J.Ukrop submitted a new blog post: Automobile for an Audiophile Continue reading the Original Blog Post
I wonder what that system sounded like? My dad left me his McIntosh stereo from the 1960s and when setup right and tuned, it's produces incredible sound - on par or better than some crazy high end stuff made today. So given that experience, I would think the technology wasn't that far off in 1960. I bet it was rich and warm, but not necessary clean.
McIntosh tube gear has almost a cult following. The amplifiers look vaguely like some electrical appliance, not so much a hi-fi stereo. Well made stuff, and sound very, very good.
Realistically, probably not that good; 'state of the art' in those days wasn't anywhere close to what even a mid-price system can deliver today. Consumer stereo recordings were in their infancy, with commercial stereo recordings only becoming available starting in 1958 even though the concept dated to the '30s. Even at that, stereo recordings were rare and expensive; it wasn't until the mid-60s that stereo recordings became commonly available. Up until the mid-60s, stereo records couldn't be played on mono turntables or vice-versa because of differences in the stylus design as damage to the record would result. It was the mid-60s before they finally figured out how to make the stereo records compatible with mono equipment. If the speaker count given is accurate, it was probably actually a mono setup or possibly a hybrid setup, not 'true' stereo as we know it today. I would be curious to know if the gear he used was the 'new-fangled' solid-state stuff becoming available or was still tube-based. I suspect solid-state as tube gear probably wouldn't survive long in that environment. Ryan, hang onto that Mac gear. McIntosh had (and still has) a reputation for clean sound, conservative (and accurate) specs and near-bulletproof construction. The tube-based Mac stuff is highly prized among audiophiles, but even the later solid-state stuff is very highly respected. I recently sold my Mac 1900 receiver (purchased new by me in 1972) for only $100 less than what I originally paid for it. I also sold a same-era Mac amplifier for more than it sold for new...
I used to sell high end audio, Carver tubed amps, 8 channel reel to reel, Klipsch corner horns, etc. I personally prefer the sound over todays digital music. I got the hankering to find an old set of corner horns a month or two ago, still bringing $12,000 to $15,000 a pair. Bluetooth speakers my ass. More to topic, but not really, I had a friend many years ago that took the back seat out of his 68 GTO and added a hifi complete with reel to reel, tuner, amps, crossovers woofers, tweeters and horns. He also ran power converters like the 40 above, the sound was not bad at all.
Welcome to cyber-space, I'm lost in a fog Everything's digital, I'm still analog When something goes wrong, I don't have a clue Some 10 year old smart-ass has to show me what to do Sign on with high-speed, you don't have to wait Sit there for days and vegetate I access my email; read all my spam I'm an analog man The whole world's living in a digital dream It's not really there - it's all on the screen Makes me forget who I am I'm an analog man Yeah, I'm an analog man in a digital world I'm gonna get me an analog girl Who loves me for what I am I'm an analog man What's wrong with vinyl? I think it sounds great LPs, 45s, 78s But that's just the way I am I'm an analog man Turn on the tube - watch until dawn 100 channels, nothing is on Endless commercials Endless commercials The whole world's glued to the cable TV It looks so real on the big LCD Murder and violence are rated PG Too bad for the children - they are what they see The whole world's living in a digital dream It's not really there - it's all on the screen Makes me forget who I am I'm an analog man Yeah, I'm an analog man in a digital world I'm gonna get me an analog girl Who loves me for what I am I'm an analog man Yeah, I'm an analog man in a digital world Joe Walsh
Klipsch junkie here. nice sets of cornerhorns come up for "a few" thousand all the time. location can be a factor, i suspect so, in the PNW. my living room setup are 58 & 62 Klipschorns powered by Dynaco tube amps. i got the khorns as singles at different times for less than a thousand each within the last few years, for well maintained nice original units. i also run speakerlab Ks using all klipsch drivers and crossovers in the shop. as far as i'm concerned, Klipsch speakers were the hot rods of period audio.
If you get tired of staring at those archaic music boxes let me know and I'll take a little drive and help you out!!! A dream of mine to own a pair
very interesting Mctalk here and a lot of info learned and absorbed. Music is the influence that unites the world, being able to hear it thru the right gear is sublime.
Where's Ron? Where's the '40. Is Pete Sukalac still alive? who owns his thousands of pictures of NW cars? SO MANY QUESTIONS, SO LITTLE TIME........
