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More Odd KLH 17s... wierd [factory?] cab. finish

E

Edison

New Member
Don't tell my wife... Someone had kicked these out to the curb and in an unguarded moment I took them in.

Haven't looked deep inside, but they sound perfectly splendid and appear to already have been rehab'ed.

But the outsides SCREAM '70s! The finish appears original.

1) Has anyone seen this kind of finish from the factory???

2) Anyone know their ~date??? (How does one date them?)
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(The other is #051504.)
 
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Never seen them like that, but I want them!
You might find time-stamps on drivers and backside of crossover plate.
Nice find!
 
Looks like a pickled oak finish, definitely the first time I've ever seen that on any KLH product. What a great find! :thumbsup:

Best way to date them is to remove the tweeter and look on the magnet. It may be faded and hard to see but they are almost always stamped with the month and year of production so it should be pretty close to the time when the cabinets were built. The woofers usually have the date on the magnet too. I'd recommend replacing the crossover caps in these, KLH speakers are notorious for having poor quality caps that don't age well.
 
Those are earlier, I'd guess around 1968. Mine had the same silver plate on the back like these and were from 1968. I doubt that is an original finish, or grill fabric. As stated, pull the drivers to confirm their date.
If their are the black with red end caps then they are original and should be replaced. They are known to blow up.
Nice find regardless, terrific sounding speakers.
Glenn
 
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Thanks y'all for the replies!

Looking inside gave me more questions than answers:

Alas, no dates evident on the drivers.

Someone has been inside these before: Old 2 x 2uF caps are there but disconnected.(Forgot to check them for dates.) New single cap (?) wiring in place? (But I SWEAR I can hear the [intended?] difference in all three switch positions!?)

I noted the inside of the sides are [factory?] finished the same as the outsides (less speckles). But no joint nor seal is obvious between the backs and the sides?!

And now I'm wondering if the outsides of the backs are just a little TOO clean (Identically matching the insides) for anything "vintage?!"

Anyone else think these are recently built ???

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Edison said:
Thanks y'all for the replies!

Looking inside gave me more questions than answers:

Alas, no dates evident on the drivers.

Someone has been inside these before: Old 2 x 2uF caps are there but disconnected.(Forgot to check them for dates.) New single cap (?) wiring in place? (But I SWEAR I can hear the [intended?] difference in all three switch positions!?)

I noted the inside of the sides are [factory?] finished the same as the outsides (less speckles). But no joint nor seal is obvious between the backs and the sides?!

And now I'm wondering if the outsides of the backs are just a little TOO clean (Identically matching the insides) for anything "vintage?!"

Anyone else think these are recently built ???

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IMO, I would not be concerned about the details. Test the drivers, install some new caps, reseal the surrounds, and enjoy. I like they way they look!
 
I'll bet you are going to find that, except for the crossover mods, those speakers are exactly the same as when they left the factory. Everything about them just screams "original."

GeeDeeEmm
 
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