need advice on refinishing speakers. Do's & Don'ts

If they are what's termed Black Ash finish - I have refinished a few black xerxes turntables.
Nitromors and fine wire wool should remove the Black.
You will never get all the black out of the grain and it tends to look a bit unatural but finished with wipe on coloured wax and buffed up, it looks a damn site nicer than black ash!
I would also tend to go with having a cabinet maker redo the veneer.

I have done what you are considering with pretty good success. I would never do it again due to the large amount of work involved and the significant time it takes. If you go ahead, the post by Markphd is a great tutorial and excellent advice. Fortunately, my Alon V's had relatively thick veneer. I was able to get most of the black out of the grain in the oak veneer by using a medium/soft nylon bristle brush in conjunction with the stripper. Do not brush too hard. I totally agree with the use of a dark stain for your situation due to the trace of black that will be left in the wood grain. Stains with some amount of red in them seem to be popular, such as a mahogany blend. I also agree with removing the drivers and crossovers. Before choosing a finish, you should look at the differences and relative benefits of using a spray laquer finish instead of urethane. However, the finish you choose is really a personal preference issue. With any finish, work in an area with minimal airborne dust or dirt. Good luck.

Mitch2
thanks... I agree.
Infact I called the Phase Tech Factory and asked about removing the drivers and what all it entailed... It's a snap according to them... Couple screws, and two wires on the units..

Given the detailed info and detailed work involved, along with the fact I'd like them to come out of this looking as good as they do now, 'cept another color... I think it best to have someone else do the deed. My concern for the outcome has increased, so to has the fear of really messing things up... so I'm gonna pursue having a pro do the refinishing thing... and do like a cherry or mahogany thing as was posted... maybe a Walnut.

With new drivers, networks, and refinishing, it'll be $900. Six of it into the refinishing... Not bad for a new set of speakers. the $225 or so, I put into the same brand two ways was way worth the money.... really worth while.

Thank you all for your time and efforts for sharing your past experiences and insights. My speakers aren't megga buck units here but are quite good sounding. this little redo venture I think will be a super improvment all around.

As a pro, let me say you've made a wise decision. A good shop knows how to remove black stain from wood if, in fact, it is actually a stain. Most often it is black lacquer, the color is in the finish and not in the wood. One thing to consider, ash is an open, large grained wood and may look a bit odd colored cherry or mahogany. The walnut (brown) color would be more appropriate. Have the grain filled as it will help disguise the fact that it's ash. Also, the use of a dye stain vs a pigmented wiping stain will result in a much nicer look. Glazing can help too.

If you have somebody else do it, and if that person hasn't done speakers before, there's one thing you have to make clear to the person.

Many professional refinishers strip by immersing the furniture in a large vat of chemical stripper since it's otherwise labour intensive work. Obviously you don't want this done to the speaker cabinet unless it can be taken apart, any filling removed and then properly replaced. Now I don't think that a real pro would be that stupid, but then again, some pros may not be as professional as they should be, just like any other contractor. Make sure they know that the cabinet can't be immersed and that it would have to be stripped by hand. It will add to the cost but that's the price you pay if you prefer to have somebody else do it.