wife

 

 

Short of that, please don't mess with the crossovers.  Contact Bob Crites at http://www.critesspeakers.com/ regarding updated networks. Then they could be used while keeping the original networks intact.  They can only be original once.

[dtel's wife]

@DizRotus, @Sey I have forwarded this to Jim Hunter, Curator for the Klipsch Museum of Audio History. 

 

Thank you Neil. I hope to have a response from @JRH soon. 

[JRH]

Your Heresy's left the factory with Electro-Voice SP-12-B woofers.  I see no record of Cletron woofers ever being used.  The other drivers appear to be stock.  If the capacitors are not leaking oil, they are very likely OK and just need re-mounting. 

 

There were three H-12's built in 1957.  1958 saw another 30 built.  Serial numbers 134 - 176 were made in 1959.  177 - 204 in 1960.  1961 saw the old style and new style mixed.

 

If they were mine, I would try to find original woofers and restore them to stock.  Not the optimum sound attainable, but historically significant. 

[Sey]

Thank you for the quick responses. It sounds like there really weren't many pairs made like these, probably many fewer survivors, so it is good to know that I better take care of them.

 

I think I happen to have some of those EV woofers in a pair of (not so pretty) EV cabinets, so maybe I'll swap them and see what happens.   The corrosion on the nuts holding all the speakers looks identical, so the previous owner (or shop that sold them) must have swapped drivers about the same time they were purchased.  I bought them from the son-in-law of the original owner.  They are in better condition than most 10 year old speakers I've owned.

 

I contacted Crite about the capacitors too, there did seem to be a slight amount of oil around the post of at least one cap.  I am not tossing anything, or doing anything to them that can't be easily brought back to the original (as I received it).

[Don Richard]

Oil seeping from those old caps could contain PCBs which are carcinogenic.  New bathtub type caps are available if a restoration is contemplated. Otherwise, get new factory style xovers from Bob or Dean with newer type caps.

[JohnA]

Don't over-react.  I supervised the clean-up of several confirmed PCB containing/contaminated transformers.  PCBs have caused cancer in animals, but not humans, though they do have health effects.  In general they are an extremely stable, unreactive fluid that doesn't break down or move in the environment. 

https://www.epa.gov/pcbs/learn-about-polychlorinated-biphenyls-pcbs#healtheffects

 

PCB cleans up easily with hexane.  You could use a hot solvent or gasoline, in an open area, using gloves impermeable to the solvent and and cloth rags.  The solvent is probably more toxic than the PCBs.  Dispose in a plastic bag in the trash.  That is legal since you are a consumer and not regulated, unless your state does. 

[Sey]

So I thought I would update the slow progress on these old Model H Heresy speakers. I have still not done anything to the original  crossovers, but I have gone through several sp12b speakers to find one that matches the original (it was the version with large magnet and whizzer cone).  All the drivers except one woofer were original in the cabinets with original Klipsch stickers on them. (One woofer was a replacement Cletron Cathedral model c12 rw from the same year as the speakers were made.)  The original mid horns are university sa-hf, and the original tweeters t35 (not b). 

 

I also have some Heresys from the 70s here, and all the drivers are different, and the crossovers are also different.  One thing I'm curious about is how the sound would change on this older model if the 4 ohm cap was changed to 2 ohm as it is with the newer one?  They do sound good with the old caps, but different.  There is more detail in the highs and upper mids, but less bass, with maybe with more detail there too. 

[Idontknow]

Good heavens the build quality of the parts back in the day are unforgettable.  I wish things were built like this nowadays.

[JohnA]

LOL!  I'm sorry I missed Sey's last post.  The 4uF cap is correct since the Model H has a K-1000 squawker horn and needs a higher crossover point.  I have one of those around somewhere.