greg928gts Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Well I bought em! They are beautiful Walnut oiled cabinets. The wood matches almost perfectly but the grill cloth does not. Everything is there and working fine. I think they both have the original woofers. I am planning a tasteful and authentic refinish. Serial numbers 1030 and 1090. Anyone know the years these particular ones were made? I'll post pictures when I get a chance. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Greg, # 983 is from October '59, so you are looking at the first quarter of 1960 on yours. Congratualtions, and be careful of cranking too much juice through these. The woofer doesn't like more than about 30 watts, so mind your p's and q's with them. What was the final damage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Congratulations - I'm sure you'll enjoy yours as much as I do mine. The "DOB" is probably listed on the inspection sticker on the back - I know it is on mine, which were built in January of 1960. My serial numbers are close to yours too, so it's probably in that ballpark - late Eisenhower years. Sometimes the individual drivers have dated inspection stickers as well. Dave is right about the power handling - but the Shorthorns are pretty efficient, and I've heard a pair get plenty loud in a baronial living room driven by a twenty wpc Sherwood integrated amp. Be careful moving them, too. The top plate and side grills are not really structural members and aren't attached all that well. (Yes, I still have nightmares about one Shorthorn sliding down a flight of stairs while the careless mover stared dumbly at the top plate and one side grill still in his hands...) (Happily the speaker slid down on its back and wasn't hurt. Much.) So where are the pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 ---------------- On 7/15/2004 9:16:18 PM greg928s4 wrote: ...I think they both have the original woofers. ---------------- What are they? 15WK or K33-something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted July 16, 2004 Author Share Posted July 16, 2004 Sorry I haven't posted pictures yet, they're still in the back of the truck! I've been super busy lately. They were $850. Now if I can land that consecutive serial numbered pair of 1958 Khorns signed by PWK for a reasonable sum! I still think they're worth more than people I've asked think they are. Wow! "baronial"! I'm not sure in what way you were using the word, but I just recently learned about that style. Very difficult to find much information on it and I'm surprised to see someone use that word. So far I have only seen one article in a magazine about Baronial Style architecture and design. Very interesting and something that I'm definately interested in for my next home. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted July 18, 2004 Author Share Posted July 18, 2004 I had a lot of pictures, so I set up a webpage. Shorthorns Enjoy! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted July 18, 2004 Share Posted July 18, 2004 Greg, I think it is Portus Gilley. Make sure both woofers, if EVs are EV 15WKs. The stamped K means it is a Klipsch spec woofer. If you have differing woofers, give Larry a call if you want to get them to match, with him being in your necka the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted July 18, 2004 Share Posted July 18, 2004 Greg, The K-Ortho bit refers to the 3-way speaker-network system that Klipsch put into those Shorthorns, and also sold separately for those who wanted to put them in their cabinets. The K-Ortho-15 had the 15" woofer. See http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Klipsch/1957n.jpg (sorry I can't put in a link). Re Sheltie's point, you can faintly see the "K" after the 15W on the EV woofer. You definitely need to compare the sound between those two if you're going to use them as a stereo pair, because I think they might sound very different. You accurately noted that, with the 1000-Hz crossover and MR horn, the woofer carries a lot of the midrange, and the 15WK has huge, clear midrange as well as great bass. What is the other woofer, can you tell? It might also be great, but I'd lay a small wager that it's not like the 15WK. You might also want to compare the midrange and tweeter sound between the two, since those drivers also look rather different. I think of the University SAHF as the common midrange driver for '59 Klipsch. I have a pair of EV 15WKs. One is in great shape sonically, probably more beat up than yours visually. The other has a torn cone, and original reconing kits are no longer available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Greg, I have the identical grille cloth as your right speaker. If and when I get my second shorty up from New Orleans, I will be replacing both with new cloth close to the cane cloth, so you would be welcome to the used cloth to match yours. The one speaker looks to be the totally "modern" shorthorn, with 33, 55, and 77 drivers, and K33 woofer. This should sound a lot different than the EV 15WK woofer, which reputedly does a much better job driving into the midrange where it has to reach. I would consider replacing the "new" woofer with