Siren #289: Oakland
Siren #289: Oakland
Our Sawdust Sirens are old style acoustic amplifiers for your new phone's speaker. Simply put your phone in and have a listen.
Magnavox launched in 1915 in Oakland, CA with the invention of the first practical loudspeaker, utilizing a voice coil diaphragm mounted in the base of a gooseneck horn modeled after an early Edison phonograph horn.
One of the most common shaped radio horn in the 1920’s was the goose neck; about 35% of the horns had a curved neck instead of the earlier straight necks. The curved neck put the center of gravity of the top heavy horns directly over the base, making the horns more stable and less able to be toppled over. The longer air column also produced more volume.
This Magnavox Radio Speaker Horn is partnered with a black walnut base from a fallen tree in Swarthmore, PA. She stands about 23” tall with a 14.25” bell. The whole pieces is 26” tall x 14.25” wide x 14” deep. The base is finished with Betty’s Board Butter (beeswax and mineral oil). You may wish to re-oil your base occasionally. Each Siren is signed on the bottom of the base. If your phone has stereo options you may want to play around with mono and stereo settings to see which you prefer.
Please let us know if you have a plus sized phone.