[Jeffr1966]

I ask this here because from what I have seen Salk speakers have the most beautiful woodwork of any speaker manufacturer.  I ALMOST pulled the trigger on a pair of monitor speakers on AudiogoN this morning but I knew they would have to be re-veneered in order to pass the wife's living room test.  I have NO skill (or tools) to properly undertake such a project.  In case something like this comes up again is this something that can be successfully done and at a reasonable cost??  The speakers I had been looking at were JM Reynaud Offrandes, a fairly large stand mount.

Thanks in advance.

Jeff

[jsalk]

Yes, speakers can be re-veneered.  However, it is a great deal of labor since everything needs to be sanded down in order to prepare them for veneering.  Of course, some speaker shapes cannot be veneered as veneer will typically only bend in one direction - with the grain.  If you have roundovers on, say, the top and the side, the veneer would have to bend in both directions and this almost never works.  There are other limitations as well. Normally it is easier just to build new cabinets.

So the answer is a qualified yes and we would have to see the specific speakers to know if there are any issues.

- Jim

[JoshK]

Doable, but looks like a complicated job.

[PMAT]

Often, if the veneer is not cooked, they can be refinished. Light sanding and a new finish coat(s). Many times its just the top of the speaker and a piece of granite or marble can cover them. 

[Jeffr1966]

thanks for the responses ... the Offrandes are probably more difficult than some speakers due to the angles etc and the pair I had seen are sold anyway so it is a non-issue with these.

Mr Salk: it sound like it is often cheaper to have new cabinets constructed rather than re-veneer an existing cabinet.  I ASSume it depends on the individual speaker though.

one other question: would a cabinet maker or similar be able to re-veneer a pair of speakers or would you leave a task like this to someone who specializes in building speakers???

regards

Jeff

[MichiganMike]

You might also post your question on another forum, such as diyaudio.com.  http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=260d0a82e8c331baea46a9ffc42c949b&threadid=141366&highlight=  There are some individuals there that have experience building and re-finishing loudspeaker cabinets that might provide additional insight. 

Jim is the expert and I would certainly defer to his opinion.  Based on my very limited experience it would be a real challenge for a novice to get results refinishing speakers that would pass your living room test.  Some skilled woodworkers might be able to achieve good results, but this might add substantial expense and there is always the concern you or your spouse may not like the result.  If you are not satisfied and decide to resell the speakers, you may not recover much or any of the expense of refinishing.   

Good luck.