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Klipsch Sound Reproducer (Klipschorn) SN 141


ikecarumba

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Soon I will be posting an auction ad on eBay for the 41st Klipschorn made, SN 141 built 21 August, 1948.

 

Before the ad is posted I want to gather any information any members might have on this Klipsch Sound Reproducer Type K-3-C.

 

It was a 'special' order' custom build. It's different, has an unusual top section that's not mounted, there's a felt pad on the bottom and it just sits there on top of the bass horn.

 

It has a 'built-in' corner, two plywood panels screwed on to the rear.

 

The face of the top section is curved as you can see in the photos and there's a wooden grill with a woven plastic bug screen instead of a grill cloth.

 

The mid-horn appears to be original but I think the tweeter bracket is not - from what I understand the very early K-horns were two-way only, no tweeter.

 

Also, I think the crossover is a later addition. I removed the (EV T-350) K-77 tweeter and the (Atlas) K55-V midrange driver but I still have them, I know they are not original but wonder which midrange driver would have been originally used.

 

The face of the basshorn is unfinished plywood, I'm thinking it was overed in fabric originally.

 

If anyone has more information on this early Klipschorn please let me know.

 

If someone is interested in owning this K-horn I am entertaining offers before it's put up for auction, I posted a message on the garage sale section.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

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#141 assembly began on Aug. 20, 1948.  On Nov. 4th it was "filled but not stained or lacquered".  It was crated and shipped Nov. 8, 1948 to Feulner (?), and was a "Style 6" (curved HF section).  [Style 7 was when it basically took on the current cosmetics.  On March, 28, 1949, PWK released a sketch (sneak preview) of Style 7.]  

 

No drivers were called out, so I expect it left the factory with none.  I also suspect the HF horn may have been replaced when it was upgraded to a 3-way, including the K-500/5000 crossover pictured.  The Museum has #151, and it shipped with a Stephens P-15 HF.

 

Aside from the original prototype and Baldwin #13, this is the oldest Klipsch-built K-horn I know of.  Congratulations!

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#141 was the 20th K-horn to be built in the Klipsch factory.  We consider the prototype as #1, and then there were the 12 Baldwin-built woofers (#2 - #13).  An additional 7 (#14 thru #20) were made prior to the factory, which started with #121.  So that' why #141 is the 41st K-horn.

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JRH, thanks very much for that information, very interesting and I am happy to know my K-horn may be the 3rd oldest in existence.

 

Makes sense that the squawker horn was a later upgrade.

 

The woofer might be original, it is a 15" Magnavox of all things with a cheap looking unpainted stamped frame. Perhaps the Magnavox woofer replaced a higher quality woofer like a Stephens Tru-Sonic ? I do have a very nice early Tru Sonic woofer I could replace it with.

 

Do you have any idea why the front of the bass horn is unfinished plywood ?

 

Might it have been covered in fabric (by the customer or by Klipsch) that extended backwards to cover the bass horn's dual 'mouths' ? Perhaps the plastic bug screen would have been covered by matching fabric.

 

Also, did Style 6 Klipschorns all have built in 'corners' ?

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khorn51, thanks very much !

 

You have a 1947 ? What date ? Is it a pre-factory Baldwin ? I thought my Khorn was the oldest one out there except for one of the Baldwins and the prototype.

 

Anyhow, I feel very lucky to have found that '48 Khorn, got it at a garage sale in San Francisco.

 

Your Khorn with fabric over raw plywood confirms my suspicion. Any photos ?

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I think it was from the second batch made after Baldwin. The speaker was owned by Armstrong inventer of Fm radio. Pic of 47 before I bought it and article from 47 with what I think is the same speaker. The front id tag is missing even in 1947.

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Magnavox is very likely the original woofer.  

 

khorn51's unit is undoubtedly "one of the seven" built after the Baldwin's, and prior to #121 being built in the basement of what is now the Museum.  We have #18 and #20 here.  That would suggest it is #14-#17, or #19.  I would love to have more info on this unit. 

 

The August 47 demo was Armstrong's second one using a Khorn.  His prior demo used a "Khorn" built by a Bell Labs engineer and friend of PWK.  

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Cool, thanks for the photos khorn51, that horn looks very interesting! Apparently it's bolted to brackets attached to the corner walls. 

 

Thanks for your take on the Magnavox woofer JRH (it sure is an ugly beast).

 

I like the look of the Stephens Tru-Sonic P-52L that's in one of my 50's vintage K-horns

IMG_1789.jpg

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On 5/3/2020 at 10:11 AM, ikecarumba said:

 

 

If anyone has more information on this early Klipschorn please let me know.

 

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

PWK was discharged from the Army in 45 ---------that's a piece of history  1948 -  no 41 khorn in production -

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11 hours ago, 000 said:

PWK was discharged from the Army in 45 ---------that's a piece of history  1948 -  no 41 khorn in production -

Actually, PWK was just "released from active duty" shortly after WWII ended....he remained an Army Reserve officer in an "active drilling status" for a number of years after his release from active duty at the end of WWII...eventually retiring from the Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel....although I have no idea when his actual retirement date was...probably at age 60, but he most likely applied for the retired reserves prior to that age, once he had accumulated the requisite number of "good years towards his twenty" which made him eligible for retirement pay and benefits at age 60.  By having himself transferred to the retired reserves until he reached age 60, his retirement pay would have been more for him because it would have been based upon the pay rate for his pay-grade at age 60 instead of what that pay would have been if he had chosen to fully retire out of the reserves prior to his 60th birthday.

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3 minutes ago, HDBRbuilder said:

Actually, PWK was just "released from active duty" shortly after WWII ended....he remained an Army Reserve officer in an "active drilling status" for a number of years after his release from active duty at the end of WWII...eventually retiring from the Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel....although I have no idea when his actual retirement date was...probably at age 60, but he most likely applied for the retired reserves prior to that age, once he had accumulated the requisite number of "good years towards his twenty" which made him eligible for retirement pay and benefits at age 60.  By having himself transferred to the retired reserves until he reached age 60, his retirement pay would have been more for him because it would have been based upon the pay rate for his pay-grade at age 60 instead of what that pay would have been if he had chosen to fully retire out of the reserves prior to his 60th birthday.

PWK was 60 years old in 1964 -  he was born in 1904 , and so he would have been 41 years old in 1945 , and 44years old in 1948 and still in active Reserves Duty -now we have the numbers right - tx for the info -

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Almost done with the restoration. Pulled the Magnavox woofer yesterday, DCR is 8.4 (which match the pencil notation written on the magnet exactly). Tested it just now and it sounded great, loud and clear. I had thought about replacing it with a Jensen PWK woofer but I chaged my mind after testing and cleaning it up a bit. Will remove rust from the ALNICO magnet with Naval Jelly, was able to remove most of the corrosion with a flexible sanding sponge. Will be posting the 48 Klipschorn on eBay sometime next week.

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