I always have loved listening to music but never went big on the gear. Any “new to me” ride got a cassette player and a pair of Jensen’s. Now all I ever use is one of those shitty Bluetooth speakers and play it off my phone. The stereo comes from the two exhaust pipes. I never have understood the “Boom Boom” cars or why the HELL people have to have a loud stereo on a motorcycle.....Mark
Looks like he's still in Eugene. Anyone care to give him a ring and see if he still has the 40? Would love to know how he swung a 4k build at age 19 in 1960. Parents back him? That was a chunk of money. Probably money enough to get into a house back then. Ron Heddinger, 79 Eugene, OR
I recently cruised, a slightly off topic, convertible through town. it had all state of the art stereo equipment, ten amps, ten speakers and some video screens to further enhance the high tech feel. the music could be listened to at the #10 level of volume so I popped in a Motown variety cd and turned the volume to 26 level and watched peoples reactions as I went by. lots of thumbs up and smiles,...... I was the coolest.......well.......until, while stopped for a light, Aretha Franklin's feels like a natural woman came on. good song, but not really manly.
Back in the late 80's, I competed in autosound challenges. My M.O. has always been to pack a big punch without showing too much. My 86 MSE Gran Prix had 37 speakers in it and only 4 showed, 2 unless you opened the trunk to reveal the pair of Cerwin Vega 18"s. Better to have nice electronics tastefully installed than to have a cheap setup in a 100k show car. I've done beefed up, vintage Blaupunkt equipment in vintage German cars and I've done some of the new MacIntosh tube amps (90's) in a few old cars. Always plan on the sound if you like a finished car, rather than see the looks of folks suddenly go from smiles to frowns when they see your Walmart radio.
Garrard is a name I haven't thought of in years. A friend had one with an adjustable speed control, hooked to a 100 watt Pioneer, with some Pioneer 3 ways and a pair of Bose reflectors. Good times, those.
Cool Hotrod lots of ballast......it is interesting that ones likes and interests get entwined into the Wheels...its all good and that fella was a trendsetter/pioneer into Big Sound in Auto... I like many of the others would love to have heard it...gotta ask is it still around? Thanks for sharing this most interesting Hotrod @J.Ukrop
Wow... $4 000! That's somewhere between 26K and 35K in today's money, according to measuringworth.com.
Hello, Of course, the 1940 Ford Coupe immediately caught my eye. Being 19 sounds wonderful as there was probably enough money to do custom touches to hot rods and family cruisers. That 40 Ford exterior/interior was a little overboard, but we only saw these at the local Long Beach/LA car shows. Our high school interiors that got the tuck and roll treatment were one color and 2 inch tucks. But, the way he set up his whole car is/was impressive. The item that hits home is that Garrad record player. From the mid 60s to the 80s, that was the name for quality home record players. Ours lasted from 1966 until 2000,when we had to get a new record player for our LP Album collection. It was worth it to drive up to West LA near the Pico/La Brea area. The LP albums were $2.99-3.99 vs. $7.99-9.99 in the Long Beach/Lakewood area. Our second apartment and below in the two car garage was the Harley, A 1965 Red El Camino and 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery. The Garrad Record Player was central (along with a powerful Kenwood receiver) to our whole 50s-60s stereo system, along with our 15” bass and metal tweeters. Clean sounds, super loud if necessary, (sometimes it was,) and a carefree, “20 something” attitude all played into the sound of rock and roll. But, to have a Garrad LP player in a hot rod? That is real quality and tons of class. He did not scrimp on that player and installation. In our efforts to get some other music in our 58 Impala (other than AM), my brother and I borrowed a friend’s, simple, under the dash, floor mount 33/45 rpm record player. It was one of the many that were on the market back then. Yes, we saw them mostly on show cars and our friend had this one in his own car. He was getting a better one with better shock absorbing quality, so he had this first edition model available for prospective buyers. His warning was that this older model was good standing still in a level parking lot, but unplayable in the sloping drive-in theater hills and dips. Sounds while moving? Yes, but the slightest dip in the road made for skips and scratches. So, technically, unplayable while driving, if you valued your 45s or LP albums. (Wow, too bad something like this is not available for cell phones…unplayable while driving, what a concept.) Jnaki We tried it, going down our own street and it was pretty nice listening to our own choice of music. But, immediately coming to a slight dip in the road, before a stop sign, the record skipped. Add in the sound of the terrible “ziiiipppp” and then continued to play a different track. That was not good. We almost bought the record player set up, but standing still listening to music only was not the most conducive thing for a hot rod or cruiser. I had recorded plenty of music on my dad’s reel to reel tape machine. So, I had an arsenal for playing, only, no one had tape players for cars. We tried to hook up our neighbor’s portable reel to reel tape machine, (like the ones at schools) But, it was huge, although the sound was really nice. It was too big to put it on the floorboard under the dash and was inconvenient to put it in the trunk. (could not reach it for fast forwarding or reverse to hear the song again.) So, it was back to the reliable AM radio programs…until the 8 track/cassette era.
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