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re-finish of dunlavy speakers?

I own a pair of Dunlavy SCII speakers in the black oak finish. In order to improve WAF, I am thinking about applying a light maple veneer that would wrap around from bottom, up sides and across top, leaving the front black. Assuming I did a high quality job, including sanding and finishing the veneer once applied, would the mere fact that they are no longer "original" send the value of the speakers through the floor, or might there be other Dunlavy owners out there who would like a maple monolith? Similarly, as my wife and I are expecting a baby, I have been thinking about replacing the clothe grille with one of my own design: a metal frame about 20" long, covered with a metal screen that would be rigid enough to resist little fingers but still perforated sufficiently not to interfere with sound. This grille would fit over the midsection of the speaker front, extending above and below the drivers, and screwing into the sides of the speakers. Assuming the screws are short enough not to go all the way through the speaker cabinet, would attaching such a grille necessarily reduce value? Personally, I think the Dunlavys look pretty drab as is, and the addition of contrasting veneer on the sides and a high-tech metal grille on the front would dress them up considerably. My only concern is if and when I want to sell them, they are still worth something. Thoughts, o' sages of the 'Gon?
128x128balthus
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
In my case the cloth grille was enough to remove the attention of my boys mainly concentrated on the moving woofer. Once it's on there's no interest of pumping the woofer with hands.
As to refinishing speaker for your wife try to tell her that it will nearly cost as getting a new speaker and... there you'll have an option to upgrade...:-)
mejames
986 posts
 
re-finish those ugly black finished speakers I considered this once myself can't believe they actually produced that ugly finish and people bought them this way new,my pair was used and cheap or wouldn't have purchased them. Still I didn't ever like looking at them. Changing the grille would definitely effect resale value.
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but everyone knows butt-ugly! I would think that the mods would reduce re-sale.
kitch29
316 posts
 
A serious answer would require a picture to assess contours and some info from Dunlavy or other owners as to the original finish product used.
Certainly it can be done.
I would be glad to help. E-mail me.
But consider that a competent cabinet maker could probably do justice to the speakers and make a profit at $3- $500 plus the cost of veneer.Or spray tem with 5 coats of very high quality paint and a clear coat for just the $300 or a little more.
Grills are another story:
http://www.bamberglab.com/ts_grill.htm
exertfluffer
270 posts
 
I like the idea of doing a "faux(?)" paint finish on the speakers!
My budy does artwork on KTLA Channel 5 a few mornings a month as a spot-light segment(also did Oprah's once!)I've seen him do superb faux work on just about every finish imaginable.
I was talking to him some time back about doing faux paint jobs on speakers, and marketing them! You could, say, on the Dunlavy's, make em look like a giant piece of marble or rock, or fake wood! Why not?!!!
I've seen him take plastered pillars and make them look so much like real marble for instance, that you wouldn't know the difference until you got your face right next to it!!!...why not do something similar on your large speakers!?
Anyway, I think it would be cool as an option, whether you did it yourself(obviously better by a pro), or had someone else do it. I wonder if anyone else has had this done, or considered it???. The options are endless with what you could do with paint, and you wouldn't change the acoustics, or do anything to radical to the structure that couldn't be stripped or even "repainted" if you changed your mind or lifestyle. It's a thought anyway.
As for Dunlavy's "re-sell value", that company is out of business anyway, I doubt the resale will stay. Also, you can't get proper matched drivers anymore for "driver matching", which was a serious design point of those speakers(driver matching that is). If you blow drivers, on those, you're getting a different speaker drivers, that's all there is to itAt any rate, good luck
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