I am new to the forum, but have lurked on and off over the years. My company is finally updating a sound system (a ten-year process!) in a 1941 Navy base gym. One of the requirements is to remove the old sound systems, which was as far as we were told was a basic Soundsphere-TOA affair.
In the process of establishing conduit routes a few years ago, I see the first picture attached (could not get directly to it, just on a ladder from about 10' away). I thought, "cool, we'll have to check that out if we ever get this contract."
Long story short, we started work last week, and finally got into that loft. Sitting there for who knows how long are one of the single Shearer Horn modules (A4), its two old 415 bass drivers, a 288-8G HF driver on I think a 45x60 horn, a single A8 and a singe 816A. No multi-cell horns though...
We will fulfill our contract obligations and remove these old sound system parts as well I'll make sure these items get to good homes who can restore them properly, put correct cones on the field effect drivers, etc. The only thing I'm not sure about is the actual plywood horn - is that worth getting out of there for someone to work with? For sure I'd want to get the dividing network and schematics, but the logistics of getting the big horn down are significant.
To see this stuff in the wild, some with 80 years of dust on them but still surprisingly intact blows my mind. Reading up on the history of these again makes me realize just how we stand on the shoulders of giants, Hilliard and Olsen in this case.
We're installing Danley GH60 and TH212 with SM60F for center and sidefill. I feel like we're maintaining a respectful legacy by installing the current generation of horn-loaded goodness, but I can't help but wonder what it was like for the sailors and shipyard workers to come into that big gym to watch Casablanca or Bambi, or The Flying Tigers on the big screen and big speakers!