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Old 28th Mar 2017, 5:01 pm   #1
Paul_RK
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Default Gilbert Briggs biography

In case it's of interest, I see that Postscript Books' latest list includes David Briggs' 2012 biography of Gilbert, A Pair of Wharfedales, at a heavily discounted £9.99: http://www.psbooks.co.uk/products/sc...of-wharfedales . It hadn't come to my notice before, but after a glance at the generous excerpts on view at http://www.impublications.com/flip/1...1282304356.pdf I'll be belatedly ordering a copy.

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Old 28th Mar 2017, 7:17 pm   #2
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

Thanks for the tip-off Paul, copy ordered!
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Old 28th Mar 2017, 8:02 pm   #3
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

£12 including postage, original published price was £30. Mine is on it's way. And going on that massive excerpt, a right good riveting read it is too..
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Old 28th Mar 2017, 10:24 pm   #4
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

Indeed thanks for the tip off, I have ordered one too.

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Old 28th Mar 2017, 11:47 pm   #5
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

I shall order one as well Paul. Just my kind of book-thanks

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Old 29th Mar 2017, 7:53 am   #6
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

Thank you Paul.

I've ordered as copy as well.

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Old 29th Mar 2017, 10:13 am   #7
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Thanks for the link just ordered my copy.
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Old 1st Apr 2017, 1:07 pm   #8
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

I should be on commission

My copy has just arrived, a weighty volume with a wonderful range of photographs and reproduced brochures, covering the humble early extension 'speakers as well as it does the later audio products. The treatment of Gilbert Briggs' personal and business life seems proportionate and well judged. From what I've seen so far the book appears thoroughly researched and promises lively reading, and deserved to sell well at its published price of £30. Perhaps it was let down by a failure of publicity, I don't recall seeing it mentioned in the Bulletin or anywhere else.

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Old 1st Apr 2017, 9:30 pm   #9
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

I have received a copy also on first inspection its a cracker
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Old 1st Apr 2017, 10:56 pm   #10
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

Well spotted Paul, and a real bargain! Cheap P&P too at just £2.00.

Good that they accept paypal, so all done in a couple of minutes.

Quite a large extract, which really sells it.

What a pity it's such a niche subject that it didn't sell well at its well-deserved cover price.
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Old 2nd Apr 2017, 8:02 am   #11
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor View Post
I have received a copy also on first inspection its a cracker
It is indeed.

Although the book predates my stint at Wharfedale in the very early 90's, there is a picture of a very young Gareth Milward, who was still there when I was there. He developed a specialty for the Diamond, and had at that time designed all five in the series.

It is a really tough business to make money though. By the time you take off distributor and retailer margins (at 30% to 50% each), to make a profit you have to pare costs right to the bone. Shaving the last penny off was taken almost to an artform.

Needless to say nowadays all Wharfedale speakers are made in China, and the company is owned by two Taiwanese brothers. As are Quad, Mission, Audiolab, Luxman, and Ekco.
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Old 2nd Apr 2017, 9:11 am   #12
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

Another book I bought by G.A.Briggs.
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Old 2nd Apr 2017, 9:48 am   #13
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

Thanks Paul, just ordered mine, and it's a very interesting bookshop that seems to have lots of other bargains.

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Old 2nd Apr 2017, 10:00 am   #14
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

The sand filled baffles were a great idea, and an early precursor to the modern idea of constrained layer damping, where a dissipative core is constrained between two much thinner skins. Used in aircraft, and in loudspeakers.

Back in the day (early 70's) I built a mirror pair of irregular pentagon speakers (to break up air resonances), peppered the inside with nails - to anchor the concrete lining. My Dad thought I was certifiably bonkers (he was not wrong!). They were not light...
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Old 2nd Apr 2017, 12:49 pm   #15
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig Sawyers View Post
Needless to say nowadays all Wharfedale speakers are made in China, and the company is owned by two Taiwanese brothers. As are Quad, Mission, Audiolab, Luxman, and Ekco.
Er, Ekco??!!
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Old 2nd Apr 2017, 1:35 pm   #16
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

The Ekco brand has been revived, but there is no connection with the original company.

http://www.ekcoaudio.com
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Old 2nd Apr 2017, 4:40 pm   #17
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Well all new to me! Thanks for this Link.

A curious use of the brand, as the nearest EKCO came to Hi Fi was their dalliance with Dynatron - often sharing the same chassis in different cabinets. I wonder what old Eric would have thought of this.......
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Old 2nd Apr 2017, 8:01 pm   #18
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edward Huggins View Post
... the nearest EKCO came to Hi Fi was their dalliance with Dynatron...
Having said that, there was the ZU9 music centre of the early 1970s which met DIN HiFi standards, though this seems to be a Philips-derived product, made in Sweden, and fitted with an amazingly good belt-drive turntable with electronic speed control and floating subchassis (basically the Philips 212).

Back to GAB now...

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Old 2nd Apr 2017, 8:32 pm   #19
Edward Huggins
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Yes, this was a superb product and now rarely seen anywhere even on auction sites. But a long way removed from Southend-on-Sea...
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Old 5th Apr 2017, 4:36 pm   #20
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Default Re: Gilbert Briggs biography

My copy has just come, a superb tome, an era of quality & ethics sadly missing from the modern world.
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