Stonehenge II

[streuli]

Hi everybody!

After having a beer in a bar this weekend with one of my friends, whom I haven't seen for a long time, he told me his girlfriend's father had some BIG, old speakers standing in the way. "Boston Acoustics type Stonehenge." he told me. My heart skipped a beat, because Stonehenge sounded more like Altec rather than Boston Acoustics. With the legendary Stonehenge III in mind I started questioning my friend: The woofers were completely wasted, It was a three way system (so no type III) they tried to get new woofers at a local "professional" speakershop and could get some german 12" woofers for $500 per piece.(I've been to this shop before and they have never heard of Altec......) To much $ for these old speakers, he thought, so the man decided to give away the speakers on the flea market held every year on the dead Queens Birthday here in Amsterdam. "Noooo, Call him now and I'll pick them up in an hour, to do him a favour" I said to my friend, and an hour later I came face to face with two Altec Stonehenge II cabinets. One painted high gloss black and the other high gloss white, with a brush, off course. The painter had not bothered to remove the covers so he just stopped painting where the covers were. The woofer had the typical Altec syndrome, disintergrated surround, and was otherwise in an acceptable state, but, I said woofer: One woofer had allready been thrown away by the man, because he didn't think it could be repaired and off course the trashman had picked up the trash one day earlier. Just my luck! The man appologised several times for throwing the woofer away after he saw all the colour vanishing from my face. I told him not to worry, because he just didn't know.
Following monday I telephoned the Amsterdam Municipal Garbage Disposal Service, and told them what had happened. All the persons I spoke to had severe difficulties controlling their laughs or taking me serious. After being put trough several times I finally spoke to a man who is an audiofreak himself, and understood my problem. He arranged for me to have a look at the central metal collection recycling unit where all metal object are separated from the rest of the garbage. I thought my chances would be small finding this thing in the garbage of the complete city of Amsterdam, but I did find it after two and a half hours of shifting around metal objects, mostly bicycles, and it broke my heart.... A not so kind, but heavy AEG refrigerator had squashed the woofer to an allmost unrecognisable object. I was allmost brought to a hospital as again my colour changed like a cameleon on the northpole....

(thanks for reading this far...)

And now for the part where, I hope, some of you might be able to help me.....

My problem now is to find a woofer (or two) for my cabinets, or to find out the typenumber or specifications / Thiele Small parameters of the original woofers, so I can find exact replacements, allthough I would prefer original ones. The original woofer that I still have does not have a type indication on it, only what I think is a production date: 2 76. On the cone it says: 18-03-3919, but I'm not sure about this because it's allmost unreadable.
By the way it's a 12" (310mm) pressed steel basket woofer.

The tweeters and mid-speakers are as good as new, just like the X-overs (exept the adjustable resistors for mid and high adjustements, but these will be replaced / repaired)
The cabinets are stripped of their paint with chemical paint stripper and beautiful allmost new Oak veneer has emerged. I still have to do some mild sanding and oiling, but the result is amazing!

I hope somebody can help me! In any case thank you for yor time!

Best regards,

Daniel Streuli

[Jim Butler]

HI Daniel,
I really dug your story of finding the Stonehenges. I too have gone to ridiculous lengths to snag a pair of Altecs destined for the trash.

The Stonehenge 11's use the early (stamped frame) version of the model 9 woofer. These woofers periodically come up on Ebay and you should be able to get one. You can also use the later cast frame version of this woofer, but the mounting holes may need adjustment. Get'em refoamed or reconed at GPA.

I have a pair of the Stonehenge 11's that I run all day, crossed with a homebrew powered sub using a 411-8a woofer in a 620 cab. The sound is clear, powerful, and very smooth. They are well worth restoring. Enjoy.

Jim Butler