The progression in 800Hz. horns is pretty much like this: 1)H-808 tar filled eight cell, 800Hz. horn, introduced with the Lansing Iconic in late 1937; 2) the foamed urethane version of the H-808 (as in the auction pair), two piece glued construction (identical upper and lower halves), used in the Model 800 VOTT of 1947 ; 3) two piece glued aluminum version (most rare!) apparently using the same casting molds as the urethane version; 4) two piece aluminum H-808 using flanges and fasteners at throat and mouth to hold upper and lower halves together; 5)one piece H-811 in 1953, followed soon after by two piece welded 811A and later 811B radial horns.
Somewhere I have a service bulletin from 1947 stating that either a plastic or aluminum H-808 might be furnished with a Model 800 system. The urethane horns were replaced with the aluminum ASAP as they often fractured with the slightest rough handling or overtightening of the driver nuts.
Todd if your horn is a urethane H-808 it is probably worth $600 to $1,000 if it is in good shape. Their sound is very close to the tar filled H-808, with the later aluminum horns sounding progressively more ringy.
The move from the tar filled H-808 to the urethane version accompanied the change from the three stud to the two stud driver mounting. With the two identical halves of the cast horns and the flying buttresses supporting the driver mounting flange, it was no longer practical to use the three stud arrangement. Early Lansing 801 and 901 drivers used three studs, but almost all 802 drivers used the two stud mount. I have seen 802 drivers with three studs as well as tar filled H-808 horns with the larger two hole flange, so there were variants produced during the transition.
Originally Posted by Panomaniac
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