Larry's EV 15WK, especially if you notice a difference in the bass/midrange interface. JMO, though. I have never seen the pancake Klipsch driver you have on the "old" shorty, but no reason to panic. Klipsch was a company that had "parts is parts" boxes, and when a speaker was ordered, the assembly tech walked over to the bin, and what he grabbed out of the bin is what you got. If a mod or different type driver magnet was introduced, the old part and the new part were often used without prejudice until all the old parts were used up. PWK was a true bastard for QA and QC, a major reason why we can afford using his fourty and fifty year old speakers in anger without much concern at all. The one mod I am considering is making new homeplates. The rear nose angle makes the Shorty toe in severely when compared to the KHorn, so if you have a deep room, the sweet spot is going to be much more shallow than with KHorns. Nothing major, but since the homeplate comes off with just two screws and the construction is so simple, I'm gonna run with the project. Again, congrats on your historical score It is nice knowing a set of speakers with a significant Klipsch heritage will be nestled in a warm dry home where they will be loved and fed vintage tubes or SS for breakfast, lunch, and dinner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Very nice!!!!!! Thanks for sharing those pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 #1001 and #1002 are from January of 1960. Extrapolating out from Dave's (always a dangerous thing, as they made these in batches as needed) yours were probably made in the spring and summer of 1960. They look really pretty. I'm with Dave, though. I've never seen one of those pancake midranges either. Mine came with the University drivers. One tweeter was the crackle grey like yours, the other EV plush pink. The woofers were mismatched too - one a 15wk with a "bowtie" magnet cover and the other a 15wk with a truly humongous coffee can of a magnet. Since mine were consecutive, and presumably side by side on the assembly line, you can see how often component mismatch could occur. I once asked Mr. Klipsch at a seminar about it and he said there shouldn't be any audible difference. Actually there was, and the Shorthorns sounded much better once I got the systems matched up. I'm sure you'll enjoy them. I would put a priority on getting them to match, though. It may take you a while to find the parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Almost forgot. The "baronial" living room was, as I recall, about 30 feet long and twenty feet wide, with a vaulted ceiling. I could be misremembering, but it did seem the speakers were in the next county and you needed to carry provisions to walk from one to the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted July 19, 2004 Author Share Posted July 19, 2004 So Larry, does that mean you would be willing to sell one of the 15WK's? Do you think it's possible for some clever and industrious person to fix the torn cone? I've been giving some thought to what you, Dave, and Captn Bob are saying about matching the components up. I am torn though, part of me wants to keep these both as original as possible. I almost like that fact that they each have their own signature componentry. I'm not sure I'll be listening to these on a regular basis anyway. I really bought them to own and keep a pair of interesting PWK speakers that are somewhat rare. But if I did ever want to set up a system around these, it would be nice to have matching components. The woofer is the most important piece since there are limited numbers of them left. Dave, thanks for the offer on the grill cloth, very nice. My email is gregroberts@adelphia.net Do you mind if I just keep it and don't use it? I know that sounds funny, but I'm going to use new cane cloth on them, but I would keep your cloth just in future case. Geez, 30' x 20' sounds about right to me Bob! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 ---------------- On 7/19/2004 7:30:52 PM greg928s4 wrote: So Larry, does that mean you would be willing to sell one of the 15WK's? Do you think it's possible for some clever and industrious person to fix the torn cone? I've been giving some thought to what you, Dave, and Captn Bob are saying about matching the components up. I am torn though, part of me wants to keep these both as original as possible. I almost like that fact that they each have their own signature componentry. I'm not sure I'll be listening to these on a regular basis anyway. I really bought them to own and keep a pair of interesting PWK speakers that are somewhat rare. But if I did ever want to set up a system around these, it would be nice to have matching components. The woofer is the most important piece since there are limited numbers of them left. ---------------- I will be happy to sell you the good 15WK. I need to try to find out what a fair price is for it -- I paid too much for them in a heated Ebay auction (which included matched Klipsch T-35s, SAHFs, the woofs and networks, all going separate ways). I myself doubt that either has the original "signature" drivers, as several forum members have expressed doubts. Myself, I