Altec Lansing | H-811 Tweeter used at Altamont

Property of Strider Shurtliff

Altec Lansing

H-811 Tweeter, from the Dead’s early live set up, ca. 1969

Green metal horn tweeter (17 x 17 x 9”) in original finish.

Before the Wall of Sound and used at Altamont

These horn tweeters were standard in the iconic Altec Lansing Voice of the Theater speakers, which were originally part of the Dead’s live sound, before it became evident that the size and weight of these were unsuited to the rigors of extensive touring. The limitations of the Altec cabinets were one of the reasons that the band turned to their own engineers and roadies to design and build the speaker array that became the Wall of Sound. 

“Big” Steve Parish: “This was from one of the earliest sets of speakers owned by the Dead and part of a jury-rigged PA system that Owsley built. This tweeter was at Altamont, which is very, very cool.”