[TKonrad.NOLA]

I swear this is the hardest part.   I think I am 85% there but tomorrow is another day. 

[MiamiAngler]

Sometimes you can have too many options.    Good luck on your pick, the end product will be beautiful.   I originally ordered a silver gray maple Song3, but upgraded to a Song3 BeAT in rotary cut mahogany Jim was making for himself.   Saved me lots of time in the waiting room.

[rmdtexas]

i looked at every photo in the gallery and then at every batch of veneers at Certainly Wood (one of Jim's suppliers) before deciding on  spalted beech  for my

BeATs

[wilbur_the_goose]

Nice choice!

I purchased my BeATs 2nd hand from a store in Michigan.  I reviewed plenty of photos, but I was amazed at the extremely high build quality and beauty when I opened the boxes.    It's a choice I don't think I'd have ever made, but WOW - is it great!

I'll try to get some photos loaded this weekend.

[TKonrad.NOLA]

those look amazing

i looked at every photo in the gallery and then at every batch of veneers at Certainly Wood (one of Jim's suppliers) before deciding on  spalted beech  for my

BeATs

[Jeff in the D]

Wilbur T_G
Where was the store in MI (city) selling Salk speakers ? Did they have any others for sale?
Thanks
Jeff

[owlsalum1]

I drove myself nuts with my first pair years ago. Settled on waterfall bubinga. I discovered during the process your choices can sometimes be limited by what's available from the suppliers at the time of your order. For a given model it takes a certain number of square feet of matched veneer, which has to account for excess when trimming it to size, etc. The best advice I have for anyone trying to make a decision is come up with a list of your top three choices and then have Jim assess availability of a lot of sufficient quality and quantity.

[rmdtexas]

Once i found the batch of veneer at Cetainly Wood i emailed Jim the lot to see if it would work. Once he confirmed it would work i gave approval to purchase it
  No regrets whatsoever after seeing the end product.

[wilbur_the_goose]

Wilbur T_G
Where was the store in MI (city) selling Salk speakers ? Did they have any others for sale?
Thanks
Jeff

It was a consignment - I doubt they get many Salk speakers.   Found the speakers in Audiogon and they lasted about 1 day there - I snapped them up very quickly.

[floresjc]

I love all kinds of wood finishes and wooden products. I don't care if its kitchen spoons or speakers or furniture. It took me quite a while to get to the point where I could order Salks and I figured that I'd probably only get a purchase like that past my wife once in my life so I wasn't about to screw up the choice of finish. I looked at his website for months trying to pick out my favorite. I settled on Waterfall Bubinga for my Songtower home theater, and his standard walnut finish for my HT2-TL's. I did however, pay way too much money custom ordering some really nice bubinga veneer and had it shipped to Jim as well as way too much money for some exquisite claro walnut for the baffle of my HT2-TL's.

12 years and several moves later what I've really learned is the finish doesn't matter. I don't even really notice anymore. They are sexy speakers sure, but I just care that they sound fantastic, and I have zero time in my day to sit and ogle over how they look. The standard finish is great, so is the custom veneer. In fact, these days I find that I appreciate the standard finish with a custom baffle a bit more than the crazy bubinga veneer I bought.

I've been hankering for some of the Salk Silks, and if I do I'll probably end up with standard cherry and just let them age. Or maybe a really light maple, since it contrasts very well with the black baffles.