Meagher Electronics
Encyclopedia
Meagher Electronics was a Monterey, California
, company which was founded in 1947 by Jim Meagher. It included a recording studio which recorded early demos for Joan Baez
, her sister, Mimi Farina
and her sister's husband, Richard Farina
. The company also repaired all sorts of home entertainment equipment, focusing on professional and semi professional sound equipment and high end home systems. It had a huge, high warehouse space in which literally hundreds of old wooden console radios and phonographs dating back to the 1920s were stacked to the rafters. Meagher used to explain that these had been left by customers who chose not to pick them up instead of paying the repair estimate charges.
The firm was also a commercial sound installation company and one of the first Altec Lansing
dealers in the country, with catalogues and equipment going back to 1947. It provided the sound system for most of the concerts and live events in the Monterey area in the 1950s through the 1970s, from folk to jazz to Roger Williams
It also recorded the first gold jazz album, Errol Garner's Concert by the Sea in the mid 1950s on a portable mono Ampex
601
tape recorder which remained a prize possession for many years.
The Monterey Jazz Festival
contracted Meagher to provide their sound reinforcement system
from the beginning of its existence in 1958 and the firm was extremely conscientious about providing the best quality sound possible, often using recording quality condenser microphones and custom designed loudspeaker arrays. The company supplied sound reinforcement systems for the Big Sur
Folk Festival
s and assisted Harry McCune Sound from San Francisco and their employees Abe Jacob and John Meyer
, who were contracted to provide the sound system for the Monterey Pop Festival
in 1967, because of their experience in setting up high intensity systems in venues such as the Winterland Ballroom
and The Fillmore
.
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, company which was founded in 1947 by Jim Meagher. It included a recording studio which recorded early demos for Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, her sister, Mimi Farina
Mimi Fariña
Mimi Baez Fariña was a singer-songwriter and activist, the youngest of three daughters to a Scottish mother and Mexican-American physicist Albert Baez .- Early years:Fariña's father, a physicist affiliated with Stanford University and MIT, moved his family...
and her sister's husband, Richard Farina
Richard Fariña
Richard George Fariña was an American writer and folksinger.-Early years and education:Richard Fariña was born in Brooklyn, New York, of Cuban and Irish descent. He grew up in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn and attended Brooklyn Technical High School...
. The company also repaired all sorts of home entertainment equipment, focusing on professional and semi professional sound equipment and high end home systems. It had a huge, high warehouse space in which literally hundreds of old wooden console radios and phonographs dating back to the 1920s were stacked to the rafters. Meagher used to explain that these had been left by customers who chose not to pick them up instead of paying the repair estimate charges.
The firm was also a commercial sound installation company and one of the first Altec Lansing
Altec Lansing
Altec Lansing is a line of professional, home, automotive, computer, and multimedia audio products first developed in 1936. They were used in many studios as monitor speakers...
dealers in the country, with catalogues and equipment going back to 1947. It provided the sound system for most of the concerts and live events in the Monterey area in the 1950s through the 1970s, from folk to jazz to Roger Williams
Roger Williams (pianist)
Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.-Biography:...
It also recorded the first gold jazz album, Errol Garner's Concert by the Sea in the mid 1950s on a portable mono Ampex
Ampex
Ampex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence...
601
Ampex 601
The Ampex 601 was a portable analog reel-to-reel tape recorder produced by from the late 1950s through the 1960s. Ampex manufactured a singe-channel model and dual-channel version . The suitcase-sized, 26lb unit was designed for the professional recording applications...
tape recorder which remained a prize possession for many years.
The Monterey Jazz Festival
Monterey Jazz Festival
The Monterey Jazz Festival is one of the longest consecutively running jazz festivals. It debuted on October 3, 1958 and was founded by San Francisco jazz radio broadcaster Jimmy Lyons.-History:...
contracted Meagher to provide their sound reinforcement system
Sound reinforcement system
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds to a larger or more distant audience...
from the beginning of its existence in 1958 and the firm was extremely conscientious about providing the best quality sound possible, often using recording quality condenser microphones and custom designed loudspeaker arrays. The company supplied sound reinforcement systems for the Big Sur
Big Sur
Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big...
Folk Festival
Folk festival
A Folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music.-Canada:Alberta*Calgary Folk Music Festival*Canmore Folk Music Festival*Edmonton Folk Music Festival*Jasper Folk Festival*Wild Mountain Music FestOntario*Barriefolk...
s and assisted Harry McCune Sound from San Francisco and their employees Abe Jacob and John Meyer
John Meyer (audio engineer)
John Meyer is a pioneer in the sound reinforcement industry. In 1979 he founded founded Meyer Sound Laboratories with his wife, Helen Meyer.John Meyer grew up in Berkeley, California. His earliest involvement with audio was in the late 50s hanging out at the local radio station KPFA...
, who were contracted to provide the sound system for the Monterey Pop Festival
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
in 1967, because of their experience in setting up high intensity systems in venues such as the Winterland Ballroom
Winterland Ballroom
The Winterland Ballroom, often referred to as Winterland Arena or simply Winterland, was an old ice skating rink and 5,400-seat music venue in San Francisco, California...
and The Fillmore
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
.