Restaining/Building a new casing for tower speaker

[racketboy]

I was just checking into my local goodwill store to see if any Sega goodies showed up (they didn't) and I spotted an interesting pair of older tower speakers.

They were pretty big and looked like they might have some good power.

They were Kenwoods.

However, they looked a little too retro -- and not in a good way.

But they were only $40 for the set.

So I was thinking, how hard/expensive would it be to build a new caseing for speakers such as this? I'm not sure if it was real wood or not (didn't think at the time to check), but if it was I guess I could re-stain them or something.

I'd be especially tempted to try, but I'll be moving across the country in the near future so I don't want to have to cart them around.

But I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the matter for future reference.

on another note, how flexible are goodwill stores usually if you bought speakers like that and then found out that they don't work or suck hard?

 

[Gallstaff]

Good will wont give a refund but they are good will so they will buy it back from you. If they are wood paneled then It would be easy enough to strip the wood and paint them or if you got any irish blood in you, you could re-panel them.

(not racist, just noting that me being irish, every man in my family seems to be a mster of wood paneling)

 

[Ratamahatta]

Why nut just get new speakers and install them like some infinitys and keep the casing?

 

[Gallstaff]

He doesnt want new speakers for an old casing he wants new casing for old speakers

 

[it290]

(not racist, just noting that me being irish, every man in my family seems to be a mster of wood paneling)

Heh, well, I'm Irish, and although there are plenty o tradesmen in my family, none of them are wood panelling experts. 😉

 

[Curtis]

Making new cabinets would be fairly easy. Making them sound good is another matter. Speaker cabinet design is a fairly complex issue. I know there is software available to help you design new cabinets, but I don't know what it is or how to use it.

 

[mal]

Reproducing a pair of cabinets shouldn't be too hard. The original manufacturer probably got them sounding OK the first time around.

 

[Curtis]

However, they looked a little too retro -- and not in a good way.

Hmm...I assumed he was building completely new cabs. I agree though, the original spec cabinents probably sound fine. I wouldn't expect the speakers to be up to much. Likely one or more of them has blown at some time in the past.

 

[mal]

There may be blown drivers but you'll only be able to tell by powering them up and listening to them or by opening them up and testing them using a meter.