Monthly Archives: April 2011

Bozak Compact Speakers of the 1970s

Posted on 04/29/2011 by chris

Download the four-page circa 1975 ‘Bozak Compact Speakers’ Catalog: DOWNLOAD: BozakCompactSpks Catalog contains photos and specs for the Bozak Rhapsody, Tempo II (Tempo 2), and Sonora speaker units. Bozak is another important chapter in Connecticut audio history.  The famous manufacturer … Continue reading →

Posted in Antique Hi-Fi Archive, Connecticut Audio History | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Missile Testing, The Dawn of Video Surveillance, and Your Speakers

Posted on 04/28/2011 by chris

The fact that we are fighting three (3) wars at the moment (don’t try to tell me that those ‘drone planes’ in Lybia don’t represent a direct military strike) has me inevitably reflecting on the truth that we, America, are … Continue reading →

Posted in Altec | Tagged , | 1 Comment

AKG K-340 Electrostatic/Dynamic Headphones c. 1979

Posted on 04/21/2011 by chris

Download the six-page color product sheet for the venerable AKG K-340 headphone of 1979: DOWNLOAD: AKG_K340 The AKG K-340 (not to be confused with the modern AKG K 340 earbud) was AKG’s top of the line headphone of the 1980s.  … Continue reading →

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A Lost Fender Guitar Design – The ‘Acoustic-Electric’ of 1965

Posted on 04/19/2011 by chris

Looking through some old Fender Guitar Catalogs, I came across this unusual entry. Behold the Fender Acoustic-Electric as it appears in the Fender 1965 Catalog (see catalog cover at right).  I have never come across any record of this instrument … Continue reading →

Posted in Guitar Equipment | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Altec 436 Compressor: Taming the Output Level

Posted on 04/16/2011 by chris

Ah the classic Altec 436C compressor (see here for previous coverage on PS dot com). Here’s a fresh high-res scan of the original product-sheet (2pp): DOWNLOAD:  Altec_436C I built one of these some years ago and it really sounds great.  … Continue reading →

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Star Instruments Synare Electronic Percussion c.1979

Posted on 04/14/2011 by chris

Disco-mania.  Behold an early electronic drum meant to compliment your acoustic kit.  The Synare 3.  This caught my eye mainly due to the address of the maker – Stafford Springs, CT.  Any former Star Instruments principals out there in our … Continue reading →

Posted in Connecticut Audio History, Synthesizers | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Bass c. ’70

Posted on 04/14/2011 by chris

Just a few random things today that caught my eye.  The Hagstrom 8-string bass pictured above with players Noel Redding, among others, was recently re-issued.  seems like not a bad choice for live rock bands.   Tom Petersson of the not-terrible … Continue reading →

Posted in Guitar Equipment | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

makin’ it

Posted on 04/12/2011 by chris

What is goin on here !? The May 1979 issue of DOWNBEAT magazine has a short article on the subject of Do-It-Yourself synthesizer kits.  I’ve uploaded a scan of the entire article as a PDF below.  Much of the article … Continue reading →

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Ward Beck Console Preamps: History, Preservation, Listening Test

Posted on 04/10/2011 by chris

Tom Gruning with one of his Ward Beck ‘lunchboxes’ I came across Tom Gruning’s work on eBay and I was drawn to the level of craftsmanship that he put into these largely unheralded Ward Beck pieces.  What’s/Who’s a Ward Beck … Continue reading →

Posted in Gold Coast Recorders, Technical | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Oddball dynamic mics of olden days

Posted on 04/09/2011 by chris

A quick review of some odd mics from the ‘pile’ that have not made it over to the studio yet.  If anyone out there is using these for makin’ records, drop a line a let us know yr thoughts.  Above … Continue reading →

Posted in Microphones | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments