HornEd Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Rexroth came to San Francisco eleven years before I was born... and already he was a seasoned pro in the writing game... and an intellectual force and critic of just about every social system then known. A libertarian through and through, and somewhat of an esoteric elitist to my mind, in those years he was more of an enigma to me... a bit more commercial and seemingly more critic than advocate of the Beat phenomenon. I knew of him but I can't remember our paths crossing... but then that was a long time ago. Then too... sometimes the joy of being a young man immersed in an ocean of stimulation misses an opportunity that is not recognized until much later in life. And much of my Beat Generation experience was as a tolerated puppy in the lair of free-spirited old dogs... of which Rexroth was probably the oldest... and, for me at the time, most distant in my comprehension of life, love, and disassociation from the powers that be. I do remember that by the time he had a column in the San Francisco Examiner, I had already living, working and studying in Europe. Some years earlier, I too had a byline in the same paper, but I covered Bay Area high school sports... which fueled my customized Oldsmobile... but was chaff in the wind when contrasted with the thought provoking, if controversial, public musings of Rexroth. Alan picked one of my favorite Rexroth imageries. My appreciation of his work grew, as I did, after I left San Francisco and he was dead before I returned. Probably his most insightful writings deal with the dynamics of community... and the disassociation from it... which is generally how he saw the "non-commercial" Beats. It's been a while since immersing myself in Rexroth... and with the current community building in which I am engaged... it's been too long since I revisited his panoply of 100% copyrighted work. Curiously, these Santa Cruz Mountains in which I live were also trod by Rexroth in another time. Currently, we mountain folk are trying to thwart a proposed major logging activity by a water utility that we believe would take 40% of the majestic old redwoods and firs and leave behind an increased fire danger. I believe if Rexroth were alive and kicking today, he would be here defending the mountains from the societal aberration of rapacious corporate goals over enlightened forest management. Thanks, Parrot, for shaking old memories before they have completely atrophied! And thanks Alan for reflecting the essential character, honesty and artistic appreciation in every post... enlightened veteran contributors, seriously inquiring newbies, and appropriately tolerant administrators, become the "multi-faceted stuff" that makes this Forum a cut above the rest. -HornEd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painful Reality Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 ---------------- On 8/19/2005 10:55:34 PM RAPTORMAN wrote: I've seen this Lamhorn before, kinda reminds me of a Lowther Medalliion. I wonder if it's sonics are close to the Medallions. I have not heard any of them. I've heard that the medallions are so so in bass as well ---------------- It's the same back loaded horn principle but the comparison stops there. The Lamhorns have a really unique horn loading system, being actually a cross between a TQWP (tuned quarter wave pipe) and an exponential horn. For exemple, contrary to the Medallion, the Lamhorns doesn't have a compression chamber. Having heard both the Medallion and the Lamhorns, I'd say that the Medallion is totally "bassless" (you can't really live without a sub nless you only listen to accoustic guitars). The Lamhorns will have enough bass to be used without a sub but you'll feel that the foundation is missing in some music. -------------------------------------------------------------- Sunnysal wrote: I would love to hear lamhorns but at $5,300 just for the cabinets...I will have to live without...I wonder where he derived the plans for the cabs? some old lowther design? -------------------------------------------------------------- The first Lamhorn prototype was a modification of the Mauhorn IV. It doesn't bear anything with it now. Robert Lamarre did "reinvent" a horn design with the Lamhorns. To the best of my knowledge, the Lamhorn is the only rear loaded horn with this design. His pricing is a bit strange I'll admit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 well not strange really, everyone has the right to set the price on his or her own design work...to bad there are no DIY plans available to try...regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hardy Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 I am completely fascinated to hear of HornEd's link to the Beat generation... not all that big into the Beats per se, but I am quite interested in the thread that runs from the Beats to Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, thence to the Grateful Dead and on to the "summer of love". Must've been fascinating times. We lived briefly ('89 to '91) in the beautiful (can you sense some sarcasm?) Silicon Valley when I got my first real job... enjoyed many weekends at places like Big Basin, and also up in the East Bay hills.. up to the City, too. It's an area that I go back to visit whever the opportunity presents itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intotubes Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 No one has mentioned the Hedlund Horn. I've seen a few other FR driver back loaded horns in this thread but not the Hedlund. Cost of the cabinet is minimal since published plans make it a DIY project. Cost of the driver(s) is quite another. I've read you can use Lowther (preferred), AER (Lowther knockoff?), or possibly even a Fostex? Speaker projects using a back loaded horn and full range drivers are pretty special. Can't really compare to the bass produced by a CW but the midrange is awesome. Very real. I made a small pair of BD-Design pipes with Fotex FE-103's. They do some things exceedingly well. But when I heard CW's for the first time, well, I just had to have 'em. Now I got 'em but I still have my BD pipes. Just too cool to get rid of and who would appreciate them except nut cases like us? Normal folk have no idea... Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 I think a Klipschorn with a Tractrix horn, new tweeter, and tweaked network -- would be very hard to beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 Maybe so, but who would have the nerve to try it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 I consider that the greatest of compliments -- thanks Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 Hey Dean, Why don't you bring those tops to my place sometime when you don't have anything better to do. I'd love to hear them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted August 24, 2005 Share Posted August 24, 2005 ---------------- On 8/23/2005 8:37:33 AM DeanG wrote: I think a Klipschorn with a Tractrix horn, new tweeter, and tweaked network -- would be very hard to beat. ---------------- Taking a Klipschorn to the edge of its performance envelope can only go so far due to the limitations inherent in its design. How far do you go before it's technically no longer a Klipschorn? My personal opinion is that as long as the Khorn bass bin is retained, it's still a Klipschorn at heart. All good hot-rodders eventually build a complete car, if they do it long enough, don't they? DM 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.