Lockwood MAJORS

[BTH K10A]

If I owned Jack Bruce's Orange Formica Lockwood Majors I would stride the world like a colossus! I wonder who has them now?

I know what you mean. I used to own a pair of ex John Entwhisle JBL C50SMS8's. The provenance doesn't make them sound any better (although they were amazing speakers) but it does ones ego no harm.

Jack Bruce playing the baseline in Crossroads was something to behold. The big Tannoys I have had never sounded quite as natural or tuneful.

[Macca]

Hello,

I don't know this Formica. Are they that better than layered wood or than Pazerholz?

Formica is a resin type compound used over chipboard to make durable surfaces like kitchen worktops:



Orange was a colour used in the ninteen seventies...

I think Marco was tongue in cheek when he suggested the orange formica would improve the sound. It would look pretty funky, though.

Hope this helps

[Marco]

I think Marco was tongue in cheek when he suggested the orange formica would improve the sound. It would look pretty funky, though.

Indeed!

But at the same time, I'm in no hurry to remove the 'rosewood effect' formica on my Majors, and replace it with something more modern and aesthetically pleasing, as a different type and thickness of cabinet veneer *could* alter how the speakers sound, for better or worse - and I absolutely love how my speakers sound. And of course, once that's done, it's done....

There are times when you're best leaving things well alone, and this is one of them!

Marco.

[adrian]

HI Vencel

'Formica' was the brand name for a very hard- waring plastic type covering that was introduced in the 1950's.It was meant primarily for kitchens and kitchen work surfaces and cupboard fronts,.It was good quality stuff! It was very popular in orange and/or yellow.I think it is still being made.Revolutionary at the time. Everyone had Formica somewhere in the house.Probably called something different around the world.

Buuuuuttttt,how it got to be used on professonally built loudspeakers I can't imagine.Quite amusing really. Formica?Probably a requirement by a customer somewhere.

So no,there is nothing majical about using this stuff on loudspeakers.

Regards
ADRIAN

[chelsea]

I wouldn't mind a pair of lockwoods in white formica.

[The Grand Wazoo]

.......... a different type and thickness of cabinet veneer *could* alter how the speakers sound, for better or worse - and I absolutely love how my speakers sound. And of course, once that's done, it's done....

Actually, I suspect that (aesthetics aside) it's probably an excellent material to coat a pair of loudspeakers in. It's actually made of layers & layers of paper and/or fabric, which is soaked in a resin (melamine) and subjected to huge pressures and heat in order to cure it. This makes it very stiff.
Also the stuff they used in the 50's was, I think a good bit thicker than the Formica you see nowadays. Additionally, it was probably stuck down to your ply(?) cabinets with an organically based glue (horses hooves?!). This combination makes a very stiff and inert layer of material - got to be good for sound, no?

By the way, Formica was originally meant to be a replacement 'For Mica' as an electrical insulator and has been with us since 1913.

[Jonboy]

The Formica is what gives them the sound they have, if you remove or change the Formica the sound will change dramatically as well, a mate of mine used Lockwoods in his recording studio back in the seventies as his monitors prefering the LSU units over the HPD's

[The Grand Wazoo]

I suspect that, if yer aestheticals were really important to you, you could probably get someone (armed with some suitable adhesive and a good degree of woodworking skills) to bond a real wood veneer to Formica and get the best of both worlds........maybe!

[Marco]

Hi Jon,

The Formica is what gives them the sound they have, if you remove or change the Formica the sound will change dramatically as well...

Are you being serious, mate, or just taking the piss?

Marco.

[Macca]

The Audiophile properties of Formica...

We are through the looking glass here, people...