Tangents and Shorthorns?

[Foost]

I was browsing the classics (bored at work) and came across several lines I had never seen before. The ones that stuck out at me were the Tangents, Shorthorns and those subs that look like the REL subs (a rectangel standing on end). What's the deal with this stuff? Especially these shorthorns, sounds interesting. I never hear people talk about this stuff.

[WMcD]

My understanding is that the Shorthorn and Rebels (first time the term was used) were a type of back loaded bass horns. The woofer was mounted in a prism shaped cabinet and radiated directly. The box had a slit in the back and was essentially horn loaded.

PWK has an article about it. He argued that it did give horn loading in the bass in response to critics who said it didn't.

There were many variations in size and drivers. The smallest would fit in his airplane to demo to dealers on the road.

I might be wrong, but I think the Rebel line was licensed to Cabinetart to make kits, while a similar in-house design was marketed by Klipsch as the Shorthorn.

I can send you some articles and patents if you're interested.

It looks like this was the early effort by PWK to make a lower cost, and smaller size unit. That part of the market was eventually taken over by the Heresy and Cornwall.

Tangents, I believe, were another type of box, direct radiator bass unit, years later. It might be a predecessor to the Reference line.

Regards,

Gil

[CaptnBob]

The Shorthorn was, as you say, a rear loaded direct radiating corner horn, usually standing about three feet high and two feet or so across the front, although once in a while you'll come across one that's shorter and wider and designed to hold your Capehart or DuMont tv on top. (The idea was to run your television sound through the speaker and enjoy a sort of primeval home theatre.)

I'm still looking for more information about the Rebel, which was made in the late forties through the late fifties. It was another rear loaded corner horn, much smaller than the Shorthorn, and is usually found fitted with a University 1201 co-ax or an Electro-Voice SP-12b. You see a lot them that were kit or home built.

As you suggest,the Shorthorn and Rebel appear to have been supplanted in the Klipsch line by the Cornwall and Heresy, which had a wider market - they didn't need corners - and were probably easier to make.

The Tangent line was developed for sale overseas and in military PXs. (I was told that by a guy in a pawn shop trying to sell me a pair, so take that with as many grains of salt as necessary.)

Capt' Bob