would have predicted that the EV woofer would be accompanied by a University SAHF mid driver and EV T-35 tweeter. The other 15WK can be reconed, but with "generic" cone materials, and no one seems to have an opinion on whether it would sound different or not. Anyway, you only need the good one. If you're not sure about how your Shorthorns sound together, you might play the two together with a mono record and rotate the balance control from side to side and to the middle. My belief is that the less matched the drivers are, the less seamlessly the speakers will blend. At the worst, the differences will be too apparent for you to enjoy them together. When you listen, be sure to compare how bass, middle-range, and treble-range instruments sound between the two sides -- as you noted, 1000 Hz is high enough to cover nearly all their fundamentals. ALSO, the mid-range and tweeters might sound different, though perhaps not as different as the woofers. Comparing them would probably require you to disconnect the woofers for that listening test. E-mail me if you want to pursue it. E-mail a phone # if you want to talk it over. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Greg, if you ever want to breed the shortys, I have one here that is the "older" version, and the one in NO is the "modern" version. We could each end up with a longhorn or two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Dave, what did you end up paying for the 15WK you got? Was reconing involved? Thanks! Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted July 19, 2004 Author Share Posted July 19, 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khorn58 Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 greg928s4, I just looked at your short horns pics they are nice. My 59 shorthorn is the same as yours right down to the front id tag,drivers, finish and grill cloth. I also have a matching early rear port cornwall with the same front grill,drivers and fiish as your early shorthorn. I think late short horns are more rare than the early ones . That late tag is pretty cool. btw my 59 shorthorn came from klipsch with a model h and khorn all set up with crossovers to match the output of the khorn .They were sold together by klipsch for center channel stereo. with the khorn taking care of the low end the shorthorn foe one side and the model h in the center. All three speakers have the same finsh and grill cloth as your 59. They came with a klipsh stereo hook up gudied showing the three diffrent speaker working together. klipsch was offering the shorthorn and model H as stereo upgrades to ad to the mono khorn back in the late 50,s and early 60,s pretty cool. I think the short horn has one of the best looking front grills Klipsch ever had. and the eraly cornwall used the same one. i was thinking of using my shorthorn front panel on a early Cornwall clone to match cornwall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Larry, after talking with a friend here in town, we ran a science fair expirement with the blown woofer and had Great Plains Audio recone it with an extended range Altec they thought would match up. It sounds pretty good, and blended fairly well with the '63 Khorn. $125 plus shipping to Oklahoma...about $165 total. I also ran it with a vintage Rola, but took it out after an hour. The difference between a horn purpose built, and a general woofer are amazing! I talked to CaptnBob, and picked up one of his identical bowtie EV 15WKs for slightly less, and the sound is within spitting distance. Bob had already reconed it in town at a real good restoration coner, who no longer has any sets I would imagine Bob Crites or Khorn58 might know an old fool who still has a recone kit, but unlike Altec, the Klipsch stuff is RARE at this point for old rebuilds. I found a guy in St. Louis who has two T shorthorns over the weekend, but he is the type who wants $15,000 for the Model T on blocks in the weeds. He also has a JBL Ranger for $7,000 When he asked what I thought of the prices, I told him he was full of suet, and he laughed. The veneer is dead on one, and the tweeter is gone on the second, and he runs them off a 1978 Technics all in one with an eight track. He kept poking me asking how they sounded. You haven't lived until you see a cat coughing up a hairball on a vintage Klipsch speaker, with Cat Stevens warbling about children playing on an eight track that begs to be shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 The clear plastic "KLIPSCH" logo on the front of the one is indeed original. That is the same logo on my '62 Cornwalls. My '62 Cornwalls also have the same K-33 Alnico Jensen woofer as your other Shorthorn does. In fact it appears that my '62 Cornwalls have the same tweeter and older K-55V driver with the metallic looking gray paint. However, my Cornwalls have the larger midrange horn though and the crossovers look similar with the bobbinized coils. Interesting to see how the Corns evolved from the Shorthorn design. I think my '62's are the oldest "pair" on the forum I know of no one else with an older set. Cool pics Gary, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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.