Vintage La Scala woodwork - holes filled with wood filler - and other detail questions...

[Bob_PDX]

(Apologies in advance if this is already answered elsewhere. I've done a lot of online searching including of these forums but I may have missed it.)

 

I've recently put up for sale a pair of La Scalas that belonged to my dad. (See my post in the Garage Sale forum if you're curious.) He was the 2nd owner.

 

I had a potential local buyer visit today for a listening test and to scrutinize the condition of the woodwork. (They are raw birch with some wear and tear.)

 

He brought up some things which, at first, gave me a bit of a panicked moment because I wondered if the speakers were not authentic or had been significantly modified. Then, after a lot of searching on Google Images, I found other examples out in the world, so I do know that they are authentic, but here's the questions that arose from this (the buyer's and mine)...

 

1. The tops have what appear to be screw holes at the edges which have been filled with wood filler. These are larger than the nail holes with filler that other vintage La Scalas have, including a pair he used to own which he showed me a photo of.

 

2. The crossovers, Type AA (which is appropriate for these based on the serial numbers), are mounted sideways in the cabinet, so that you don't easily see the "AA", and there is a separate terminal block for connecting your amp, which then has a short jumper going to the crossover.

 

3. The two plywood "filler panels" on the left and right of the rear opening (where you see the horn drivers and crossover) are wider than on most other La Scalas.

 

I'm attaching photos of mine.

 

The good news is that I've found another example online that has all three of those - round filled holes in the top, sideways crossover, wider filler panels, on an audio gear listing site. Here's the link (those aren't mine, even though they're in the same state) - https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649739659-klipsch-la-scala-raw-birch-speakers-all-original/images/3275316/

 

Can anyone tell the story of how many were made like that, and why, and is there any issue I should be aware of compared to other La Scalas?

 

(My serial numbers are 2M38 and 2M839, with the "M" dating their production to 1974)

 

Thanks,

Bob

 

Edited April 5, 2023 by Bob_PDX
Added serial numbers

[Dave MacKay]

Is it possible that your father (or the first owner) made some mods?

 

Several things are different from my La Scalas (which date from ‘86, so a dozen years later than yours):

• Is access to the woofer & doghouse from the top (rather than the bottom)? It appears that the network is mounted on (what looks like) an access panel.
• Mine have the access panel on the bottom. The panel is a little smaller than the base so that the speaker appears to float on it.
• My networks were not screwed in; they just sat loose.
• The support for the squawker driver is different. Mine is bent aluminum, not painted.
• Mine don’t have the filler panels partially enclosing the sides of the rear opening.
• There is no evidence of screws being used on the top of my cabinets.

Other members will know more and may be able to provide a definitive answer.

[Bob_PDX]

Hi - I do not believe they were modified, since I did find a link to a nearly-identical pair (see the link near the bottom of my post) with the same features.

 

The bottoms on mine are solid and do not appear to have had any openings in the past. Woofer access on mine is indeed via removing the network, although I have not attempted to remove it.

 

[Bob_PDX]

Another possible clue: I've scrutinized the photos on the listing I linked to. I can just barely make out part of the serial number on one of them, it also has an "M" like mine, which indicates 1974. Perhaps this is something that was offered as an option in 1974, or something that some dealer was doing as a modification on a batch of them? I wish the linked item had a way to contact the original seller (contact is not allowed on completed listings on that site), it might help clear up the mystery.

[JRH]

It appears from the logbook that woofer access from the bottom began with 3M017 on 2/14/75.  There is an earlier reference to a "special LS-BR with new style - door on the bottom - we built this on a Saturday".  That was SN 2M784 on 12/14/74. 

 

2M838 & 9 shipped 12/23/74, with no destination specified.  The top filled holes remind me of special units sold to Rogers Organ with removable tops so they could install an amplifier.  One of those could have been a "donor" to this unit (just speculation).  The Rogers units became Klipsch's first powered speakers.

[Bob_PDX]

3 minutes ago, JRH said:

The top filled holes remind me of special units sold to Rogers Organ with removable tops so they could install an amplifier.

 

Wow, I think you're on to something here. I'm in Oregon, and Rodgers used to be based in Hillsboro, Oregon. The example listing was also from Oregon.

 

When I was a teen and taking organ lessons, we actually had a Rodgers for several years (but with internal speakers only). My father and grandfather had a lot of connections to Tektronix, and there was some overlap with Tektronix and Rodgers engineers, so it is quite possible that the person in the neighborhood that my father bought these from was an ex-Rodgers employee.

 

Further coincidence, I have used these very La Scalas on a digital virtual pipe organ project. I guess they were cosmically meant to go with an organ!

[OO1]

On 4/6/2023 at 11:55 AM, Bob_PDX said:

Further coincidence, I have used these very La Scalas on a digital virtual pipe organ project 

  the   Lascala  were originally created for used as a PA speaker , 

[Bob_PDX]

1 hour ago, OO1 said:

the   Lascala  were originally created for used as a PA speaker

 

Oh yes, I'm well aware of that. My point is that the odd variation of La Scala I have was meant for use on electronic organs, and by coincidence, I used them on an electronic organ without knowing that this pair was in fact designated for that purpose.

[OO1]

Just now, Bob_PDX said:

 I used them on an electronic organ without knowing that this pair was in fact designated for that purpose.

 I'm glad you enjoyed them