'73 SE4122 #5199

[mikhailwatt]

This bad boy followed me home from work the other night...













I acquired it from the original owner, who bought it new from American Music in Seattle in the early '70s.
Not pictured - OEM casters and vinyl slip cover.

I was curious to see what cone codes were on the Fanes, as it seems that it was around '73 or so that Fane transitioned from the earlier 1021/15 cones to 010 003 cones... so I was a little surprised to find 1021 3 and WF1009 codes. The WF1009 cone codes are interesting. I believe those would be Wharfedale numbers, which makes me think "recone." The owner said it has never been serviced, and that clean interior looks like it hasn't been touched since the day it left the factory... except for a couple of missing nuts on those two drivers. Hmmm... who knows? Regardless, it sounds just like an old SE4122 should, solid, warm, punchy and perfect!

I don't recall ever seeing seeing a six-pointed star stamped on the frame before. Could it be that vintage Fanes, besides sounding incredible, are also "kosher for Passover"?

EDIT: A little google searching told me the WF1009 cones are Waldom recones. Oh well... the beast sounds awesome.

[Dr.HI-TONE]

Simply Beautiful!

[OldSchoolDave]

This bad boy followed me home from work the other night...

Tell me what route you take - I'd like to attract a stray like that .

I don't recall ever seeing seeing a six-pointed star stamped on the frame before. Could it be that vintage Fanes, besides sounding incredible, are also "kosher for Passover"?

New one on me, too. Either way, it can't hurt .

A little google searching told me the WF1009 cones are Waldom recones. Oh well... the beast sounds awesome.

Thanks for that info. I assumed Wharfedale as well. Just ran across a Fane speaker with one of those cones myself. Maybe they were a supplementary supplier and your speakers were produced at a time when inventory was low?

Whatever the case, nice score amigo!

Dave

[mikhailwatt]

Maybe they were a supplementary supplier and your speakers were produced at a time when inventory was low?

I was thinking that as well, but Waldom is/was out of Chicago... seems unlikely that Fane would've imported cones from this side of the pond. Besides that, the missing nuts and a couple of stray solder blobs (didn't notice them earlier) tell me that someone tinkered with that pair at some point. I don't think the seller had a clue, so I have to wonder if the work might have been done back in '74 before he bought it? Weird.

Apparently the WF1009 and WF1008 are seen in some reconed Celestion Greenbacks. The cones themselves are virtually indistinguishable from the 1021 3, same pulpy appearance to the paper, same "tap tone." I read that the voice coil formers are aluminum, though. I think the Fanes might be Nomex? Well, whatever, they do sound awfully good!

Take the Alderwood Mall exit off Hwy 526, left on 164th... The guy was talking about selling his vintage !blasphemy! Model T (T as in "traitor" - and you know who you are) as well. Oooohhh, snap!

[OldSchoolDave]

More "Kosher Fanes" sighted here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/HIWATT-4X12-Speaker ... 0516747406

The one cone code visible in the pics does not appear to be original. I've asked the seller for all 4 codes.

The Star of David stamp remains a mystery...but, now we know there are more out there.

Dave

[JR]

Those cabs are just a work of art. That is a very nice find. That one in Chicago is tempting, but I have some other stuff on the list.

[Zells]

Cool. I have cabs #4680 and #5236...both are also SE4122 models and all speakers date to '73. These are phenomenal cabs.